Product Features
- 8- 10- and 12-inch omelette pan; 1-1/2- and 2-1/2-quart covered sauce pan; 3-quart covered saute pan;
- 3-quart covered chef's pan; and 6-quart covered stock pot. 2 layers of stainless steel encapsulate heavy-gauge aluminum core for fast even heating
- Triple-riveted handles for secure handling; long Cool-V handles stay cool to the touch on the stovetop
- Tempered glass lids help trap in heat and moisture while making it easy to check on food at a glance
- Oven-safe up to 450 degrees F; safe on all stove tops including induction; dishwasher-safe
It was finally time to get rid of the old cookware now that the kids are out of the house and I didn't have to worry about ruined cookware anymore. My plan was 3 mil copper cookware or All Clad. But after seeing this in the store feeling the weight and quality and then reading a lot of reviews ... I decided to give it a try. My final price with coupon was $320 at BB&Beyond.
First this cookware is excellent but you have to know how to use it. Put the empty pan on the heat at the temperature that you want to cook at. Wait about 2-3 minutes and then add a little oil or butter (but have your food ready or your butter will burn) and heat for about 20 seconds (butter) to 1 minute (oil). Then add your food. Eggs work excellent this way and just slide off the pan. I have also used chicken broth to cook the egg in (just wanted to see if it would stick) and it did not. So as long as your pan is at the correct temperature and you add some kind of liquid you will be ok.
I like that the lids fit a lot of different pans so if you break one you probably have another on hand. I like that you can see through the glass but I do prefer unbreakable lids. They are heavy and have stood up well.
The fry pans have all been used several times and are the right sizes. The sauce pans have been used a lot and I did a chocolate sauce test between the smaller one and a copper pot I have of the same size. Cooking 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips and 1 tbsp. vanilla in both pans at the same temp ... the copper pot was 40 seconds faster to completion. That was with pre-heating both pans. Starting with a cold pan the copper pot won by 3 minutes 35 seconds. This was very acceptable as I also used one of my old cheap pans and it took much longer and did not cook evenly.
The sauce pan and sauciere have only been used one time each. I poached some chicken in one and made a marinara sauce with sun-dried and fresh tomatoes that I let simmer for 45 minutes. Both cooked exceptionally well.
My complaint is the 6 quart stock pot. No inserts and it is not very big. I used it to brown hamburger and make chili and it works fine for sauteing the meat and then simmering the chili. Replacing this with the 8 quart stock pot (with inserts) would have been ideal. FYI - Calphalon no longer sells the inserts for the 6 quart. You can obtain some that will work online but they don't fit as properly as they should. I purchased the 8 quart pot separately and it is wonderful.
Cleaning is very easy if you do it properly. I never place my pans in the dishwasher although the directions say that you can. Let the pan cool although you can add a little water to the bottom before it cools completely. Most of the time I just wash with a dishrag and it comes clean. Otherwise I scrub with a little Bar Keepers Friend (inside and outside). I purposely burned some food in a fry pan and then tested clean-up. A 20 minute soak and 1 minute of scrubbing and it was back to normal. Make sure that you clean all of the grease off the pan every time - inside and out!
Storing the set does take some room and Calphalon says not to stack it. I bought some felt dish separators at BB&Beyond and use them to separate the pans. It works well prevents scratching and I can stack the pans in my limited space.
If you use this set properly it will last many many years and I like the lifetime warranty.
