Cookware Reviews

What's there to say - the lid fits my caphalon sautee pan. The handle is well balanced. I like the flat lid for quick steams.

I think everybody in the whole world should get one of these I and my family love it

This is was my first real intoduction into the word of Calphon cookware. It is by far one of the best pans I've purchased. You can for just about anything and its great for making large dishes. You can brown 5 lbs of hamburger in it in a flash and then add other ingredients after youve drained the fat of course...the 5 Qt Saute is the perfect size for larger meals....Don't let the fact that this ISN'T NONSTICK scare you away. Remember that with Calphalon hard-anodized pans, you will cook on a lower setting since the pan heats up quickly and evenly- anyone complaining about difficult cleanup probably hasn't followed Calphalon's recommendations. Invest in this pan- you won't regret it!

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best pans I've invested in (and luckily got a great "Gold Box" deal on this one!) Up until now, my favorite Calphalon pan was the Commercial Hard anodized Everyday pan...I'd used it for stir fry, but it was just a hair too small...the 5 Qt Saute is the perfect size for larger meals...tonight I cooked FOUR chicken breasts (flattened so they were large) and it was just right. Do yourself a favor and go to Calphalon's website for some terrific recipes- they'll turn out like a gourmet chef's! Also pay close attention to the use and care guidelines, and cleanup is a breeze...Don't let the fact that this ISN'T NONSTICK scare you away. Remember that with Calphalon hard-anodized pans, you will cook on a lower setting since the pan heats up quickly and evenly- anyone complaining about difficult cleanup probably hasn't followed Calphalon's recommendations. Invest in this pan- you won't regret it!

This is one of the best designed and functioning pans I have ever owned. Heats very evenly. Nonstick surface cleans beautifully. It is awesome for sauces, sauteing, and reducing. Glass lid lets you see how things are cooking without removing the lid and splattering all over, however the lid handle does get hot. Lid is designed such that you can drain fat or other liquids without losing any of the meat.

If you haven't discovered a 5-quart saute pan yet, then you will want to own one soon! You can cook just about anything in them and this one is easy to clean. The nonstick finish releases food easily and you can cook anything from chili to a steak.

I love this size pan for frying , making sauces, and it is oven safe. The high sides prevent many a spill unlike shallow fry pans or a griddle. Perfect for frying sliced russet potatoes in a a little oil and seasoning them with Fleur de Sel and freshly ground Tellicherry peppercorns. Add a little butter to the oil. Serve with a steak. When frying, I find a "splatter guard" indispensible.

I've owned the non-stick version of this pan for about 2 years now. It's always been the first pan I reach for when cooking. While non-stick is great for a lot of things, I decided to get a pan better suited to de-glazing and other cooking techniques that don't work as well in non-stick pans. I'm very glad I choose this one.

Keeping with Chalphalon's tradition of high quality, you can feel how well constructed this pan is the moment you pick it up. It's pretty heavy, thanks to the thick layer of aluminum sandwiched between the stainless and copper. While I'm sure the copper is doing a great job of conducting heat, it's really mostly just for looks, as the thick layer of aluminum is responsible for keeping a nice, even heating in this pan. And for even heating - you can't beat it. There aren't any hotspots, and things cook remarkably well.

Plus, this pan just looks great! The copper is beautiful, and looks great paired with the stainless. I've cooked five or six things in it since it arrived last week, and was impressed each time.

Pros:
-Calphalon quality
-Food doesn't stick very well to stainless, but the absence of a non-stick coating still allows you to perform cooking techniques that don't work well in non-stick pans
-Great looking
-Will likely last forever

Cons:
-None really. You do have to wash this by hand, if you find that a con - but it cleans very easily.

I love to cook... and I swear by Calphalon cookware. I've had their non-stick version of the everyday pan for almost 2 years now - and I really do use it almost everyday. I came to amazon looking for the Stainless steel model when I saw this one. I just couldn't resist the copper finish.

Non-stick pans are great for lots of cooking... but sometimes the non-stick coating interferes with a certain procedure. For instance, if you're deglazing the pan with wine after cooking some sort of meat - it won't work nearly as well with a non-stick pan, and then end result will therefore not be as good. That's why having a Stainless steel pan like this is such a necessity if you cook (or plan to expand to cooking) some fancy dishes.

Just like all the other calphalon cookware I own - this pan is very sturdy (and heavy), and heats extremely evenly thanks to it's thick aluminum core. While the copper looks great, and while copper is a good conducter of heat - I really think that in this pan, with the little bit of copper that's really on it - it's almost soley the aluminum responsible for heat distribution. But - that's not to say the copper is useless - far from it! This pan just looks so much better than the plain stainless steel - and if you're paying to same for either the stainless, or the copper/stainless, why not get the best looking pan! Asthetics do count :)

The fact that this is oven safe to 450 is also a great help. I love being able to use this pan (or the non stick version) for a dish where you brown something on the stove top, then throw the whole thing right in the oven for the final cooking. There's no need to transfer food to another pan - making more dishes, and wasting more of your time.

