Customer Reviews

Calphalon Professional Hard Anodized 8-1/2-Quart Saucier with Lid

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you enjoy stews, I can think of no better pot. Calphalon heats up quickly and browns better than anything I have seen. This pot has a large surface area, so it rarely requires a second round in the browning stage. That great browning translates into a wonderful deglaze. It is shallow enough that you can easily work the base with tongs, but tall enough to handle everything without causing a mess. It's more than happy to go into the oven/broiler.
It's rare to see a pot this size at such a low price. Even rarer is to see it come with a lid, a lifetime guarantee and a reputation as solid as that of Calphalon.

I have been a professional chef for the past 10 yrs. and have used all kinds of cookware and have used the whole line of Calphalon products.They are constructed to very high standards and the abuse that I give them be it home or on the job these products can take it.They are constructed very well the riveted handles are far superior then most.Also the even heat distrabution is a plus especially for the home cook where the gas pressure and flame are not as strong as a commercial kitchen but they produce the same results.The best thing about this product line is that everyone of them can go from stove top to the oven which cuts down on having to use more utensils.
Anytime a product can save me time in the kitchen it's a plus.If you are just starting or are a seasoned pro this product line is one to give serious consideration!

This Calphalon Professional Hard Anodized 8 1/2-Quart Saucier with Lid is an excellent large multi-use pan from the original line of Calphalon cookware. The Professional Hard Anodized line is very durable as long as one does not use pan sprays on the cookware or put it in the automatic dishwasher. The handles of the pot are chrome-plated iron, not stainless steel like one finds in the Calphalon Commerical Hard Anodized line, so they do get hot to the touch, and one will need to use thick potholders in order not to get burned. Most saucier pans have curved bottoms, but this pan has straight sides like one would find on Calphalon sauteuse pans. (Calphalon calls their curved-bottom pans 'chef's' or 'everyday' pans.) For the best results, one needs to use the largest burner on an electric stovetop because this pan has a very large diameter base. I use a medium-high setting on an electric burner and cooking oils with high smoke-points, such as grapeseed and canola oils, for sautéing and searing. This pan may also be used in a pre-heated oven, so it is quite versatile. It is virtually nonstick, but if any sticky cooking residue or stains develop, then one can remove them with Dormond cleaner or Soft Scrub.

I've been a Caphalon owner for north of 10 years, and have a HUGE (like 50+ pots & pans -- yes, my wife thinks I'm nuts) collection of them and also Analon Pro. If Calphalon Commercial Nonstick had been around years ago, I would have probably bought that instead of the Anolon Pro; the old CalPro nonstick was just too ugly for words. I've always thought that the "shiny stuff" like All-Clad stainless was a complete waste of money unless you want a piece of decorative cookware for some reason. It's way too much work to keep that shiny surface perfect, and the cooking qualitites aren't that great, whereas anodized surfaces work wonderfully and continue to look terrific with use and proper cleaning.

Anyway, this pan is simply magic, and makes a great large-meal complement to the 5-piece supersize set (if it's still available). The only disadvantage of the Pro line vs. Commercial is the handles, which on the Pro do get very hot very fast. Realistically, though, all handles get warm enough that you probably don't want to go grabbing them willy-nilly, but the Commercial handles do stay substantially cooler. Obviously, this is irrelevant for oven use. It's great for sauteing or pan-frying several pieces of meat at once.

This particular pan is great for chili, and can also be used as a roaster in a pinch. The cooking surface provides exceptionally even heat, even given the large surface area. I haven't burned anything on it yet, and cleanup is a snap, especially given the cooking tips below...

Owning lots of both, I can say that the cleanup of non-stick vs. a well cared-for Calphalon Pro pan isn't that different. Before cooking, I generally wipe the pan throughout the inside with a a paper towel dipped in a little olive oil. This leaves a negligible coating, but it does the trick, and cleanup is a snap. Also, when sauteing or pan frying, do it right: heat the pan and oil *first*, then add patted-dry meat. This not only improves the outcome, but it also helps prevent the "wrong" kind of sticking and burning. Also, deglaze with this pan just once, and you'll understand why the only competition for that purpose is pure iron (with all its high-maintenance issues).

The real secret of cookware cleanup is to do it immediately after use, instead of letting things sit for hours. NOTE: do NOT use Pam or any other spray canola oil on Calphalon, as the spray has something in it that leaves a very sticky residue that is a real pain to clean off after cooking; go figure.

Lastly, for long-term simmering of tomato-based and other acidic foods, you should probably use a nonstick pan instead, although the only real effect will be a slight discoloration of the pan that does (eventually) seem to go away.

JUST THE RIGHT SIZE
How many times have I cooked stew and the pans I had that were big enough, had a small diameter on the bottom and tall sides...
Well no more.
This pan is the ultimate stew pot.
It measures 12 inches across inside and 5 inches tall. More than enough for stew with 2-4 pounds of meat, 2-1/2 pounds of vegetables, and 6 cups of liquid. In fact this stew was still 2 inches below the top.

OVEN SAFE
Also really great is that this pan can be popped right into the oven. Too many of the so called dutch ovens that are shaped like this have plastic handles and knobs making this impossible.
Granted you have to use a pot holder, but this is a small inconvenience.

FOOD CARMELIZES WELL AND CLEAN UP IS A SNAP
The pan washes up well. If you read Calpholon's literature, the hard anodized pan will allow things to brown well and will stick to the bottom of the pan. However, when you add liquid to a stew to mix this up, it has a well-flavored, full bodied result.

