information request for Calphalon owners....

[mike_c]

I'm thinking about buying a bunch of Calphalon cookware. I've been on the fence about Calphalon for years-- I have GREAT cast iron cookware and some good stainless steel pieces, but I'm still using some Revereware that I've had for 25 years and would like to replace. Amazon is currently offering some VERY good prices on Calphalon pieces, but I'm still on the fence.

Calphalon owners-- I'm looking for testimonials (or warnings). SHOULD I BUY IT?

[wildeyed]

1. I have the tri-ply stainless cookware.

The stuff that is like All-Clad. I have had if for about four years. Indestructible and I love it.

[mike_c]

2. that would probably be my first choice too...

...and I have some very nice tri-clad stainless pieces. My OP question is motivated by the incredible prices Amazon is offering, e.g. $20.00 for a Calphalon hard-anodized 8-1/2-quart saucier with lid (normally $180.00). At those prices, it's hard to say no-- but by the time I add up all the pieces I'd like, it's still $200 (for over $700 of cookware at normal retail prices).

[wildeyed]

3. The only hard anodized piece I own is a roasting pan.

I find it challenging to use. It heats much hotter than a normal pan and my pan drippings always burn. Not nice when you want to make gravy. If I had it to do over, I would go with stainless.

I understand hard anodized pans are great when you want to de glaze. They get nice and sticky with lots of yummy browned bits.

I would love to try a hard anodized stove top piece. My large fry pan disappeared in the last move, so maybe I will replace it from this sale.

Did you see the Amazon special offer? Save $25 on your order today when you spend $125 on Kitchen & Housewares or Bed & Bath products. Offer valid through September 24, 2005. So it would only be $175 :)

[SW FL Dem]

4. I got a set of Caphalon anodized cookware as a wedding gift 20 yrs ago

I still love it. I would buy it again. The stuff still looks almost new. It would look even better if I followed the recommendations and used their cleaner. I just use soap, water and an occasional Brillo pad to keep it clean.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Calphalon is a good product

It has the good heat conduction properties of aluminum and the safety of the anodized coating.

Aluminum is second to copper when it comes to desirable heating qualities. Both react quickly to changes in the fire. Copper has a greater capacity to hold heat; aluminum loses it as fast as it gains it.

Anodizing is a chemical/electrolytic process whereby an oxide (which is essentially corrosion) is placed on the surface of the aluminum to act as a decorative and protective finish. If intact, anodizing is a great surface for cooking. The downside is that its a coating. Coating can wear off or be scratched. Hard anodized, however, overcomes much (but not all) of this.

I have owned some early anodized aluminum (before the word 'Calphalon' was even invented). My son has it now, so it has been in service for well over 20 years. In that time, two pieces have been damaged. The 3 qt sauce pan has seen the coating wear completely away on the inside, below the line where it is filled with liquid. We used it to make tomato sauce. I am sure the acid wore the coating away (meaning we ingested it!). The other pot was used to deep fry, was overheated, and the frying oil boiled over. This happened after my son got the stuff and his girlfriend is the culprit. The frying oil burned onto the surface and will not - no matter what he's tried - come off. Obviously the second pot's damage could happen to anything. The first pot's loss of coating is entirely the fault of the coating. Knowing what i know about more modern hard anodizing, I suspect the newer coatings will not be as susceptible to this as was our old stuff.

All in all, if you want Calphalon, go for it. On balance, it is as good a product as any out there.

[mike_c]

6. thanks for the info, ya'll-- I'll keep checking back for another...

...day or two while I make up my mind.

[calico1]

7. There are different Calphalon lines.

The ones I have are from the "Commercial" line which I think are the best. Before you buy or decide to, I suggest you go to amazon.com, look up Calphalon and then read some reviews. Most of the reviewers liked the Commercial line. The "Simply Calphalon" or the "Professional" line did not seem to get as many good reviews. I bought most of my stuff last year from amazon when they were having a huge sale on Calphalon. I got some great deals. You may want to compare prices there too before you buy.

[mike_c]

8. ok-- I ordered the 9 piece Calphalon set...

...plus an extra 2.5 qt sauce pan w/lid, and an 8.5 qt saucier w/lid, all from the Calphalon Commercial hard-anodized line. Total, with shipping, was $260. A bit more than I really wanted to spend, but I figured it was a lifetime investment. I'm not sure I really need the big 8.5 qt pan-- I already have several large soup/stock pots of varying capacity-- but it was under $20.00 and I might give it as a gift rather than using it myself. The 2.5 qt pan looks like the most useful size and shape in the lot, so I ordered an extra one. The full set is WAY overkill for me because I have a bunch of cast iron skillets-- from tiny to huge-- that food would never dream of sticking to, but I figured that if I like the stuff, it'll be nice having the options.

Thanks for the replies and advice. Now I'll need to clean out the cupboard to find room for the stuff. Looks like a bunch of (still rather servicable) Revereware is headed to the Salvation Army store soon....

[wildeyed]

9. Save the Revereware for your camping set.

If you ever go camping. That is what I did with mine.

Let us know how the set works out. I am still thinking about ordering a piece or two......

[mike_c]

10. good advice-- I have a field kitchen that sustains me...

...for weeks at a time while I live out of the back of my jeep. That's great advice!

I've been using the Calphalon for several days now-- most of it arrived last Friday, but I was actually out camping Friday afternoon through Sunday night, so I've only just begun to cook with it and have only used a few pieces. But they've worked very nicely. Heat transfer properties are a bit different than I'm accustomed to, but I expected that. They're fast, and I'm re-learning appropriate flame levels on my stove. They're at least as "low-stick" as my couple of pieces of stainless tri-clad cookware, and probably better. A stock reduction got ahead of me tonight-- I barely saved it from burning, but it didn't burn and the sauce reduced to a wonderful meaty gravy in record time. Most important, the fast reduction was very even-- there were no apparent hot spots.

I really like the light weight of the pans, combined with the serious material thickness and heft. They feel SUBSTANTIAL, without feeling clunky. The lids are feather light. Clean up has been a breeze so far. I'm beginning to feel like I made the right decision.