 Experienced Chef Reccomends this line of Calphalon! |
| Review Date: December 31, 2006 |
| Reviewer: T. Crawford, |
I have had Calphalon Tri-Ply pans for over a year. I am a school trained Culinarian and Certified Chef of over 30 years. I am qualified to tell anyone that these are "MY" favorite pans.
I typically use commercial products where I work so I am familiar with Calphalon. I have always liked stainless steel cookware. I purchased these for my home (I do most of the cooking there too!) People ask me all the time, what kind of cookware, knives etc. I use at home. I always tell them "Calphalon Tri-Ply is the best and most affordable system out there"! I don't care if my pots and pans hang in view of guests or how shiny they are! Don't make this a cookware consideration!
Buy a good set of pans, keep them clean and so what if they have a few scratches? Displaying expensive shiny pans only tells people you have expensive shiny pans! My pans are for cooking...not displaying! Every so often I will shine them up with Bar Keepers Friend. It works well and is not too abrasive. Just keep em clean inside and out and they'll be fine for displaying! Most people care less about what brand hangs on your pot rack! Or how shiny and scratch free inside they are! Yes insides do get minor scratches when using metal utinsels...so what?! It doesn't affect your cooking or product taste. Here is a tip for people who say clean up is hard...
If you burn something and food sticks... Simply place a cup of water in the pan, bring it to a boil. (similar to when you de-glace food particles) Remove from stove, let sit a few minutes. Wash normally with soapy water and scrub pad. I love the fact that I can just wash lightly and place in dishwasher!
Tri-Ply construction allows these pans to heat on the entire surface (sides too). Do not ever cook on high, except to maybe boil water! The pans will get too hot to cook properly. I always heat my pans, melt my butter/put my oils in, and then the food. This is the best method to get a proper sear or saute and the bonus is most foods won't stick then! A On a stove 1-10, a 6 or 7 usually is the range of cooking for me. I also like to remove the pan from the stove about 1/2 to 3/4 way through cooking sauces and vegetables because they retain the heat and continue to cook (overcook). Lids seal well. I love the way you can see the food without having to remove the lid.
Enough ranting. Bottom Line....Calphalon Tri-Ply is simply in my opinion the best cookware I have found and a great value. If you want to cook well you must start with good cookware! If still not sure...buy a starter piece! (perhaps the 12" Everyday Pan) Try different cooking methods...beat it up (if you can) and mark my words you'll probably get the remaining pieces!
Oh yes, I also purchased a small non-stick omelet pan for cooking eggs! Know what?! I have never had to use it! Stainless works just as good if not better at cooking all foods! So,
Enjoy cooking and always...."Play with your food"! |
GREAT set...
|
| Review Date: March 22, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Sarah R., Austin, TX |
We just decided to switch to stainless because of the harmful chemicals released by non-stick pans at high heats, as well as a general growing interest in cooking, such as the ability to sear food and deglaze the pan to make great sauces.
We looked at cheaper lines, such as Emerilware, Cuisinart's Chef's Classic, and Simply Calphalon Stainless, and decided we didn't like the fact that the bottoms of those pans are the only areas that are triple-ply, so the sides on those are thinner and don't heat in the same way the bottoms do. Those cheaper pans also don't feel balanced in the hand, and so to me they actually feel heavier because of the awkwardness. The unibody construction of Calphalon's Tri-Ply line seemed to be the same quality as All-Clad's triple-ply construction, but cheaper. After reading reviews of people who have both types of pans, we decided there was no difference going with Calphalon Tri-Ply than with the much more expensive All Clad.
