The journey started with a desire to have a insert of some kind so I could do two things:
1. Eliminate the need for my in-sink pasta strainer
2. Have an easy (or easier) way to make my usual dozen hard boiled eggs each week.
That should be easy right? Well...it's not so easy as I have found out. I'm no culinary expert, so I didn't even know the correct search term for what I was looking for. But eventually, I stumbled on multi pots. I found numerous multi pots on Amazon and as I started reading reviews, I found that it was fairly common place to see, "Pasta insert too shallow". In fact, there is another Calphalon multi pot that had those exact words in some of the reviews. I quickly understood the problem with a pasta insert that didn't go down far enough. And if you are here, you are likely of the same mentality. But each time I found a multi pot that was within my price range, it was pretty vague as to how far down the pasta insert went. It never seems to be defined in the item description. AND, just about every photo I've seen, seems to partially hide the true depth of the insert....as if it's being intentionally concealed so it doesn't scare you away.
When I found this Calphalon version of the multi pot, I saw fewer reviews, no one was complaining of depth issues, and the photo ALMOST looked like the insert had more depth than the rest in this price range. So by this time I figured the heck with it, I'll order it and see what I get. And when I opened the box.....Behold, the insert had the depth I was hoping for...I measured is at 1.5 inches off the bottom.
I have yet to try it out...as in make a batch of spaghetti or eggs. But since there are so many inserts out there that are "too shallow", I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually a functional issue. In other words, if the insert goes down too far, will you get a good boiling action or circulation in the pasta compartment. That remains to be seen in my case. As for my dozen egg requirement, I don't see where that would be an issue.
Again, I'm no chef. I'm more of a weekend warrior in the kitchen. I don't know jack about cookware...well maybe a little. But this pot seems very well made. I know that doesn't mean much coming from a bachelor who eats spaghetti 3 times a week. But compared to the junk I just threw away, this is a high quality pot. You may not agree but let's look at my needs and point of reference. There is a nice glass lid and a steamer which I will likely use. All seem to be very well made. Even when I lift the pot, it's not overly heavy, but it is a very substantial piece of metal.
Anyway...In case there is someone out there wildly trying to find an insert that goes 'down far enough', look no more...this is the pot for you.
Similar item to consider
What do customers buy after viewing this item?
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the manufacturer
About Calphalon
Calphalon invented hard-anodized aluminum cookware, introducing gourmet cookware to the average consumer for the first time, and for more than 50 years we have been on a mission to prove that cooking can be relaxing, fun and personal. We know our customers share the passion we have for our products, and the expectations they have for our brand drive the decisions we make every day.
Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Cookware
Style meets professional performance.
Style-conscious home chefs with taste for all things modern have a new line of cookware to call their own: Calphalon Contemporary Stainless. The first cookware to bring stunning, contemporary design into the home kitchen. Crafted from lustrous, brushed stainless steel and featuring clean lines and curvaceous silhouettes, expresses the very soul of modern style. Along with sophisticated style, Calphalon Contemporary Stainless delivers the professional performance you expect from all Calphalon cookware.
- Dual metal construction: a heavy-gauge aluminum core sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel
- Highly reflective surface offers maximum visibility
- Superior conductivity and even heating
- Brushed stainless steel for a contemporary look
- Long stainless steel handles stay cool
- Oven and broiler safe
Full Lifetime Warranty
Calphalon will replace any item found defective in material or workmanship when put to normal household use and cared for according to the instructions. Minor imperfections, surface markings as a result of shipping, and slight color variations are normal. This excludes damage from misuse or abuse, such as improper cleaning, neglect, accident, alteration, fire, theft, or use in a commercial establishment.
Durable Stainless Steel Construction
Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Cookware is crafted from two metals; a heavy-gauge aluminum core sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel by means of high-heat, high-pressure impact bonding.