Pros:
-Super even heating (no hotspots)
-Very sturdy, heavy and durable
-Great looking
-Basically screams high-quality
-easy to clean
-sized and shaped such that it will become the first pan you reach for when you cook

Cons:
-I only ordered one.(Seriously - I don't have a con - it's just too good.)

Not only does it cook even better than their hard anodized stuff (which I love), but it looks great hanging on my pot rack.

The only thing I'd suggest if you're thinking of buying it is to look at Marshall's first if they have one in your area. I bought 5 different pieces there recently (all the Calphalon tri-ply copper) and saved 64% over Amazon's prices (this piece I only paid $59.99 for).

Even if I had paid full price for these pieces though, they'd be worth it (and I do think that Amazon has great prices, it's just worth it to check Marshall's because you never know what they might have - I almost think mine were mismarked)!!!!

Copper pots and pans, some people say, are too tough to keep clean. Stainless steel cooking surfaces, some people think, aren't slick enough.

Some people just don't know what they're talking about.

When my wife and I were ready to make the leap from Calphalon's tried-and-true hard-anodized aluminum line of cookware to some copper, we first bought the Try-Ply Copper Chef's Pan. We were so impressed, that we bought this 5-Quart Sauté Pan the very next week.

So let me tell you why people are wrong when they worry about buying copper cookware.

The first time we used it was for my mother-in-law's birthday. I needed to sauté skin-on salmon filets - for five people. That's a tall order, especially when you need to brown a bunch of shallots in the same pan, while reducing a white wine sauce at the same time. And, yes, in the same pan.

That's where copper shines.

With a copper exterior and an aluminum interior, this pan heats perfectly evenly - even over a small gas burner. All five salmon filets came out perfectly done, with no dried-out bits or cold spots. The shallots were browned, not burned, and the white wine sauce still gets cheers two months later. And the skins? Hot, crunchy, and with the kind of searing effect you just can't get with anything but copper.

Now would be the time to mention that nothing - and I mean nothing - stuck to that polished stainless steel cooking surface.

And the clean-up? A little soap, hot water, and a Brill-O pad on the inside, and a quick rub with the copper cleaning-solution sponge on the outside. You'd spend more time and effort trying to clean some cheap pan -- and possibly ruin it trying.

This sauté pan looks great and cooks even better. Was there something else you needed to know?

I use this little guy constantly. A one-quart size is usually too small. A two-quart is often too big. This one's just right.
It is well balanced, making it easy to wield. And it is high quality, providing superb performance. Being only slightly less "hefty" than All Clad, it heats very evenly. It's advantages over All Clad, however, are the see-thru lid, which is engineered to drain condensation back into the pan, and the well-designed rim, which dependably pours in a coherent, nondribble stream that doesn't make a mess all over the stove. The cool-V handle indeed stays cool (at least it has for the up-to-30-minute stretches I've used it).
The rivets detract somewhat from the smooth interior; however, a trip thru the dishwasher (although anathema to some) always cleans it up perfectly. Also, I learned years ago never to cook anything in stainless steel that leaves a residue that tends to stick like glue. Thus I do not use this pan for such things as oatmeal, scrambled eggs, or pasta. Those foods are best cooked in nonstick or LeCreuset. But for heating a can of soup, boiling a few eggs, simmering pasta sauce, making cocoa, or etc., THIS little guy is perfect.
If you don't have a nice stainless pan this size, you're in for a treat if you try this one.

This is a nice size saucepan. I like it better than the 1 quart I owned before - a little more useful. The glass dome lid is great and so is the clean up. The cleaning pad and cleanser they recommend work great. Stuck on sauces come of with minimal effort. Food can get under the rim of the lid and around the rivets but a scrub brush gets it right out and I'd rather have the rivet handles than the screwed on ones I owned before that would loosen and eventually broke off. It's heavy duty construction makes it a good purchase that will last a long time.

This saucepan is a convenient size. It heats up well and maintains the heat. The glass dome lids are great. Very sturdy and seems like it will last a lifetime. The clean up is also VERY easy. Stuck on food and sauces come off easily with a little soaking and if that doesn't work the cleaning pad and Bon Ami cleanser finishes it off with little effort. A great investment.

This pan along with several others I have acquired from the Calphalon Tri-Ply line is fantastic. Great weight and balance, superb craftsmanship, the glass lids fit snugly and most important of all, the pricing is terrific. I have All-Clad and yes, it is wonderful but quite frankly I find myself asking why spend more when you can get equal quality for quite a bit less. And it is still made in U.S.A.!

