Customer Reviews

Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel 3-Quart Sauté Pan

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although I was coveting the All-Clad 3-quart saute pan, I bought this one because I couldn't resist the price. I already had the 8 inch omlette pan and was impressed with its performance, so thought I'd give this one a try.

So far I've been really impressed. It heats up extremely quickly and evenly, and I've noticed that it takes a much lower heat setting than my lesser quality pans, and still cooks food more quickly. Another bonus is that nothing seems to burn...I've even forgotten onions for a while in it without incident. I've cooked chicken parmisan, curries, fried potatoes, and chili in it all with good results. Its a good size (big enough to make a family-sized batch of food, without being so big that it's unweildy to use), attractive, and the workmanship on it is excellent. I have a 12-inch Emerilwear Stainless fry pan, and this pan seems to be on equal footing with it in terms of performance, although it is slightly lighter.

My only criticisms are that being stainless rather than non-stick, cleanup can mean soaking in hot water for a while, and it definitely shows a tendency to develop heat stains (those brown and blue swirly patterns on the bottom of the pot). Stainless steel polish takes care of those without problem, its just that I didn't anticipate having to use it on every wash. The handle on the lid also tends to get hot. The side-grip and v-handle seem to stay cool no matter what, but the lid handle definitely requires a towel after leaving food to simmer for even a little while (and my hands aren't that sensitive). This also isn't the pan you'd want for one-handed saute flips...for that I'd highly recommend the Calphalon Tri-ply 8 and 10 inch fry pans (they're fabulous!), but its really well suited to those dishes you want to be evenly browned and/or simmered.

Even with its minor flaws, I give this 5 stars.

I own probably 10-15 Calphalon pans (Commercial Hard Anodized, Commercial Nonstick, Calph One, Tri Ply) and this is by far my favorite. The construction is top notch, the appearance is polished and elegant, and the shape is the traditional french saute. The pan looks and feels like its worth $130 and comes close to competing with the similar (and much more expensive) All-Clad models.

As far as functionality, the pan is easy to use, easy to clean, and gives you far greater control over your sauces (and sautes) then any pans near this price. The Tri-Ply contruction (18/10 stainless steel on both sides of an aluminum core) allows for even heating through-out the entire pan and makes even the most elemental cooking easy and fun. Obviously I can't say enough about this pan, but at this price its hard not to resort to hyperbole.

It is true that the retail on this pan lists for $39.99 and that you could walk into any store (Lines N Things, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc) and pay the same price, but that does not dimish the value of the pan itself. It is one of the Calphalon Collector's edition pans, made in China (instead of Toledo) and thus able to be offered for considerably less than its US counterpart. From what I can see there is very little appreciable difference between this and the one made in the US other than (obviously) the "Made in" stamp on the bottom. Go out and get this Pan, it is worth every penny, and then some...

Oh and to set the record straight, those who called the pan cheap and flimsy have either never actually used the pan or don't know the difference between "Clad" pans (all-clad, Tri-ply) and those with just a thick slab of aluminum on the bottom. The pan feels and looks substantial and does indeed have an aluminum core running throughout the bottom and sides. Three cheers for Calphalon for making such a great product so affordable, I just ordered another!

This is a beautiful tri-ply stainless-steel saute pan. The pan is most definitely not light weight junk. The bottom is not as heavy as pans with an aluminum disk on the bottom because it is tri-ply. The aluminum core is sandwiched between two layers of stainless and goes through out the entire pan. The sides and the bottom are the same thickness. This is not a bad thing. It is a good thing.The pan would retail for $130 if it was not a "select savings" special promotion item. I paid only $28 but it is still a good value at the sticker price of $39.99 since there is no shipping or state tax.

The cover does collect water inside the seal. I never would have noticed it but the other reviewer is right. I just checked my other pans with glass lids (Steelon Professional) and found exactly the same condition. Maybe this is normal and not a defect or a design flaw.

In any event, just put the cover in the dishwasher and the heat will take care of the "problem." You can also put the pan in the dishwasher while you are at it.

Really a lovely pan. Oh - I cooked some fried eggs in it and they didn't stick at all. Cleanup was very easy. No scouring needed.

It is such an elegant looking piece that I plan to bring it to the table to serve from.

I am very happy with my purchase. This pan makes a very nice addition to my rapidly growing collection of Calphalon commercial hard anodized and non-stick. Buying these pots and pans at Amazon's low prices has become an addiction. Buy it. You will love it.

This pan does not have a $130 list price like Amazon says, it's really $39.99, but it's still a great pan and it is Tri-Ply.

I have fried all kinds of stuff and it's flat out awesome! Everything browns up nicely with virtually no sticking. Eggs cook better in this pan than any non-stick pan! Clean up is a breeze. If you do have a little sticking just soak it in water for a few hours and you will have no problem.