The stainless steel construction offers superior conductivity and even heating for excellent browning and control of the cooking process.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Elegant LookThe cookware surface is elegant brushed stainless steel for a contemporary look that can go from the oven or stove directly to the table. |
Superb BrowningThe durable, non-porous surface is safe for use with all utensils and excellent for browning and producing fond for superb pan sauces. |
Long-Lasting, Reflective SurfaceThe reflective surface allows for easy monitoring of foods as they cook, and retains a like-new appearance for beautiful performance time after time. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Stainless | Contemporary Stainless | Tri-Ply Stainless | Tri-Ply Copper | |
| Construction | Stainless steel with impact-bonded aluminum base | Heavy-gauge aluminum core between two layers of brushed stainless steel | Heavy-gauge aluminum core with polished stainless steel exterior and brushed stainless steel interior | Heavy-gauge aluminum core with polished copper exterior and brushed stainless steel interior |
| Handles | Long, stay-cool stainless steel | Cast, brushed, stainless steel | Cast, polished, Cool-V stainless steel | Cast, polished, Cool-V stainless steel |
| Lids | Tempered-Glass | Tempered-Glass, wide metal bands stabilize lid | Tempered-Glass, wide metal bands stabilize lid | Stainless Steel |
| Cleaning and Care | Dishwasher-Safe | Dishwasher-Safe | Dishwasher-Safe | Hand Wash |
| Oven Safe To | 500 Degrees F | 500 Degrees F | 500 Degrees F | 450 Degrees F |
Compare with similar items
 | Cuisinart 4-Piece Cookware Set, 12 Quarts, Chef's Classic Stainless Steel Pasta/Steamer, C77SSW-12P | Cook N Home 4-Piece 8 Quart Multipots, Stainless Steel Pasta Cooker Steamer | All-Clad Specialty Stainless Steel 3 Piece Cookware Set with Lid 6 Quart Induction Pots and Pans,Silver | EXCELSTEEL 12 Qt Multifunction Stainless Steel Pasta Cooker with Encapsulated Base, Vented Glass Lid, and Riveted Silicone Covered Handles, 10"D x 13.75"W x 14"H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (531) | (73787) | (3542) | (716) | (530) |
| Price | Unavailable | $89.95 | $42.70 | $99.95 | $54.99 |
| Sold By | — | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | All Things Imaginable |
| Color | As the picture shown | 12-Quart | Stainless Steel | Silver | Red |
| Item Dimensions | 11.9 x 11.3 x 11.9 inches | 11 x 14.5 x 9 inches | 11 x 11 x 9 inches | 12.6 x 9.6 x 11.4 inches | 13.75 x 10 x 14 inches |
| Material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| Number of Items | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Number of Pieces | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Size | 8-quart | 12-Quart | 8 quart | 6-Quart | 12 Qt |
Videos
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
Videos for related products
0:36
Click to play video
PureWow Presents: How to Plate Pasta Like a Pro
PureWow
Videos for related products
1:41
Click to play video
Still good after a decade of use? - Calphalon Stock Pot
Corey Phillips
Videos for related products
2:43
Click to play video
Cuisinart Pasta Pot/Steamer Review
DIY Life Tech
Videos for related products
0:28
Click to play video
Viking 8 Quart Multipot
Viking
Videos for related products
3:20
Click to play video
World's Greatest Pot As Seen on TV - Multipots & Pasta Pots
Vivian Tries
Videos for related products
1:33
Click to play video
Honest review of Deep Pot with Steamer Insert/Basket
Rebecca Sadhwani
Videos for related products
0:38
Click to play video
Stainless Steel Cookware Set, Silver
Neway International Housewares
Videos for related products
0:58
Click to play video
Honest review of Steamer and Colander Insert
Rebecca Sadhwani
Videos for related products
5:02
Click to play video
Cuisinart Cuisinart Cuisinart
Merchant Video
Videos for related products
1:04
Click to play video
Viking 3-Ply Stainless Steel Pasta Pot with Steamer, 8 Quart
Merchant Video
mixed feelings: poor quality materials?, good design
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2015
Got this a week ago. I am initially disappointed with this purchase. I feel cheated paying for a "good-quality" brand product and getting something that feels cheap and no-name...Hear are my issues:1. It stains like crazy inside and the stains don't come out through a normal hand-washing process (with Dawn soap and normal kitchen sponge - these are cleaning directions that Calphalon gives in their warranty leaflet.) I MUST say I only used this pot 3 times so far: once making chili, once boiling pasta and once steaming. Even the inserts are starting to stain after such little use... I am worried about what will happen to it in time.2. It sometimes gives off a faint funny smell, metal-like, as if it wouldn't be stainless (especially the parts with wholes in them, when wet - almost like that awful smell that cheap metal jewelry has). I believe it might be a low quality stainless steel layer on the inside... or maybe the rivets, no idea. How does it not react with the food, I wonder?3. tri-ply or not try ply? :) Some customers complained about the product description being misleading since it makes you think that the whole pot is try-ply (as the others in the try-ply "Contemporary Collection"). So, what I notice is that the base is definitely try ply but it is attached to the bottom of the pot so it is not a continuous tri-ply construction (but rather a tri-ply encapsulated bottom construction). I wanted a tri-ply but didn't really understand what it meant at the time. So the fancy cookware that has uninterrupted try-ply construction would be extremely heavy in an 8 qt pot and a little bit more expensive. But it's not incorrect to call this tri-ply since in actuality it is just that: a try ply base with an aluminum core wrapped in stainless steel attached, in turn, to