Thursday, November 6, 2008

Calphalon Contemporary Stainless 10-Piece Cookware Set

A contemporary cookware set for the contemporary chef. Exceptional stainless steel cookware features stay-cool long handles for safety. Set includes 8" omelette pan, 10" omelette pan, 1.5 qt. sauce pan, 3.5 qt. sauce pan, 3 qt. saut? pan, 8 qt. stock pot and glass covers. Tri-ply performance and dishwasher safe. Lifetime Warranty.
Customer Review: A great set, depending on your needs!
We bought this set a few days ago, sorry not from amazon, but this i wanted to add my review as I felt there are some issues to clear up. We bought this set because we wanted to get away from teflon which may have negative side effects on your body with long term use. The other issues people noted include the fact that although it states safe for use on induction stoves, it will not work on induction stoves. This is because it is made of 18/10 stainless steel, and basically because there is alot of nickel in the steel that negates the ferrous qualities that allow it to me affected by magnets. Other people have noted problems with water spots or whitish reminants after cleaning, yes we get that too, so we dry out pots straight away, and ignore the white spots. if you are picky there are cleaning products that will get this off, perhaps try lemon juice or vinegar. ( i believe the mild acid neutralizes the hard water) Sticking, yes i am afraid this is a problem and there is a science to getting your eggs to not stick, we decided to keep one non-stick pan for eggs. If you have problem getting the sticky stuff off, fill the pan up with water and boil it until everything softens. In the end, this set looks great, the lids are oven safe and we feel happier eating off steel than teflon. Our dishwashing has had to change but we can deal with that. Think carefully about how these issues affect you before buying the set. We love it. (oh, and the handles stayed marvelously cool too)
Customer Review: WARNING: NOT Induction stove-ready!
I have to give the Calphalon Contemporary cookware 3 stars because while they're beautiful, feel nice in the hand, and seem well made, they do NOT work on an induction (aka, electromagnetic) stove (requires magnetic cookware) even though they're supposedly stainless steel. I bought several pieces, popped them on the stove, and the stove didn't "recognize" them at all. I checked them with a magnet, and sure enough, there seems to be almost NO iron in them (either the stainless exterior & interior is very thin or it just has a low iron content). Needless to say, I was VERY disappointed and have to return them all. I'm sure they're great for standard electric or gas. Check out http://theinductionsite.com for more info on induction stoves. They are incredible - 85-90% efficient (vs. 40% efficiency of gas! and ~70% efficiency of regular electric) with the instantaneousness of gas (instant on/off and high/low). It energizes/heats the pot/skillet itself instead of heating the air (like gas) or an element (like standard electric). Because of that, it doesn't waste any energy, no matter how small the pot. They're extremely safe (if anything drops on the "burner," it won't catch fire; you can't burn your hand, etc.), again because it ONLY interacts with iron. The downside is it only interacts with iron :) so you need stainless steel like All-Clad (which IS magenetic, unlike the Calphalon Contemporary) or cast-iron (like Lodge or Le Creuset). I hope this saves at least one other induction cooktop owner the same hassle of buying/returning.


Kitchen canister sets are a great way to accent your kitchen and give you more storage space. Canister sets of today come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Finding the right kitchen canister set depends on your individual tastes and what theme, if any, the kitchen is. Many manufactures including All-Clad, Calphalon and Fleur Rouge have a wide assortment to choose from.

When deciding which canisters to add to your kitchen also keep in mind the different kinds. A canister can be found made from stainless steel, glass, acrylic and stoneware. Families with children may want to consider acrylic or stainless steel for durability and long life.

Another consideration is how they fit the theme or go with everything else. Many sets follow a kitchen theme such as chickens, grapes or a country theme. These can fit right in and highlight the overall kitchen design. Guzzini, Fleur Rouge, Polder and some others have canisters or sets in such designs.

The advantages of different canisters should also be looked at. For those with a modern kitchen the stainless steel makes a great impression on the counter. Acrylic or glass gives you a view of what's inside, and how much is left. Stoneware gives the option of beautiful colors and long storage for food.

If you have food that is easily or quickly spoiled look for canisters that have rubber seals on the rim and a locking device to seal the sets tight against spoilage.

Online shopping for canisters is both easy and fun. Browse through the shops to get some ideas of what you might want. Purchasing is quick and secure and nothing beats the "to your door" service they provide. Shop for the perfect set of canisters today to complete your kitchen.

Curtis Miller is an accomplished writer in many areas. For additional kitchen articles and tips visit country kitchens

calphalon stainless cookware set