After using this set for a month, we really think it's the best value out there, and it's been fantastic. The food tastes better. The pans heat incredibly evenly and quickly, and the handles actually don't get hot, which surprised me. I personally prefer the see-through lids this set has, compared to the solid lids you will get with something like All Clad. Clean-up is no problem with Bar Keeper's Friend, and really, even if something *were* to be seriously stuck on there, which hasn't happened yet, at least you can use real scrubbers (unlike with nonstick). The best thing about the 13 piece set is the 3 qt. covered saute pan, which is the most useful pan of all. (There's a reason they go for one fifty on their own.) That alone makes this set a good value, because the 8 piece set doesn't have one and is only a hundred dollars cheaper, and with the 13 piece set you also get an extra giant 4 qt. saucepan and a pasta insert.
If you want a GREAT deal on this set, go to BB&B, use their 20% off coupon, and even with tax you will get out of there under three fifty, plus they often have give-away deals, such as the free fifty dollar gift card and free stainless teapot we got with ours. In any case, buy these pans, because they're definitely worth it! |
Video "tour" of Calphalon, with a comparison to Cuisinart Multiclad
|
| Review Date: July 14, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Debbie Lee Wesselmann, the Lehigh Valley, PA |
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R215Y5I41RTI2E I researched other high-end stainless cookware (All-Clad, Cuisinart MultiClad) before settling on this Calphalon Tri-Ply set. In the end, I decided against the All-Clad because of uncomfortable handles, much higher price, and inability to stick in the dishwasher. That left Calphalon and Cuisinart. In this video, I give a "tour" of the Calphalon set, from lids to handles, and compare it to a Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Stainless 1-1/2-Quart Saucepan with Cover and to a bottom-clad Rohe pot. Yes, these Calphalon pots are both dishwasher- and oven-safe. Note: the coppery color on the pots is a reflection of the hardwood floors and NOT actual copper. The exterior is 100% stainless steel.
--Debbie Lee Wesselmann |
Stainless steel
|
| Review Date: August 20, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Marchelle Twite, |
I think these pans are great. If you follow the instructions in the pampflit to make foods to not stick it really works. And the clean-up is really simple an little warm water and a doby pad and some bar keepers friend you've got it made. They are great.
I have never been more happy with a set of pans than these ones. |
The Truth about Stainless Steel.
|
| Review Date: October 8, 2005 |
| Reviewer: A. Masters, USA |
| Firstly my wife and I Found the Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Cookware to be beautiful, then we enjoyed the easy cooking that went along with it. We did find out the hard way that we should not cook on high heat. An average 3-4 out of 7 does quite well. The out side does change colors like yellow or orange if you cook to high or spill. But you can find the reccomended cleaning pads at Raleys, and also an outside only polish for keeping a nice look for display. The Price is lower than in store offers. My wife wanted to go with the new contemrary(pretty)new style, but it was a smaller set. She thinks these are just as nice looking or better. We like best, the leave in pasta pot. It makes draining easy. We use that for whole chicken, potatoes, pasta, and even poaching large vegies. We also boaght the 12 inch omlet fry pan and 12 inch every day deep dish with small handles cookerware pot/pan with lid online. We use those alot. The 12 inch deep everyday pan with lid was $79, but in store it was $140 or higher. We use it alot. So over all, you must read the little direction that come with the pans and follow the butter or oil test that helps you find the propper heat and prevet discoloring and buring foryour stove. The Pans Do cook evenly thanks to the tri-ply. Just remember cooking on higher temp only burns, it doesnt cook faster. We are very happy with our service from amazon and Calphalon. Fact, it is a federal Law that all animals in shelters, Zoos, and such must eat only from stainless Steel Cookware(feeding Dishes). Our hospitals can only use Stainless Steel for our sick, and general public. Even though other Dark stlyes are probably cook as well and hide spots and match kitchens, they can lead to alztimmers and cancer after long time or imprpper use of. Both my wife and