CAN USE NON-SHARP METAL UTENSILS
With the hard-anodized finish, you can use metal utensils. This doesn't matter so much to me as I have both, however, when you are cooking really hot stuff, like browning beef, it is nice not to have the utensil bend.

This is my 3rd Calphalon pan and I'm sold.

The other reviewers are correct about the almost laughably big size of this pot. When I set it on one burner, it knocks the teapot off the adjacent one - it's the big daddy of pots. I tucked 11 split chicken breasts (bone-in) into it the other night, and it *just* filled it. A roasting chicken, even a large one, would still be a little lost; two would fit just fine, with room for roasting potatoes. You could roast a turkey in it if necessary.

It's also useful in that it allows you to bake shallow casseroles with large surface areas (for maximum exposure to heat). That promotes fast cooking as well as lots of crispy browned area - the best part of any dish.

And I've used it for frying, as well as deep frying, potato pancakes and other vegetables; the high sides keep oil spattering to a minumum. It's perfect for this. I could see it being useful for poaching whole fish or large filets as well - none of my other pots could do that.

But it is intended for use as a saucier, to braise meats and vegetables, not really as a casserole. You can toss a lot of root vegetables in to roast at the same time, with minimal crowding and steaming problems to interfere with browning. A leg of lamb or other large cut of meat and lots of vegetables would fit nicely.

Bottom line: It's a good (and fun) specialty piece at a rock bottom price, just not necessarily one you will reach for on a regular basis, unless you regularly cook for a crowd.

This Calphalon 8.5 quart saucier ... is not only a bargain ' it's a STEAL.
For anyone who may cook anything from Goulash, Meat-Roulades, Stuffed-Cabbage
or anything that may require a large cooking surface for its initial cooking cycle, this
Calphalon pot is it. Furthermore, you can start or end your cooking cycles on the stove
top while in the meanwhile you can also do it in the oven, with or without lid, depending
on what you are cooking.
Most importantly, the dimesions of this pot are:
The cooking surface 12" Diameter, height 4.5".
Don't miss out on this one ' KHS The Old Stove' & 'Saucier'

This is the ninth piece of Calphalon product that I have either purchased or received as a gift in the past couple of months, and I have been very impressed with their entire line. This is my first piece of professional hard-anodized cookware, however, so it takes a little getting used to the handles getting hot even on the stovetop. But food cooks beautifully, and what a price! I practically feel like I stole this!
If you have a small kitchen like I do, you're probably looking for cookware that will do several jobs in one container. This is large enough for roasting chickens, and possibly even small turkeys. I like using it for stir-frying large quantities, to store and eat throughout the week- provided you don't mind using a pot that's the wrong shape for stir-frying, it works very well if you don't have a wok. This would also work well for a large lasagne- again, provided you don't mind the shape. And it's great for cooking pasta, if you don't already have a pasta pot. Just beware of the hot handles when straining the pasta.
As some reviewers have pointed out, this is a rather large saucier- perhaps too large for some projects. But as long as this isn't intended to be relied upon as your only piece of cookware, and you have some smaller Calphalon pots, this really comes in handy for the large projects. And you're probably never going to find a new piece of Calphalon of this size for this price anywhere else.

If you have not cooked with items from the Hard Anodized line, please understand a couple of things:

1) The handles get hot. Pot holders are required.
2) It is not non-stick, it is stick "resistant."

That been said, here are reasons I recommend the line, and this pot in particular:

1) All products in the line get hot. Sure. That is part of the experience IMHO. And that is the point. I absolutely LOVE to cook, and these pots make it fun. Almost "fussy." They become part of the experience.

2) The stick resistant finish is not bullet proof, but not a whimp either. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines, and the pot is like a Kitchenaid... you will give it to your grandchildren. If you like a good, and I mean GOOD, dark, gravy, the deglazing properites are just amazing, and fun. Can't get that from a non-stick finish.

3) This pot is big and wide. Some see it as a problem, but I see it as a God-send. The pot will cook gumbo for, say 15 large servings, in one pot. If you need to reduce a sauce, the width of the pot really comes into play.

4)The pot works for soup, cooking pasta, or gumbo-type things as easily as it goes in the oven for a pot roast, chicken or large turkey.

5) Finally, cooking should be FUN and a JOY. When you get done cooking with this, you know you have made something good.

Highly recommended. Have fun.

I am extremely happy with this pan! I wanted a very large saucier/saute pan that would entirely cover the large burner on my stove--and one that I could use metal utensils in, or cook meat with bones exposed. (I purchased this pan as a replacement for a non-stick pan because the non-sticking coating was coming off of it.) I also wanted to be able to put it in the oven at really high temperatures. The sides of the pan are about 4.5" high which is great--since I'm notorious for tossing the contents of the pan all over the stovetop when I'm cooking. I also like having two handles, even though they get hot, I lift the pan with confidence(with potholders) since I can use two hands. This type of handle doesn't get in the way of other pots on the stove. (I found the really long handle on my old saute pan always got in the way of other pans on the stovetop, and it was really difficult for me to lift when the pan was full). I also like this type of handle because you can actually "center" the pan in the oven--which I could not do with my old pan since the handle was so long. And the pan comes with a lid, so you don't have to buy that separately. The fact that this pan IS NOT non-stick was a major factor for me. (Besides, if you get the pan hot enough before you add any oil or ingredients to it-- the food won't stick anyway). It is really too bad that so many pots and pans are non-stick these days. I dislike non-stick pans because the coating always seems to come off- and I don't want anyone to eat that stuff! This is a great product--if you need a large pan like this, buy this before you can't get it anymore. It is a terrific value.