Customer Reviews

Calphalon D87821/2P Commercial Hard-Anodized 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid

5 star:		(281)
4 star:		(84)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

I bought this pot three years ago, and it was my first piece of "serious" cookware. I used it to make various pasta and other sauces, and its large surface area and even heat were very good. It was also easy to clean. Per the manufacturer's instructions, I cleaned it by hand, using a Scotch-Brite pad when needed. It was a beautiful pan. And, after three years, sauces started tasting funny, and I noticed that the inside was significantly lighter in color than the outside. A quick check with an Ohmmeter revealed that the anodized coating was gone, and I was effectively left with a plain aluminum pan. The other cooks I have talked to say that this is just what happens after a while, and the pans go in the sandbox for the kids to play with. Now, at the fantastic amazon.com price, it's not too bad to just buy a new one every three years, or you can mail the pan back to Calphalon and try for a warranty replacement. After this experience, I will certainly never use a Scotch-Brite pad on anodized aluminum. Still, a clad pan such as All-Clad offers similar performance and will last forever (15+ years), so I think that's what I will replace it with.

I recently ordered this based on my appreciation for Calphalon products and the great price. This is a fantastic saucepan that can practically double as a saute pan. It is surprisingly large and roomy, and the extra diameter gives it plenty of room for fitting in two or three chicken breasts, a modest steak, or a handful of veggies. I love it for making coq au vin since it isn't too large and goes right in the oven.

Nothing sticks to this pan if you add just a dab of butter or oil, and it heats up and cools quickly. One great feature of pure aluminum cookware is the fact that aluminum dissipates heat quickly, so pulling the pan off the heat is a great way to regulate the temperature when making a sauce. This is a great product and a wonderful addition to my Calphalon cookware collection.

Ok, let me get this straight...Amazon has 2 different 2.5 quart Calphalon Commerical Hard-Anodized saucepans, the regular, and the shallow. Inspecting the technical details of the two pans, one quickly realizes that they are identical except for the diameter and the height of the pan. The shallow is, naturally, more shallow (3 in. compared to 3 7/8 in), and therefore wider (8 3/8 in compared to 7 in) to accomdodate the fact that they hold the same amount of volume. What does this mean? More SURFACE AREA. What does surface area do? Well, think about it for a second: more of the pan is in direct contact with the heat because of the larger bottom. As a result, more of the food is exposed to the heat. The result? Faster cooking!
And this is a "sauce" pan after all. So what does this mean for sauce? Same thing as above, but remember, more of the sauce comes in contact with the air. More surface-to-air ratio = faster reducing times for sauces.
So we've established that from a technical standpoint, the shallow saucepan seems superior. It cooks faster because of a greater area for heat to contact food and for the surface of a sauce to contact the air. With that in mind, take a guess which one costs more. Surprsingly enough the pan with the lower amount of surface area costs at least %50 more than the more useful shallow saucepan.
So unless you are looking for a pan that reduces more slowly and has a much lower amount of versatility (try browning a couple of chicken breasts in the regulation sized saucepan...you'll have squished chicken), I recommend this pan whole-heartedly. The anodized aluminum does not react with acidic foods such as tomato sauces, looks really cool, heats quickly and evenly (aluminum is an incredible heat conductor), and won't bust your budget. This is the perfect way to own a piece of excellent cookware for a bargain basement price. Just remember, it is stick-resistant, not non-stick. This browns up much nicer than the Calphalon non-stick stuff, and you don't have to treat with kid gloves. About the only thing you can't do is throw it in the dishwasher (which you shouldn't do with any decent pot or pan) and use a knife or electric mixer in it (a hand blender is fine...the blades never touch the pot).

This Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized "Collector's Edition" 2 1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid is a perfect "test" pan to see if you like cooking with this superior line of cookware. My first piece of Calphalon cookware, a 1-quart shallow saucepan, convinced me to buy a 7-piece starter set, and I have added more and more pieces over the years. As Calphalon rarely discounts their cookware, I have looked for their "specials" like this Saucepan.

Of all my saucepans, my 2 1/2-Quart one seems to get the most use. This shallower version of that same pan (with a larger diameter base) will be perfect for a sautŽ, such as making a mirepoix. It would also work for making a sauce because the sides are straight.

Hand wash this pan with a mild liquid detergent, and you will enjoy it for many years.

If you own any Calphalon, you already know.

If not, you should. This is a great deal on a very useful pan. Once you've tried a calphalon hard anodized pan, you will probably never be satisfied with anything else. I currently own six pieces, lost two to my ex-wife. (They actually feature in our divorce agreement - I got computer, stereo, custody of our son, and 1/2 of our Calphalon... I miss the pans more than her... :^)

I've owned Calphalon, Anolon, Farberware, etc. The Hard-Anodized products from Calphalon are the best. I give this pan and a few others (like the 12-inch Everyday Pan) as gifts, almost universally appreciated. If you are serious about cooking, they are worth the $80-$100 and higher price tags. If you pick up one of the pieces that are on the frequent super-deep discounts it is a steal.

The heating characteristics of these pans are great - I refuse to make candy or fudge in anything else. (I make 20-30 pounds of fudge each December) As long as you keep the heat 1/2 to 1 step lower than you would use with another pan, cooking time is the same and it is difficult to burn things. If you DO manage to burn something, just let the pan cool off and wash with normal dish soap (NOT dishwasher!!) and a scrubby sponge, it will clean up almost perfectly with very little effort.