I have had Loved ones suffer from both, so we choose to use stainless steel to keep our family safer and healthy. If we had more money we would have bought the 5-Ply with copper and aluminum inside, but we don't and are happy with the tri-ply and did the best we can. Some people buy things for looks, quality and health wise reasons, this cookware does all three. Please forgive my grammer my 2 daughters are tring to get my attention now. I just thought its important to share what we found, GREAT COOKWARE. It Does require needs some up keep and practice to use. I'll be honest, I have not yet tried them in the oven. The lids can only go to 450 degrees, and a family member said the oven can discolor them, but so the does the stove top, if you ignore directions. But thats what the inexpesive cleaners are for. We will just have to learn the right oven settings for each food or dish as well. Its worth it, its fun to discover together, and brings kitchen time for my wife and I closer. You can also go online to learn more (calphalon.com) I did. We have bought more to the set, like the Roasting Pan and the others I mentioned before, thats because we like it so and we cook everything and alot so we always need more. GOOD LUCK, REMEMBER IT IS A LARGER SET And YOU WILL USE IT ALL WEITHER YOUR COOKING FOR TWO OR SIX. Also Let the pans cool with food on them before cleaning, and food comes off easier. I have written a NOVEL, its all true. I GIVE IT A 4 1/2 for the times we had to learn to cook on medium to lower heat, and searing takes seconds now not minutes. At first we over cooked things but not know. We now know with good pans comes good evenly cooked food that saves time and is gentle on the food. You can taste the diffrence. Thanks for taking your time reading my first reveiw, but not first time shopping with Amazon. I always wondered if the companys write these things. They didn,t write this one. I am sure every cookware set comes with directions. So to keep the wonderful look of this set read them, and take your time. It gets easier each time you use them. P.S BUY THE CLEANING PADS, you dont want to scrach the stainless steal. The inside already has a natural scrachy look, its niceand theres less worry. Hope I could Help, Off to do family time. |
Best value cookware set on the market!
|
| Review Date: August 5, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Clinton Neville, Honolulu, HI |
| My wife and I purchased this set to replace ALL of our kitchen cookware that was lost/damaged in a recent move. The performance is flawless. Clean-up is a snap. I don't understand the problems others are having with food sticking (if you food is sticking, I guarantee it's not the pan's fault). The only thing that would take this set over the top is the addition of a non-stick for omelets and crepes and such. I'd also recommend upgrading to the 5qt saute (you can only fit two bone-in pork chops at a time in the 3qt) |
Excellent Craftsmanship
|
| Review Date: January 27, 2007 |
| Reviewer: J. Hirzel, Brooklyn, NY |
| This is a very beautiful set of pans, and I've found them to perform exactly as promised by the manufacturer. As far as cleaning goes, after all but the lightest of use, I've found that the manufacturer's suggestion of Bon Ami and a Dobie pad to be the only way to get them truly clean (and it's important to use the retro Nylon yellow Dobie sponge and not the green Scotch Brite pads, which will scratch the finish). I've found that they heat quickly and evenly, and cooking with them is a joy. |
These pans are the best!
|
| Review Date: May 5, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Patrick Wessels, Chicago, IL |
| Aftere using my mom's hand-me-down Revere ware (it was her wedding gift 50 years ago) I decided it was time for some new pans. I knew I wanted stainless, did my research, and chose these. I am very happy with them! In a word...superb. Remember to keep the heat low and soak beofre washing and you too will be very happy with these. And I love the glass tops! |
Handles are more comfortable than All-Clad
|
| Review Date: September 7, 2007 |
| Reviewer: DomesticLaura, Boston, MA, United States |
When my husband and I were registering for wedding gifts, we thought we wanted to register for All-Clad cookware. I'm very glad that we looked at cookware in a store, because I hated the way the All-Clad handles felt in my hands. These Calphalon pans (and the All-Clad) are very heavy, so a comfortable handle is a must! The Calphalon handles are much more comfortable, and I like the glass lids so I can check on things without removing the lid.