stainless steel walls... It is tri-ply at the bottom and stainless on the side. Good enough for steaming, boiling pasta, and simmering stews and soups without burning. I personally don't think it's justified to invest into the performance of all-over tri-ply for these purposes - if only this was good quality steel. The covered pot reaches a rolling boil in a 20 minutes with water to the level of the handle rivets. I don't think a continuous tri-ply is much faster for this amount of water and this diameter base.4. During cooking, the glass cover makes some funny popping/crackling sounds every now and then- almost like the glass cracks - and I have never experienced that with glass lids before. I tried tapping on it gently with a spoon to check if it was about to shatter, but nothing happened. :| Still, that popping is a little scary.What I like:a. I love, LOVE the looks. the design is awesome... so sleek, so contemporary.. it's a pity that the quality doesn't raise up to that level also.b. The 3 parts and lid nest perfectly. Again, great design.c. bottom heats evenly and doesn't burn food (as in simmering chili for many hours in med heat - nothing stuck to the bottom).d. Pasta insert has small dents on the bottom (so it's not perfectly flat) that allows you to set it in the sink for the water to drain without the whole bottom making contact with the sink. It feels cleaner this way since the noodles that rest in/hang from the holes won't get contaminated from the sink.I will attach pictures. The pot was washed thoroughly and air dried for many hours prior to taking the pictures. There was no physical residue on the bottom of the pan - it felt absolutely smooth to the touch.I'm not sure if I will return or not... I might test it some more. I'm just really disappointed with how it looks inside after only 3 uses.1 month update:I have returned this pot. I continued cooking with it and the staining just got worse and worse. My conclusion is, they didn't use 18/10 steel in this pot. It is probably some cheaper version of stainless steel that stains more easily. I also couldn't stand the rusty smell that it had, every single time I would take the lid off, to start using it. What a pity!Instead, I bought the $50 Tramontina multi-pot from The grocery store and it didn't stain nearly as bad. That one is 18/10 since it says so on the label. I am much happier with this "cheaper" pot. I hate the hassle that Calphalon caused me.
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2015
Images in this review
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 15, 2015
Hear are my issues:
1. It stains like crazy inside and the stains don't come out through a normal hand-washing process (with Dawn soap and normal kitchen sponge - these are cleaning directions that Calphalon gives in their warranty leaflet.) I MUST say I only used this pot 3 times so far: once making chili, once boiling pasta and once steaming. Even the inserts are starting to stain after such little use... I am worried about what will happen to it in time.
2. It sometimes gives off a faint funny smell, metal-like, as if it wouldn't be stainless (especially the parts with wholes in them, when wet - almost like that awful smell that cheap metal jewelry has). I believe it might be a low quality stainless steel layer on the inside... or maybe the rivets, no idea. How does it not react with the food, I wonder?
3. tri-ply or not try ply? :) Some customers complained about the product description being misleading since it makes you think that the whole pot is try-ply (as the others in the try-ply "Contemporary Collection"). So, what I notice is that the base is definitely try ply but it is attached to the bottom of the pot so it is not a continuous tri-ply construction (but rather a tri-ply encapsulated bottom construction). I wanted a tri-ply but didn't really understand what it meant at the time. So the fancy cookware that has uninterrupted try-ply construction would be extremely heavy in an 8 qt pot and a little bit more expensive. But it's not incorrect to call this tri-ply since in actuality it is just that: a try ply base with an aluminum core wrapped in stainless steel attached, in turn, to stainless steel walls... It is tri-ply at the bottom and stainless on the side. Good enough for steaming, boiling pasta, and simmering stews and soups without burning. I personally don't think it's justified to invest into the performance of all-over tri-ply for these purposes - if only this was good quality steel.
The covered pot reaches a rolling boil in a 20 minutes with water to the level of the handle rivets. I don't think a continuous tri-ply is much faster for this amount of water and this diameter base.
4. During cooking, the glass cover makes some funny popping/crackling sounds every now and then- almost like the glass cracks - and I have never experienced that with glass lids before. I tried tapping on it gently with a spoon to check if it was about to shatter, but nothing happened. :| Still, that popping is a little scary.
What I like:
a. I love, LOVE the looks. the design is awesome... so sleek, so contemporary.. it's a pity that the quality doesn't raise up to that level also.
b. The 3 parts and lid nest perfectly. Again, great design.
c. bottom heats evenly and doesn't burn food (as in simmering chili for many hours in med heat - nothing stuck to the bottom).
d. Pasta insert has small dents on the bottom (so it's not perfectly flat) that allows you to set it in the sink for the water to drain without the whole bottom making contact with the sink. It feels cleaner this way since the noodles that rest in/hang from the holes won't get contaminated from the sink.
I will attach pictures. The pot was washed thoroughly and air dried for many hours prior to taking the pictures. There was no physical residue on the bottom of the pan - it felt absolutely smooth to the touch.
