Cookware Reviews

I must admit I was skeptical in owning a pot rack, how would it look with pots on it etc. But alas my lack of space and remodeling my kitchen allowed me to try this out. I looked for pot racks for a long time researching on the web. I find this to be a huge space saver, and it holds my heaviest Le Creuset, and cast iron skillets etc with no problems. Just use balancing principals, offset one side heavy pan opposite side heavy pan etc. Very easy. I had to buy extra chain to come down from my high ceiling and had a professional hang it for me so I have no worries of it coming down. He measured it so it would be within my reach. What a joy, and easy to get pots off and put them back on. The hooks hold well, which was another concern of mine. In no way is it an eye sore even with ugly beat up pans.
A purchase well spent. If you love to cook you'll want to buy extra hooks. Highly recommended.

My Aunt was getting married and someone had beat me to the punch in buying her the Calphalon Cookware set she desired. As I looked over her list I did not see a pot rack on it. I could not imagine getting such a lovely set of cookware and putting them in a cabinet. So I bought her one of these babies. She was thrilled. She had wanted a pot rack, but was not buying a house for about a year, so she was going to wait. House is bought and rack is up with lovley Calphalon pots and pans glistening from the ceiling. She loves it. I plan to get one myself, when I have the room. I already have many Calphalon pots and pans. The price is much better than what I have seen at the department stores.

The Calphalon Oval Pot Rack is just perfect for mid-sized, or large, kitchens. The brushed aluminum styling is identical to that of the Calpahalon pots and pans and will complement them nicely. Once installed you will find that it is not only a classy addition to your kitchen, but also very practical. My only complaint about this pot rack is the absence of mounting hooks, which you will need to get at your local hardware store (I got mine at Lowe's Home Improvement.) You DO NOT need to have this rack professionally installed if you are willing to climb on a ladder and feel comfortable drilling holes into your kitchen ceiling. Installing this pot rack is quite easy, and should not take you more than 30 minutes. Assembly of the rack will take you 10 to 15 minutes (the rack comes in 4 or 5 parts.) It took me about 15 minutes to choose a location, find two suitable studs, drill two holes and screw in the two hooks. My recommendation is to get yourself a stud finder, if you don't already own one, and use that to find two studs to drill into. Also, if you buy this rack, make sure you buy additional pot hooks, because once you start hanging your pots, you will want to hang all of them, and this rack does not come with enough hooks!

I bought this a month ago and have fallen in love with it!!! All dishes come out great and it takes hardly any time to cook all those so-hard-and-long-to-cook recipes.
Would recommend it to anyone thinking of buying one.

This cooker is a good buy for the cost and is well made. I like that it is stainless steel with the aluminum bottom to evenly heat. I like the safety features and it was easy to use. My first beef roast, carrots and potatoes that I made was great. And in much less time than other methods.

I bought this cooker last year. My wife and I cooked Thai curry many times and each time took us over an hour. Because we have to simmer with med heat until the coconut milk starts to break out with oil. This baby saves us time and energy. A pot of curry (for 4-5 serving) now took us only 15 mins. Great with stew also. We experimented with beef and ribs for BBQ (before grilling) on the 4th and it was very satisfying. Only hassle is that I hate to hand wash it afterward. But I guess same goes for any pressure cookers. Highly recommend it.

I have the KitchenAid stainless steel saucier in good part because I was struck by its looks. But I like it even more now that I've used it. It heats very evenly; the rounded bottom makes whisking & stirring easy; and the shallow wide shape is great for reducing, which I appreciate because I don't think sauces are done till you can stand a spoon in them! Also, the all-metal construction means you can make a sauce, mix in the vegetables, then put it straight into the oven without hauling out a separate casserole. The handle stays reasonably cool on the stovetop, and the well-curved lip, handle, & lid all seem noticeably better-designed than comparable All-Clad. (Note that their glossy hard-anodized finish does not have the same curved lip as the stainless on all pieces.) The mirrored finish is almost too beautiful: seeing the first scratch is dismaying, but the stainless finish is easy to clean & the performance is more than worth it. The real beauty is in the use. It was my first premium-priced piece of cookware and I am now spoiling for an excuse to buy another piece for myself or a friend. Worth every dime.

I bought this saucier after a sugar sauce I was making in a cheaper pan turned to carbon. It does sauces wonderfully well, as I would expect from this Kitchenaid line. It heats evenly, is nicely balanced, and the rounded interior is perfect for a balloon wisk or wooden spoon.