I've been cooking with these pans for 3 months now and I love them. They heat very evenly and have amazing heat retention. I use the 2 1/2 and the 4 1/2 qt saucepans and the saute pan all the time. I'm not a big fan of the pasta insert on the stockpot, but my husband uses it. In addition to this set, we also registered for 2 non-stick Calphalon tri-ply frying pans which I use for omelets and crepes. |
A Superb Set
|
| Review Date: June 23, 2008 |
| Reviewer: K. Garren, |
I did an enormous amount of research on pans when I wanted to register for a set for my wedding. I have begun to cook a lot in the last few years, but never had the guts to go out and just splurge on a great set for myself. I had always used nonstick in the past, so I was originally going to go with the Contemporary nonstick set. That is, until I started reading about the health hazards, which I had never realized. When I decided that stainless seemed the healthiest way to go (not to mention the smartest if I wanted to be able to make yummy pan sauces), I decided to go with the Contemporary stainless (I immediately ruled out Allclad because I could not justify asking people to spend that kind of money on me). I saw the tri-ply set on websites, but it never looked very appealing to me, so I never paid it much attention. I'm not going to lie, I wanted pans that would not only cook well but were nice to look at. Why not? But one day I was in a local retail store and saw the triply set in person. The pictures really don't do it justice. They are BEAUTIFUL with their sleek exterior and glass domed lids. Suddenly I started paying attention to these truly gorgeous pans. When I compared the 13 piece set to the 10 piece contemporary, it was pretty much a no-brainer. For $100 less you get more pieces that both cook equally well since they both contain a full aluminum core. Cooking with them has been an absolute joy. They really do heat fast. I have had to train myself to set the temperature lower--I learned the hard way when I managed to burn chicken on barely over medium heat! They also cook very evenly. I really do taste the difference. I particularly like the 4 1/2 quart saucepan. It comes in handy so much more than I thought it would when you make something that is too much for the ever-used 2 1/2 qt., but seems too little to have to drag out the big stockpot. In my opinion, the 4 1/2 quart saucepan alone is worth buying this set over. Rarely (if ever) have I ever seen a set that inludes a 4 1/2 quart saucepan with a helper handle. That helper handle makes all the difference in the world, believe me. I really put these to the test when I tried scrambled eggs. Using one of the fry pans, I kept the heat pretty low and let the butter heat up. Voila! It may as well have been a nonstick pan! That's how perfectly the eggs slid off. I can't wait to try more and more recipes using these. They are such a delight to cook with that I look for things to make every chance I can get. I would recommend these hands down to anyone. You're getting the same quality as Allclad (it's the exact same material and construction!), but so much more for your money! Plus, they are beautiful to look at and they cook quickly, evenly, and wonderfully.
Another thing that's nice, not only about this set, but with most Calphalon cookware, is that they give you that extra 1/2 quart in all of the saucepans. In a brand like Allclad for example, who makes saucepans in exact 1, 2, 3, and 4 quart increments, you're actually able to cook less in the pot because there is no 1/2 quart to allow you some extra cooking room. If you're making something like a soup that requires 4 quarts of liquid, you'll need bigger than a 4 quart pot unless you want soup spilling over the edges. See what I mean? In these saucepans you get that extra room in the pots--just another reason to add to the list why these pans are so fabulous.
The best part of all is that the cleaning is so easy. In my opinion, it hasn't been any harder to wash these than it is to wash non-stick. Barkeeper's Friend has really been a lifesaver. After my chicken burning incident, my pan had a whitish film all over it that was very unattractive. A few circular strokes with a damp cloth and Barkeeper's, it looked brand spanking new again. Some might think that it's a lot of work to keep stainless steel clean and looking nice, and that something like teflon is a lot more convenient. Convenient, yes, but if cooking and good tasting food is really what matters to you, then a little extra polishing and cleaning now and then is a small price to pay for a true quality product. Like another reviewer said, stainless steel requires a lot of appreciation to really understand what this cookware can do. It can do things that no teflon pan can do! You absolutely cannot go wrong with these. Buy them now! |
Highly recommended
|
| Review Date: July 25, 2007 |
| Reviewer: M. Marek, San Jose, CA |
| I wanted to write a review since I used reviews to purchase this set. I have owned this set for about a year now and I am completely satisfied. In fact, I LOVE this cookware. It cooks beautifully and it is very very very easy to clean. It is a purchase for a life time and it is worth it to spend extra money. I love to cook even more now and I even like washing them. And that's something! |
No Complaints!
|
| Review Date: June 18, 2008 |
| Reviewer: PenNameJane, West Coast, USA |
We bought this set about 4 months ago after thinking and researching the purchase for about a year. Today, we couldn't be happier. Frankly, WE LOVE THEM!