I've found the Pots'n'Pans and nonstick Calphalon products to be acceptable, but they can't compare to the Hard Anodized Aluminum product lines. Don't get distracted by 'nonstick' coatings, that require special utensils and usually start to flake and peel within a year. This product is solid Aluminum, subjected to an Anodizing process to harden it, with NO added coating. As long as you don't abuse it, cut in it with a sharp knife, or use dishwasher detergent on it, it will last a LONG time.

j

I bought this saucepan to add another smallish saucepan to my other 13 pieces of Hard Anodized (original) and Commercial Hard Anodized cookware. I was disappointed with this pot. It is noticeable thinner than my other pots. Because of that, it doesn't work as well. The reason Calphalon is so great is because they are thick pots made of aluminum so they conduct heat extremely well and extremely evenly. This pot does not do that as well as the older "made in USA" pots. It's too thin.

My recommendation would be to buy the Calphalon ONE products as they are made of the thicker aluminum and do what Calphalon is supposed to do... cook evenly without any hot spots. Sadly, all the current CHA pots look like they are made in China and are thinner/cheaper than the older CHA products labeled (and looking) almost exactly the same.

Unfortunately, economic concerns ("we can get this made cheaper in China!!!") have struck down a formerly fantastic product line.

Regards,
Clark

** Update: Someone asked me "How much thinner is it?" So I had to get out my calipers. It is thinner, but I was surprised at how small the difference was. By visual observation and tactile use, the difference 'feels' much larger. My old Commercial Hard Anodized pots are just under 5.5 mm thick. This newer 'made in China' version is just over 4.5 mm thick. So the difference in thickness is somewhere between a half millimeter and three quarters of a millimeter. Still too much of a difference for me and I wouldn't recommend this product.

This was my first Calphalon purchase, and my first ever commercial anodized aluminum pan. I am extremely pleased with the quality of this pan's construction - this pan is HEAVY duty. The first night I had it I tried the chicken recipe that came with the pan and it blew my family away! If there is a downside to this pan it is its size. At 2 1/2 quarts, its small size would not hold 3 raw split chicken breasts, so I had to brown 2, set them aside, brown the third, and then add the first two back in. On the upside, this cooking surface has unbelievable abilities to brown meat at a fairly low burner setting, it deglazes beautifully, goes right into the oven without worry, and as long as you follow the "rules" for cooking with this type of surface (which are included), it cleans fairly easily. I highly recommend this pan and predict that I will be buying many more pans in this product line in the future.

This pan is a great size for cooking wild rice and curry rice dishes. You can saute ingredients initially (and this pan does this fantastically!) with a higher heat, then add additional ingredients and simmer til done! The pan is thick and heavy (but not too heavy!), and cooks evenly at a lower temperature. Clean up should be by hand, as washing in the dishwasher will pit the anodized finish, but it's not a problem. I love this pan so much that I just bought my second one!

Follow-up: I now own three of these beauties. They are absolutely fabulous! This saucepan is my first choice for whatever I'm cooking. They stay looking beautiful if cared for adequately. And the price just can't be beat! Best rice pan I've ever used. With other pans I always seem to get that "rice bottom" look, where even after the pan is cleaned you can still see the impressions of the rice, and I feared the same problem with this pan. With a little scrubbing with a Dobie pad (which is recommended by Calphalon) the pan looked just like I'd taken it out of the box! This is a great introduction to Calphalon if you're not sure about investing in more of the line. Care for it as recommended and I can't imagine you'd be disappointed!

Since Calaphon almost never makes significant discounts on their higher end lines, this saucepan is a great deal. As one of the other reviewers mentions, it is a great purchase for you to experiment with difference between high quality and average cookware.

The calaphon collector's edition is the same as the commerical hard anodized line. It has a heavy gauge bottom that provide nice even heating. It has a high grade Hard Anodized (not non stick) surface which will withstand the use of metal utensils and last for years. It is does not have the low conductivity handles, so you will have to use a mitt to shake the pan if it has been on the stove for several minutes.

I have seen some reviews that criticize the use of non stick surfaces (which is really a layer of paint) versus hard anodized (which is only "stick resistant"). Non stick cookware will not last a lifetime - more like 5-10 years if you use nylon utensils. Once the surface flakes you should throw the pan out.

Hard anodized is a different type of treatment altogether. It does not stick or burn like regular steel pans but it is not an oil free surface either. You can use metal utensils without damaging the cooking properties of the surface and they will last a lifetime. Professional quality, hard anodized pan are usually priced at 2-3 times the price of a good quality non stick set.

Ah, it's hard to believe my life has come to this: writing an online review for a pan. Still, I can't resist. There is some kindness (deep in my soul) that prompts me to share good news with my fellow consumers. This pan is good news.

Forget about the name Calphalon gave this pan. (Who in the world needs a "shallow saucepan?" If a saucepan of standard height is too tall for you, you really need a bigger kitchen.) The good news: this pan doubles as a small sauté pan.

Cooking just one or two pork chops or chicken breasts? Reach for this pan instead of your 3-quart or 5-quart sauté pans and use less oil, create less mess, and have less to clean.