If you're used to a copper saucier or a thinner pan, expect to throw a little extra heat on this one to keep it up to temperature. The pan also has more heat capacity than copper, so for a very delicate egg-based sauce I would still use a double boiler or a real french copper saucier, since taking the pan off heat doesn't immediately take it off boil.

For other stuff it's wonderful - the shape of the pan reduces stock beautifully, the heat capacity and distribution is comparable to my leCreuset soup pots (without the weight), and the Kitchenaid handles and lids are a joy to work with.

Oddly enough, I've also found that the shape is perfect for artichokes - two or three will nestle in the pan without falling over, and the deep-draw lid means you can put a scant inch of water in the pan and gently steam the chokes for a good 20 minutes without the pan going dry.

The blindingly polished convex lid also makes a good makeup or shaving mirror, for those last minute touch-ups before your dinner guests arrive. :-).

I initially received the cookware set as a gift from my spouse, and have been slowly adding pieces over time (only at rock-bottom sale prices, found by scrounging online). This amazingly-priced saucier rounds out my cookware nicely. Not only are the KitchenAid cookware beautiful and sturdy, their handles are marvelous - great leverage and length. The thick, flat, curved handles stay balanced in your hand, and don't tilt at inconvenient moments like other thin-handled pans do. They have an Old World feel to them, both in heft and looks, except this is stainless steel. This saucier will be perfect for sauce making and reduction, and braising of smaller pieces of meat, or even making vegetable stock. Once you get used to the heft of the saucier and maneuver it well with one hand, you won't want to go back to the lighter weight pans. You will probably find yourself using this saucier for practically everything, everyday.

This pan is the one you want for smother frying and braising things (like frying cubed steak then simmering in gravy, making smother fried pork chops, or making a pot roast.)

The straight sides are more useful for frying things then simmering them in sauces. That way, you don't have meat or veggies riding up on the sloped sides of the pan and not cooking all the way through.

The pan does not brown and fry quite as well as the standard fry pan -- so it is not really a substitute for your frypan for making burgers, and fast cooked type foods like chicken breast, pan fried steaks, and stir fry. (that is why it got the 4 stars) Because of the straight up sides, it really is closer in capacity for frying to the 10" fry pan.

Size wise, this pan holds enough for approximately 4 good sized portions of meat, gravy, and veggies.

To be honest if this pan didn't come in the set I bought I probably would not have it. Thank goodness it did because it turns out that I love it. It is great for sauted spinach, veal or chicken picatta, you will find you more uses for this pan everytime you open the cabinet. It heats evenly and is very easy to clean. As all All Clad is, this pan is excellent quality and very well made. I have just about every All Clad item made and love them all. Well worth the money and designed to last a lifetime. It also comes with a lifetime warranty. How can you go wrong?

Also, if you should get something stuck to the stainless steel use a product called "Bar Keepers Friend" to clean it. Most supermarkets have it and Kitchen Etc. and Bed, Bath and Beyond carry it too. The container (like a Comet can) is gold with blue and white writing. All Clad recommends it for cleaning stainless steel and it works like a dream and is very inexpensive.

A great all around pan. I run a single household and don't need the extra large pans. I have quite a few pieces of All-Clad and like them all very much. Very good size for frying with enough left overs for taking to work. A little Bar Keepser's friend and it cleans up rather nicely.

Everything simply slides right off of these pots and pans! They are very sturdy and functional. The handles have no rivets that go through the pan and collect gunk, and they are oven proof up to 350 F, a great feature. I also love the clear lids that let me see what I am cooking.
I have never put these through the dish washer nor have I used any cooking sprays on them. Both of these things are supposed to be harmful to the teflon coating, but I have found that nothing will stick to them so cleaning is easy, and little oil is needed. This set came with everything I needed for my daily cooking needs, but I have recently added the pasta pot and griddle to my collection and love them both.

I recently was looking through Amazon's site and saw the price on this set and I was amazed. My wife and I received this set almost 10 years ago as a wedding gift. At that time it sold for about [money]. Our set still looks almost new! The clear glass lids work great and are very rugged. They have been dropped and banged around many times with no ill effects. Our saute pan is showing signs of wear but considering it is used every day it still lets a fried egg slide right out with no oil! I'm planning on buy another set and just keeping in the attic!! The bonus casserole pan makes this offer almost to hard to believe! Buy this with confidence!

I love this set. The nonstick surface works very well, and is easy to clean. The see-thru lids are nice, and the work well on the saute pans and skillets as well (even though they aren't pictured that way). The lids make great splatter screens. The quality is very good. These items were on our wedding registry. What a great, lasting item.