Pros:
- Glass lids (not a feature found on the All Clads, mind you)
- Even heat distributions makes for consistent cooking.
- Handles don't get hot.
- Food cooks faster, especially true when boiling water.
- Really easy clean up (even fish!); I was actually shocked how painless clean up was. And to tell you the truth, we put them in the dishwasher and they look fine. If we want them looking really spiffy, we use a little barkeepers friend.
- Speaking of looks, they are so very attractive!
- Sturdy construction. Heavy, but not excessively so.
- Great price (bought them from another retailer with a 20% coupon and a free $50 gift card bonus that we used on the same transaction).
Cons: Um? Honestly, none!
Good luck and happy cooking!
|
I'm a believer!
|
| Review Date: July 6, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Amber, Arlington, TX |
I've always owned non-stick cookware until recently, when I noticed my food sticking to the pans. I realized that much of my non-stick coating had worn off, presumably in my family's food! I began searching all over to find a stainless set that was affordable, easy to clean, and safe to use. After nearly six months of asking and reserching I found the Calphalon Tri Ply set; it certainly fit the bill (although more than I had EVER spent on cookware in my short adult life!) and I have been reborn as a stainless believer.
I had heard all the horror stories about the awful clean-up of foods like eggs, but I have had no problems in the past three months with any meal I've cooked. They're almost as easy to clean as non-stick, and you can put these in the dishwasher without fear of that precious layer of coating coming off like you have with non-stick! My family's favorite recipes still taste just as good and I only have to use minimal oil, if any at all, so I don't feel like I'm making unhealthy meals for my kids and husband.
The only downside, if you can actually call it a downside, is that it takes the pots and pans a little longer to heat up compared with non-stick; a fair trade-off for choosing stainless. This set is attractive and sturdy. Well worth the nearly $400 price tag! |
Still Beautifyl After 4 Years
|
| Review Date: September 19, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Dr. Elaine O. Chaika, Eastern New England |
| We bought the Calphalon Tri-Ply stainnless over 4 years ago, and, while we were buying, added to the basic package. We have both large and small saute pans, large and small fry pans, 8 quart soup, and every size of saucepan plus the double boiler insert (which I rarely use, since I have a melt setting on my range.) Since our cookware has to be displayed on racks in the kitchen, it must be bright and shiny with no spots, stains, or discolorations, and since I am very crabby if my pan fried foods are not all evenly browned and/or take a long time to brown, ditto bringing water to a boil, I demand a lot from my cookware, although I am not a professional chef. Furthermore, I loathe scrubbing pots (or anything else), so it is esential that my cookware go into the dishwasher and come out sparkling. The Calophalon Tri-Ply passes all my tests. The directions that came with the cookware said to heat a fry or saute pan until the top edge feels hot to the touch, then to put in oil. Doing that not only decreases the amount of oil you need, but pieces of coated fish or potato latkes, or anything else brown up quickly and perfectly evenly. There is no problem of having center pieces dark brown and those at the side almost white. When I'm through frying, after putting the food on a platter, often I deglaze the pan easily by splashing a little wine into the hot pan and immediately scraping the fried up bits left behind, and letting it cook a minute, giving me a simple sauce to pour over food. For things like crepes or latkes, which you don't want a sauce on, cleanup is still no problem. I let the pan cool down for a few minutes, then spray the interiors thoroughly with Dawn Power Booster before putting them in the dishwasher. For boiled food, of course, I just put the pots in the dishwasher and for thick sauces, like caramel, I just pour a little Dawn in the pot and let it soak in water a while, and then put it in the dishwasher. Most pots come out shining and spotless, but if there are