For years I've wanted a good fry pan that could cook up chicken, hash browns, and Hamburger Helper. Most fry pans are shallow, and when filled with large pieces or high volumes will splatter and spill. This pan, while officially considered a saute pan, is perfect for doing those kind of dishes.

Given the weight of the pan, it has a carry handle in addition to the long pan handle. The pan handle does not heat up at all, but the carry handle will get a bit hot from heat coming from underneath the burner. It comes with a dome shaped, highly polished steel lid making it an even better value. If you are elderly, and lack arm strength stay away from the larger (and even some of the smaller) Celphalon cookware. Celphalon is very thick and heavy to manipulate. You will think you're cooking with an old fashioned iron spider skillet based on the weight.

This is the fourth Celphalon pot I've purchaced off Amazon.com and they are all excellent pieces. The list price is high or down right ridiculous on many of their pieces, but often they end up with major discounts on select pieces. I've bought all my pieces between [$$$]...

Three out of the four pieces I've bought including this one have been of the Commercial Nonstick. It is a high quality coating that seems hard to scratch even if you grab an old metal spatula by mistake. The pieces take a little more time to heat up due to the coating but seem to brown and cook just fine. I got one Hard Anodized pan without the non-stick coating and Commercial or not it seemed a little lower in quality. The handle and the lid were both inferior to all the Commercial Non-stick pieces I've bought.

These become gold box specials often so keep and eye out for the good closeouts. You can get a really exceptional cookware set by buying one inexpensive piece at a time. Once you fill your kitchen with these things, you'll take all your old cookware and put it with the camping gear.

This is the very capable and a bit more manageable little sister to the 5 quart Commerical Nonstick Saute Pan. For smaller jobs and just about anything else from frying bacon to poaching eggs, this is the pan I reach for the most. Don't put this in the dishwasher (you'll void the warranty), but cleanup is an absolute breeze with the nonstick surface and besides, you're not going to want it out of action for long!

If you are going to invest in any of the Calphalon 8 quart stockpots, you do need this! The insert fits like a glove, and with a bit of practice filling with water to the correct level, about three quarters full as mentioned by the previous reviewer, you will have few problems with boil over. When using the pot and insert as a set, it will confortably hold up to one pound of dried or fresh pasta.

I would also like to recommend the steamer insert found here as an add-on to complement your cooking experience!

The Calphalon "All-Purpose" Insert that fits the Calphalon 8-quart stockpot (either hard-anodozed aluminum or Commercial nonstick) is an essential piece of cookware if you love pasta. Once you have made any kind of pasta (spaghetti, linguine, penne rigate, orecchiette) in this insert and pot (sometimes sold together in a slightly wider shape called a pasta pentola), you will never want to cook pasta any other way.

You put the insert in the pot, fill it about 3/4 full with water, put on the lid, and let the water come to a full rolling boil (it won't take long). Then remove the lid and add your pasta (I keep a little chart handy that has the cooking time for each variety, but you can always look on the box or package--make sure you buy semolina pasta imported from Italy, if possible). Add some sea salt (1 tsp.) if you wish. I also add a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, too. Give the pasta one or two stirs--14-inch stainless steel tongs work the best. It will come back to a boil, and then you start the timing. One or two minutes before you think it is done, lift up a strand or two from the pot (I use the serrated side of my large Wusthof bread knife for this, or I use a long-handled slotted spoon for smaller pasta.) Taste it. You want the pasta to be cooked "al dente" (lit., "firm to the tooth"). If it tastes almost done, then lift the insert slowly and carefully from the pot, letting the steaming water run back into the pot. After the water has completely drained, then shake the pasta a bit in the strainer. Do not rinse the pasta. Pour it out onto a large platter. Add one or two spoonfuls of the water from the pasta (which you have not thrown out yet), and then sauce it. You will love the pasta al dente! I have taught many non-cooks to make pasta with this insert (and the stockpot), and they are successful on the first try! Buon appetito!

This pan has been an excellent investment and a very nice substitute for the much more expensive All-Clad version. I am happy I tried this line and absolutely love the much lower cost without sacrificing quality. I suggest the Tri-Ply line as a cost cutting alternative to some All-Clad products.

The best feature of this pan is how uniformly it really does cook. There wasn't a single hot-spot, unlike many of the other different brands of stainless pans I have used.

Because I am interested in prolonging the lifespan of this pan, and since it is a large size to be squeezing into most dishwashers, I had already planned in advance to hand-wash, despite my aprehension about that being a difficult process. I now know that there was no reason to be aprehensive. This is a pan I frequently use and it cleans up easily whether it contained Spanish rice, eggs, or a cheese-topped casserole.

Also, unlike a similar pan I have from the hard-anodized line, the glass lid is quite handy for monitoring without letting out the steam. Plus, the lid seals extremely well. I had to alter the amount of water I used in a couple of my recipes because this kept the steam in so much more effectively than my old pan that I was left with extra water in this one!