I'm not sure if I will return or not... I might test it some more. I'm just really disappointed with how it looks inside after only 3 uses.
1 month update:
I have returned this pot. I continued cooking with it and the staining just got worse and worse. My conclusion is, they didn't use 18/10 steel in this pot. It is probably some cheaper version of stainless steel that stains more easily. I also couldn't stand the rusty smell that it had, every single time I would take the lid off, to start using it. What a pity!
Instead, I bought the $50 Tramontina multi-pot from The grocery store and it didn't stain nearly as bad. That one is 18/10 since it says so on the label. I am much happier with this "cheaper" pot.
I hate the hassle that Calphalon caused me.
Size: 8-quartVerified Purchase
mixed feelings: poor quality materials?, good design
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 15, 2015
Got this a week ago. I am initially disappointed with this purchase. I feel cheated paying for a "good-quality" brand product and getting something that feels cheap and no-name...Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 15, 2015
Hear are my issues:
1. It stains like crazy inside and the stains don't come out through a normal hand-washing process (with Dawn soap and normal kitchen sponge - these are cleaning directions that Calphalon gives in their warranty leaflet.) I MUST say I only used this pot 3 times so far: once making chili, once boiling pasta and once steaming. Even the inserts are starting to stain after such little use... I am worried about what will happen to it in time.
2. It sometimes gives off a faint funny smell, metal-like, as if it wouldn't be stainless (especially the parts with wholes in them, when wet - almost like that awful smell that cheap metal jewelry has). I believe it might be a low quality stainless steel layer on the inside... or maybe the rivets, no idea. How does it not react with the food, I wonder?
3. tri-ply or not try ply? :) Some customers complained about the product description being misleading since it makes you think that the whole pot is try-ply (as the others in the try-ply "Contemporary Collection"). So, what I notice is that the base is definitely try ply but it is attached to the bottom of the pot so it is not a continuous tri-ply construction (but rather a tri-ply encapsulated bottom construction). I wanted a tri-ply but didn't really understand what it meant at the time. So the fancy cookware that has uninterrupted try-ply construction would be extremely heavy in an 8 qt pot and a little bit more expensive. But it's not incorrect to call this tri-ply since in actuality it is just that: a try ply base with an aluminum core wrapped in stainless steel attached, in turn, to stainless steel walls... It is tri-ply at the bottom and stainless on the side. Good enough for steaming, boiling pasta, and simmering stews and soups without burning. I personally don't think it's justified to invest into the performance of all-over tri-ply for these purposes - if only this was good quality steel.
The covered pot reaches a rolling boil in a 20 minutes with water to the level of the handle rivets. I don't think a continuous tri-ply is much faster for this amount of water and this diameter base.
4. During cooking, the glass cover makes some funny popping/crackling sounds every now and then- almost like the glass cracks - and I have never experienced that with glass lids before. I tried tapping on it gently with a spoon to check if it was about to shatter, but nothing happened. :| Still, that popping is a little scary.
What I like:
a. I love, LOVE the looks. the design is awesome... so sleek, so contemporary.. it's a pity that the quality doesn't raise up to that level also.
b. The 3 parts and lid nest perfectly. Again, great design.
c. bottom heats evenly and doesn't burn food (as in simmering chili for many hours in med heat - nothing stuck to the bottom).
d. Pasta insert has small dents on the bottom (so it's not perfectly flat) that allows you to set it in the sink for the water to drain without the whole bottom making contact with the sink. It feels cleaner this way since the noodles that rest in/hang from the holes won't get contaminated from the sink.
I will attach pictures. The pot was washed thoroughly and air dried for many hours prior to taking the pictures. There was no physical residue on the bottom of the pan - it felt absolutely smooth to the touch.
I'm not sure if I will return or not... I might test it some more. I'm just really disappointed with how it looks inside after only 3 uses.
1 month update:
I have returned this pot. I continued cooking with it and the staining just got worse and worse. My conclusion is, they didn't use 18/10 steel in this pot. It is probably some cheaper version of stainless steel that stains more easily. I also couldn't stand the rusty smell that it had, every single time I would take the lid off, to start using it. What a pity!
Instead, I bought the $50 Tramontina multi-pot from The grocery store and it didn't stain nearly as bad. That one is 18/10 since it says so on the label. I am much happier with this "cheaper" pot.
I hate the hassle that Calphalon caused me.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Steven
The best I can say - nice looking and will serve ...
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 27, 2018Size: 12-quartVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
This pot is awesome. I cook a lot of soup (enough for ...
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on March 10, 2018Size: 12-quartVerified Purchase
TCS - Outlander Kitchen
Good quality stockpot.
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 14, 2019Size: 12-quartVerified Purchase