any spots or discoloration, a quick shine with a soapy steel wool pad usually makes them gleam. If the pot still isn't up to my standards of perfection, I shake a bit of Bar Tender powder, especially on the pan bottom. Then I run over the bottom in a circular mmotion maybe two passes at the most, and that does the trick. All of my pots look brand new. Given the ease of maintenance plus the rapidity and evenness of cooking, I can see no reason for anything more expensive. I could have bought All-Clad when I bought the Calphalon, but it was double the price, and holding the pans side by side, I could see no reason for that expense. I didn't like the design of the Cuisinart, so didn't buy them, although I'm sure they're fine. That brings me to the final thing about the Calphalon, its design. The pots have a very pleasing curve shape, and the handles are hefted so that they're easyy to pick up and carry, even with food in them. They are also very sturdy. I also happen to like the glass covers, which are pleasantly domed, but some people might prefer an all metal lid. The glass shines up beautifully in the dishwasher. Finally, beware of stainless that has only an aluminum bottom instead of a complete aluminum core. The tri-clads cook more rapidly and evenly than a pot with only stainless for its sides. Also, there is very expensive tri-clad copper core cookware with an unclad copper bottom. Those can't be put in a dishwasher, and, having had a set of copper bottom pans, I know that it takes a lot, and I do mean a lot, of cleaning and polishing to keep the copper untarnished and unstained. I don't know how much faster copper heats up than aluminum, but I do know the Tri-Ply over aluminum hears up evenly in a matter of seconds on a smooth top range. |
Perfect Choice
|
| Review Date: January 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: C. Bliss, |
| January 2010: We got our 13 piece Tri-Ply Calphalon cookware in the traditional style in August 2009. I read all reviews of other brands such as Cuisinart, All-Clad, Le Creuset, Earth Pan, and Emeril's, etc. I thank everyone for their reviews since it made my decision much easier. We wanted to get the plain stainless steel style because of reviews about the non-stick cookware stating that after several years it must be replaced due to wear of the coating. We wanted it to last for many years without worry so to get our moneysworth. I could not be happier with this set---it has everything I could need, it looks beautiful, it cooks great and cleans up very easily. We have been using it for 5 months and love everything about it. I paid attention to what people said about cleaning it and made sure to read the manufacturer's instructions on care. Someone online gave a summary on care that was very helpful as well. I use a Dobie pad and/or Bartender's Friend to clean it like new after each use and dry it immediately after washing in warm soapy water and rinsing. If something sticks, like scrambled eggs, I just let it soak or put water in the pan and put it on the stove to a slow boil and it comes right off. The handle is so comfortable and it's nice and weighty without being too much; love the see through covers and easy pour edge too. I never thought I would ever have Calphalon cookware because of the expense but you guys online helped there too........We went to Bed Bath & Beyond while it was on sale and we used our 20% off card we got in the mail on top of the sale; we got a $50 gift certificate to BB&B; plus as a free bonus we got a large covered stock/soup pot [I think 4 quart] for free and a towel and spoon in that box! When I left Bed Bath & Beyond, I felt like it was Christmas! The $400 set after the sale, coupon and with subtracting the amount for the $50 gift certificate [which we later used on a food processor] was about $260!! You just can't beat that, so I was happily able to afford it. I give it the highest rating of 5 stars, don't hesitate to get this great product! Thanks to everyone for giving their reviews, I made the perfect choice! |
|
No details are available for this product
No video reviews found for this product.
No customer reviews were found for this product.
US $24.95
Calphalon CR8B/1751773 One Nonstick 8 Piece Cookware Set with FREE Soup Pot[ReviewAZON asin="B001TDUCFU"]... »