Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Kitchen Essentials® by Calphalon® Stainless Steel 10-pc. Cookware Set

Customer Review: Complete disappointment!!
I have waited for years to buy Calphalon cookware because I was under the false impression of its quality. I had an old set of S. S. Waterless Cookware made by Ecko; the Ecko set outperformed Calphalon in every measurement. My thought for buying the new set was Ecko cheap, Calphalon quality. Every thing sticks in this set, pork chops even stuck to the so called non-stick surface pan; and no the chops were not right from the fridge, that would cause them to stick. Some of the pans without non-stick coating had dimples in the metal. The box states they are dishwasher safe; however the instructions state differently. On an electric stove one of the pans developed burn marks on the bottom of the pan over medium high heat. The list goes on, and if you contact customer service you get canned answers to send the cookware to them at your cost; they did not read mine. Oh they did tell me I could keep the lids, no wonder they do not fit; you can move them about 1/8" back and forth. DO NOT BUY!!
Customer Review: NOT dishwasher safe
A drawback of Calphalon's anodized alumninum is that it cannot be cleaned in the dishwasher. But stainless steel is dishwasher safe, and Amazon's product description claims that Calphalon's stainless steel line is dishwasher safe. But if you check out www.calphalon.com and look at the description of their stainless line, it explicitly prohibits using dishwasher detergent. So it is "dishwasher safe" but you can't use dishwasher detergent.


I like to cook. Because I do I like to buy professional kitchen cookware sets. My very favorite set is my LeCreuset. It's enameled cast iron. It's very heavy cookware, and certainly not everyone would want to cook with it, but then I don't like lightweight aluminum pots and pans. I prefer my LeCreuset because I think that the outside enamel remains good looking, whereas some aluminum and stainless pots and pans have finishes that are easily scratched. Luckily if you're in the market for professional cookware you have a lot to choose from.

Most cookware manufacturers such as All Clad, Cuisinart, Viking, Calphalon, Kuhn Rikon, Chantal and Mauviel all make a variety of cookware of differing quality. Mauviel is known for their copper cookware. They also have a line of 7-ply cookware. This cookware has an aluminum core for excellent heat conductivity. It has a durable brushed stainless steel surface on the inside and a highly polished stainless steel surface on the outside. Viking professional cookware has a multi-ply construction. It's a combination of aluminum alloys and stainless steel which Viking says will give "lifetime performance, durability, easy cleanup and quick even heating". What sets these pots apart are their ergonomic stainless steel handles and extra large lids.

Another popular cookware manufacturer is Demeyere. Demeyere has a line of induction cookware, something new to a lot of cooks and very expensive. These induction pots and pans have 7-ply construction and use materials that limit heat to 250 degrees celsius. This can actually prevent many foods from burning.

A much more easily affordable quality cookware set is All Clad. They offer several different types of cookware, the All Clad Copper Core and the All Clad Master-Chef 2. The Culinary Institute of America also has a cookware set out called the CIA Masters Collection. It was designed by the certified master chefs at the CIA. It has a 7-clad construction and a copper core.

The professional cookware sets that we've mentioned above range in price from $1900 to $600 for a 10-piece set. Most of them offer multi-ply, and, as in the case of CIA and Demeyere, 7-ply. Most have copper cores, aluminum interiors and stainless steel exteriors. So how do you choose?

The way most people choose is money and appearance. My suggestion would be to buy one pot, or pan if possible before you buy an entire set. That way you can use the cookware and see if you really like it before you commit to it.

Learn about professional grade cookware and other cookware choices at busy-kitchen.com

calphalon stainless cookware set

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