Cookware Reviews

If you like a pan with substantial weight, this is the pan for you. I love to cook in mine because it has the best qualities of cast iron (slow, even heating) but it is also perfectly nonstick. Cleans dreamily so far in the dishwasher.

Apilco is a French manufacturer of fine porcelain cookware and serveware, and this large (17.5 x 9.5 inch) white oval au gratin dish is an exceptional buy. I have Apilco au gratin dishes in several sizes, and they are wonderful for baking, broiling, and serving meals, all in the same dishes. Also, I prepare doubled portions of casseroles in these dishes ahead of time, so that I can freeze one for later use. This double-handled au gratin dish is made of heavy white porcelain and is kiln-fired to 2600 degrees, thus allowing it to be able to withstand high temperatures under the broiler or cold temperatures in the freezer, without any crazing, cracking, or discoloration. It can be used in any type of oven, too - conventional, convection, or microwave, and it's also dishwasher-safe. I use this large au gratin dish to bake four large fish fillets, then I add grated parmigiano, dots of butter, and fine bread crumbs on top and put it under the broiler to finish. I also like it for making scalloped potatoes with ham; eggplant or veal parmigiana; and potato, carmelized onion, and goat cheese gratin.

This pan fills a void in my kitchen equipment that I didn't know I had, until I bought it. I use it in a variety of ways.
* On the stovetop, as a wok.
* On the stovetop, to prepare large batches of meat (2-3 lbs) for freezing and/or assembly of easy cook meals to use during the week.
* In the oven, as a surface for roasted vegetables. (Use it without the lid for this purpose.)
* As a large casserole for stews. (It will hold 4 qts if filled to about an inch below the top; I usually stop at 3+ quarts.)

While the 13 inch size of this utensil is a bit awkward to wash in my smallish kitchen sink, at 3 lbs its light weight makes it doable. I especially like the rivetless interior. In my opinion, this is on par with Le Creuset, which for a comparable item is roughly triple the weight. They are both well made, but filled with food, the larger Le Creuset items can be a challenge.

OVERALL, these are the good points:
+ only three pounds empty
+ excellent quality cast aluminum is made in Germany and has a track record of almost 30 years
+ nonstick surface performs very well and reduces amount of fat/oil needed
+ cleans easily with a nylon net dishcloth, Simple Green or dish detergent after a brief soak
+ handles are cast as an integral part of the unit
+ no rivets or other food-catchers inside
+ flat bottom can be used on a multitude of cooking surfaces, including gas/electric/induction/halogen burners.
+ lid rests on a rim inside the pan, recycling moisture when used as a casserole
+ lid knob is ovensafe to temperatures of 450 degrees F

THE DOWN SIDES INCLUDE the potential for the glass lid (rimmed in metal, with glass labeled break-resistant) to break. In addition, the Signocast line is not intended for use with metal utensils. Neither lid nor wok should be put in the dishwasher. If you can live with these limitations, you will likely be happy with this item.

We grill chicken, steak and burgers. Excellent even heat. Cleans up great! Well worth the price.

My husband and I received a set of high-end Calphalon cookware as a wedding gift and although we've enjoyed using it, it was simply too high-maintenance for two beginner cooks who make huge messes! We broke down and bought this set from Target in February and absolutely love it -- it's dishwasher safe, cleans like a dream and cooks evenly! If only they had additional, loose pieces available -- we'd love a larger frying pan, etc. I'd recommended this set without reservation to "normal" cooks -- not the experts, but those of us who cook when we have to or cook basic meals in the middle of everyday lives. That's who this set is perfect for!

I received this pan as a Christmas gift to replace a favorite pan with a broken handle --what an upgrade it has been! The first thing I cooked in this pan was an extra large batch of sauce that required me to use the old broken pan and this new pan at the same time. Wow -what a differene! With my old pan, all the the steam was rising from one spot, whereas this pan distributed heat much more evenly. Also, the non-stick surface was so slippery, that a mere twist of my wooden spoon got everything moving. It's a bit heavy, and the extra long handle takes up a lot of cabinet space -- but all and all, an amazing piece of equipment. My old beloved but broken sauce pan (I thought I could never live without it) went directly into the goodwill box. I would recommend this to anyone.

anyone know if this lid will fit the calph comm 10" crepe griddle? thanks!

This new and improved Calphalon 12x24-inch Anodized Aluminum Half Round Wall Rack is perfect for use in a small kitchen. I mounted it with a molly bolt into the kitchen drywall and a wood screw into a stud. I used a Zircon electronic studfinder to find the stud. (Usually wall studs are 16 inches apart, so you will probably only be able to mount the rack onto one stud. Because this pot rack only has two mounting holes, I used a molly bolt for the other hole.) The wall rack must be well secured to the wall because the Calphalon pots and pans are quite heavy. This rack comes with 4 hooks, but you'll probably want to order more. I use hooks on the wall rack to hold long serving spoons, both slotted and plain. I hang hard-to-store items on the rack, like my wok and french roaster and rack, as well as my most frequently used items, such as my omelette pans. I was surprised at how useful and attractive this rack was in my small kitchen. If you move often, you might want to take a polaroid picture of your stocked wall rack so that you can easily duplicate your arrangement in your next kitchen.

This product is excellent when used wiht the matching 4 1/2 quart sauce pot. It conducts heat extremely well and my chocolate chips melted much faster than with other double boilers.

This Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 1 1/2-Quart Windsor Saucepan (with Lid) is perfect for making any kind of sauce or for doing a reduction of a glaze or sauce. I have Calphalon Windsor pans in several sizes, but I've found that I use this one the most often. (I have a 1-Quart Windsor pan with 2 pouring spouts that gets a lot of use, too.) Because its base is smaller in diameter than its top, liquid in this pan evaporates and becomes concentrated more quickly than it would in a regular-shaped saucepan. It's very handy for making demi-glace or béchamel sauce. The stainless steel handle stays cool so a potholder is usually not needed.

Clean-up is so easy. I use warm, soapy water with a scotch-brite pad or sponge, rinse, and then let it drip dry on a dish rack.