Yes, this pot has a solid feel. However, in design and manufacturing standards, it's not on par with All-Clad, or those Cuisinart and Caphalon products that are made in the USA.

The weight of this utensil (5 lbs empty, about 11 lbs when filled with 3 quarts of water) paired with the relatively short handle make it slightly awkward in some situations. For example, its size make it ideal for cooking pasta for one or two people, but in that case I would have preferred that the pot have a second ("helper") handle or at least a longer single handle.

As others have noted, both interior and exterior finish are brushed, rather than mirror finish, making it slightly more difficult to clean. However, I disagree that all other finishes look the same after several months. Mirror finishes remain so if a good quality paste copper cleaner is used.

On the plus side: The lid of this pot fits well, and the handle of the lid is convenient.

Overall, good value, but not 5 star quality.

I recently purchased this pan, and my kitchen is all the better for it. Its best feature is its weight, which keeps it from being tipped over even when it holds very light ingredients. The handle is also superb, staying cool even on a very hot burner over a long period of time, and being more than sturdy enough to handle the body's considerable weight no matter what it contains.
The price is also quite reasonable for a pan of this quality. (It was so good, in fact, that I had it shipped, indirectly, all the way to Japan so I could use it for cooking local dishes).
I certainly wouldn't hesitate to buy another product from the manufacturers.

We have a huge collection of Calphalon hard anodized, but when cooking tomato based dishes, they can discolor. Adding the copper with stainless interior makes it easier to clean up tomato sauce mess! I like the rounded bottom so my spoon can touch all the places with no "corner hiding". As always, the handle is what makes this Calphalon pan as well as the other commercial items stand out! I absolutely love the handle and it stays cool in all of my cooking... BUT remember if you use it in the oven it still gets HOT!!! The size is just right for small to medium families and we love it.

Let me start by saying this is a great price for a piece of Emerilware--I bought it as a "tester" piece to see if I really wanted to spend $400 on the 10-piece set. And after using this small pan for a few weeks, I know I do.

I don't fully agree with the other opinion that states the handle is top heavy, causing the base to lift off the stove (I think that's what was said--sorry if I misphrased). I think it's just a matter of the handle being somewhat longer, which makes it a bit uneven feeling. However, that said, I have had no problems cooking with it. (In about 20 uses, the pan has not tipped over once!!) If you're worried about it, I think you may just want to be careful not to leave the handle of the piece hanging out over the edge of the stove where you might bump it.

One other note: after having used other non-stick cookware and being used to using "Pam" style sprays to cook with, it has been a hard habit to break with the Emerilware pan. It is stated clearly in the instructions that you should NEVER use aerosol sprays because it can gunk up on the pans and is extremely difficult to clean. With these non-stick pans, you really don't need any coating, and when you feel you do, a bit of olive oil or butter works wonders.

I can't wait to get the full set!!

I've been using this pan for nearly a year and love it. The fact that it's non-stick goes without saying. It's the perfect size for a 2-egg omelette. The slope sided design makes hand flipping of saute'd mushrooms, onions, etc. a breeze. The pan and the handle are definately not unbalanced, and the handle is very ergonomic. The hard-anodized aluminum exterior still looks almost new. There is absolutely no sign of wear on the interior. Overall, it has a solid hefty feel that makes it an absolute pleasure to cook with.

I am so impressed with this skillet! The handle truly stays cool. I plan to buy a whole set.

This is my first piece of cast iron, so I was a little (I admit stupidly) surprised at how incredibly heavy this was, especially when the two pieces are combined to use as a dutch oven. The handles are also relatively short, which makes it more difficult to pick up, especially when it's hot. You will definitely need 2 really good oven mitts to handle this!

I also had to re-season it twice, since I used too much shortening the first time, resulting in a sticky film that wouldn't cook away. But once it was properly seasoned, I've loved using it. I use it often enough that the weight is never a factor because I just leave it on my stovetop even when it's not in use. I am amazed at how completely non-stick it is, even though I've only had it a short while. Just make sure the first couple of things you cook in it are fatty, like bacon, and nothing will ever stick to it, ever again.

It gets very hot very fast, and it heats evenly and cooks things VERY quickly, especially eggs. It also stays hot for quite a while longer even when you turn the heat off, which means it keeps cooking, so keep that in mind if you're not going to be moving your dish onto a different plate or bowl for serving.

Clean-up is also incredibly easy: a tablespoon of kosher salt mixed with canola oil to make a paste, scour this around with a paper towel, then rinse with water and dry. It takes less than a minute!