I have several Calphalon hard anodized and one non-stick and this pan beats them all for everyday frying.

***UPDATE***
I have now had this pan for over two years and it still looks and performs great! I literally use it everyday and love it!

***UPDATE 2***
Wow Its been 7 years now, where does the time go?!?!?1 Anyway, I still use this pan daily and it still looks and works like new! You cant go wrong with it!

I think this is an exceptional value for $40. This is my first SST pan and it has taken some getting used to. You'll have to use a little oil in the pan with whatever you're cooking, but even then, you should understand that food WILL stick to it a bit - that's the point. After doing a fantastic job browning, pour in a little wine or broth and deglaze just like the pros to make a tasty sauce. This is a high quality piece of cookware and I'm sure it will last me a lifetime. Bar Keepers Friend is a cleanser-type cleaner that keeps this pan looking brand new! It's my favorite piece of cookware.

I love Calphalon pans; I have quite a few different types, including hard-anodized and commercial one. This 3-quart sautee pan is the only Calphalon tri-ply stainless-steel I own, but I'd love to buy some more from the series. The pan is extremely attractive, somewhat reminiscent of the All-Clad pans I own. The glass lid also fits perfectly (some of my pans have glass lids that "jiggle" when the pan is hot).

Whenever I have to sautee, I grab this pan. Food browns wonderfully, and the pan is thick enough that it heats slowly and evenly. The pan is a great size as well - large enough for most everyday sauteeing jobs. Best of all, the pan is completely dishwasher safe and cleans easily. I have had this pan for about a year, and I've had no problems with wear whatsoever.

At this price, the pan is a fantastic value. If I could only have one sautee pan, I'd select this one - most highly recommended.

This pan does the job. I changed from heavy cast aluminum to stainless a couple of years ago because I wanted cookware that is dishwasher safe. Yes, sometimes there is a film inside the pan when it comes out of the wash cycle, but it cleans up easily with Bon Ami. No biggie. The big mess was handled in the dishwasher.

I have Emerilware that I really like, but the 3 qt. saute pan was too heavy for me. This Triply pan is just fine for the price and anyone would be crazy to complain about its performance. And if you position the lid on its side and stick the corner of a towel into the rim, it will wick up any residual moisture left before you put it away.

This is a beautiful tri-ply stainless-steel saute pan. The pan is most definitely not light weight junk. The bottom is not as heavy as pans with an aluminum disk on the bottom because it is tri-ply. The aluminum core goes through out the entire pan. The sides and the bottom are the same thickness. This is not a bad thing. It is a good thing.The pan would retail for $130 if it was not a "select savings" special promotion item. I paid only $28 but it is still a good value at the sticker price of $39.99 since there is no shipping or state tax.

The cover does collect water inside the seal. I never would have noticed it but the other reviewer is right. I guess that is a design flaw but I can live with it.
Put it in the dishwasher and the heat will take care of the problem.

Really a lovely pan. Oh - I cooked some fried eggs in it and they didn't stick at all. Cleanup was very easy. No scouring needed.

It is such an elegant looking piece that I plan to bring it to the table to serve from.

I am very happy with my purchase. This pan makes a very nice addition to my rapidly growing collection of Calphalon commercial hard anodized and non-stick. Buying these pots and pans at Amazon's low prices has become an addiction. Buy it. You will love it.

Unfortunately, this pan is no longer sold as an open stock item, and can only be found in sets, such as the 8- and 13- piece sets. Fortunately, I was able to buy it from a Marketplace seller for a very agreeable amount.

This pan is just the right size for sauteeing, stir frying, you name it. It's not huge like it's big brother, the 5 qt. saute pan, but is suited to most normal cooking. The walls are deep enough to contain many dishes, which is nice.

Of most importance is its lid, for some reason, which Calphalon does not sell separately. It can fit snugly over this pan, the wok, the 10" omelette pan, AND the 8 qt. stockpot. Hey, it even fits some of my old pots as well. Thus, increasing the worth of this item.

I can't wait to use it some more tomorrow.

I consider myself a home chef in training. Culinary school is most likely not very far away. Let me just tell you, this pan is amazing! Next to my cast iron skillet, this is my most favorite pan in the kitchen. It's worth every penny of the 130.00 it would normally cost retail. The fact that it's available at this wonderful price is AMAZING.

This pan heats evenly and quickly! The straight sides ensure airflow over food is constant. I can easily saute thin chicken breasts to 160 degrees without them drying out completely. This pan is wonderful. If All-Clad was a 9 on a 10 point scale, this pan is definitely an 8.9999.

Don't hesitate buying it, I waited for 2 months before buying it, and I still regret not buying it earlier. Enjoy it!