It is a little on the smaller side, which hasn't been a problem for me since I usually only cook for myself and sometimes one other person. But if there was a 5- or 6-quart version, I would probably want to get that one, especially if you cook for more than just yourself. And cast iron only gets better with age, so aside from upgrading in size, I see myself using this pot for a long time to come.

I am a total newbie to cast iron...why did it take me so long to try this?

The lid makes an excellent fry pan, (double duty). Try taking your favorite fish, (I use salmon), season (I use lemon juice, pepper, season salt, a little garlic powder and a hint of dill), sear it on one side, flip it and then put it in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 8 minutes, (till flaky). Oh it is mouth watering! This is so good because it sears the outside for maximum flavor, and the weight of it holds the heat beautifully while moving it to the oven, where it continues to sear the other side and bake the rest.

The non stick quality is unbeatable. I couldn't understand how this could be true...but it is the best!

Clean up takes all of hmmm, how long does it take to wipe a paper towel across it? Nothing sticks to it at all. It doesn't need to be washed...I just preheat it the next time I use it which keeps it bacteria free. And I use it so often I just leave it on the burner, LOL. I just love it!

As far as the bottom part of it...great item too. I use that mostly for deep frying foods, and stir frying. If I could give this one a 4 thumbs up I would, (since it is not just a lid and a pan, it is a lid, a fry pan, a baking pan, stir fry pan and a 3 quart cooker)!

I should note, when I first got this I thought it was pretty heavy. But now that is one of the things I like about it, it is solid and I know that I will NEVER have to replace this or buy another fry pan/cooker. I wont complain it would be like complaining that gold is too shiny.

This is really a handy little - well, not so little - item. Great for camp or home. It's really two pans in one. The lid doubles as a round griddle, great for eggs, bacon, tortillas, fajitas, etc. The large bottom cooker serves in conjunction with the lid as a small Dutch oven, fryer, deep fry pan, what have you for soups, stews, fried chicken, etc.

Seasons readily and reflects the best cast iron quality available today. I don't know how I got by without this item - I can probably do away with a good half-dozen pots and pans now that I have it.

It's a real bargain at the price offered. Now that I've used it I probably would pay twice the price to replace it if anything ever happened to it - but (one of the blessings of cast iron cook ware) - if you don't loan it out and no one steals it, it'll outlast you.

I recently purchased this item and LOVE it! The new cast iron that is already seasoned is awesome. I still can't believe what a value this was. I know this will be an indespensible item in our ktchen.

I absolutely love the pre-seasoned items. It saves so much time and is convenient especially for those who are new to cooking with cast iron. I have just about every thing made by Lodge & recommend this as an item you will use again & again.

There are so few "cons" to this pot, it's hard to write a review that doesn't sound sappy.

I have a full set of Ultrex, a snappy modern line sold by a company that makes pans for many big names found in department stores. 55 year warranty, they work fine... But they're non-stick and I've started to worry about that.

Not long ago, a study came out that suggested eating foods cooked in Teflon pans left molecules of something or other floating around in the person's blood for FOUR YEARS. I thought twice about this and decided it was time to look into other pans. It might turn out to be benign - but what if it isn't?

I was addicted to good browning, was used to it from Cuisinart pans and Ultrex. I tried Calphalon hard-anodized aluminum. One burning incident and that pan was RUINED, totally ruined, nothing would clean it.

I've cooked in this Lodge Logic pre-seasoned for a dozen meals now, meat and fish, vegetables too. I've used all types of fats - olive oil, butter, corn oil. Tonight it made a gravy to die for - using heavy cream and mushrooms.

You do have to get used to its different heating cycle. It heats up slower than some other materials. It cools off slower too. But it is fuel efficient and you can do a lot of cooking on Low.

My #1 demand was that it brown meat well. It does that SPLENDIDLY. Really beautiful. Heat the pan for 5 minutes on near High. Throw in two tablespoons of olive oil, throw in stew meat and it will brown in four minutes, magazine picture perfect. Stir with a wooden spoon. Throw in vegetables once the meat's browned. A few cups of water, put the lid on, turn it down to Medium for 15 minutes, Low for another 15 minutes -- it will look like a magazine cover stew. Browning a roast is even easier -- and you can put it into the oven after browning.

If I had to complain of anything, it would be that cast iron is heavy. I'm not sure how much of a problem this will be. This is still a small enough pot to handle for most people. You can roast a whole chicken in it so if that's the quantity you cook, buy this right NOW, you can't go wrong.