That Calphalon/All Clad question again
I will be buying new pots and pans in the near future and have spent a good amount of time browsing the local retailers. I still can't decide what to buy. I know I don't want plastic handles, and I am leaning towards a stainless steel/aluminum clad set with glass lids. Just wondering if I really should also consider anodized, but I am concerned that they shouldn't go through the dishwasher. I am not overly concerned with non-stick, and I don't spray my pans with Pam, so that is also not a factor.
Also, opinions on Calphalon vs. All Clad in stainless, and should I save a few dollars and consider something like Cuisinart or an off-brand?
Thanks
Alan
Alan H
Dec 03, 2001 08:51AM
I have several pans from each company, and I have to say that All-Clad wins hands down. Calphalon makes fine pans, and I'll never hesitate to pick one up if the price is right, but compared side-by-side with All-Clad Stainless, I find the anodized surface sticky to the extreme (whereas the stainless is merely very sticky). Calphalon's handles are also prone to overheating for some reason, and Calphalon's lids collect a lot of water on the inside, which splashes everywhere when you remove the lid. (All-Clad's slope more, so the condensation drops back into the pan) I've also bought many All-Clad pans used, at garage sales and the like, and they never fail to clean up very nicely no matter how cruddy and banged up they at first seem. On the other hand, most of the Calphalon pans I see at garage sales I would steer clear of because the anodized surface seems to wear out after a few years, and you can see the pure aluminum. Granted, if you have a lifetime warrantee on these pans, you can always get them replaced, but if you wait until you can actually see the anodized surface wearing off, who knows how much aluminum has already leached into your food?
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Great, thanks. Just to follow up-- what about the Calphalon tri-ply which is 18/10 stainless with an aluminum core? Also, my understanding of the anodized is that it is not a coating, which could wear out, but is a phiysical change to the material which actually makes it harder than steel.
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Hi Alan -- I've been given several pieces of Calphalon over the years and have been really disappointed in all of them. I've experienced the dreaded "wearing out" of the surface and simply no longer use any of them. I'm hard on my cookware and consequently highly judgmental -- I strongly discourage all friends and acquaintances from Calphalon. For home use, I'd say stick with All-Clad, Sitram Catering or Bourgeat. My pick is discounted All-Clad via an outlet store or yard sale. Here's a link to a great recent post by saucyknave on cookware that might also help you out.
Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
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One more thing, just to make sure I spread the bashing around equally...
In my opinion, the Emerilware line by All-Clad is a blot on their good name. Seems like this is their attempt to challenge Calphalon for the home decorator market who rarely cooks. Suffice it to say that the entire line is nonstick and it's made of cheaper-grade materials. It is to cookware what his sitcom was to primetime TV.
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I'd like to chime in with Alan H. and ask specifically about the stainless steel with aluminum core (you know, the All-Clad copies) that are put out by Calphlon and others. Are these comparable to the originals? There have been plenty of negative postings about the anodized Calphalon that have convinced me to stay away, but not much on the stainless steel/aluminum lines that are put out by Calphalon, Cuisinart, etc.
Thanks!
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I have one Cuisinart pan that works very well: 5 1/2 qt approx 12" straight sided pan. I use it for everything from frying chicken to making small amounts of pasta or soup, stews, etc. It is a good servicable tool. On the other hand I had their slop sided frying pan and gave it away because the things on the side tended to burn. And even the straight sided will sometimes cook faster around the outer edge if I am, lets say, sweating onions, etc. I think the metal on the sides simply isn't thick enough.
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I recently bought three of the Cuisinart nonstick stainless skillets, and I'm really liking them and using them daily. The copper-sandwich bottom doesn't continue up the sloped sides, but I haven't had any problems with things on the sides burning.
Next venture: a nonstick saucepan. I've never had one, and I'm finding the concept kinda trippy. Just the idea of making hot cereal or cheese sauce without sacrificing some to the bottom of the pan is enough to alter my consciousness (bubble bubble...)
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Calphalon really does live up to its lifetime guarantee: I recently sent them two saucepans and a dutch oven that I'd used daily for more than twenty years, which had the anodized coating worn off, and they sent me brand new ones, free. With that kind of commitment to their customers, I have a hard time trashing their product. However, I did ask Santa for an All-Clad stainless saucepan this year.
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I prefer All-Clad to Calphalon. I have a set of All-Clad stainless, but I also have one All-Clad non-stick pan, and I recommend that highly: You won't need it for everything, but for a few things it is ideal: omelets, crepes, fried eggs.
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All Clad. Period.
And, never, NEVER put a good pan in a dishwasher! Yeah it may take a bit more work, but wash them immediately and then dry them off. You will have them 50 years from now if you take care of them. Put 'em in a dishwasher and you may as well trash 'em in 5 or 10 years.
Bad, Alan, bad...
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Renee,
Personally, i don't put my pans in the dishwasher, but, unless it's a coated (non-stick) or castiron pan, i don't understand how strong detergent and really hot water are bad for what is, after all, a metal utensil. Why is a pot different than, say, stainless dinnerware? Thanks.
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It really depends on how much money you want to spend and how much it matters to you.
Investing in high quality pots and pans that will last you the rest of your life would be the best investment in the long run. Look for those with lifetime warranties and consider what professional chefs use (All-Clad).
There are a handful of high quality cookware lines (All-Clad, Berndes, Le Creuset) available and hundreds of others that aren't so good. All-Clad & Le Creuset would be the top of the line cookware and heat the fastest.
If you don't want to spend the money on All-Clad, consider "Berndes" made in Germany. Awarded a BEST BUY by Consumers Digest for a Second Time.
Here are several articles for you which should give you a good idea of what to look for. Let me know what you decide or if you need more sources.
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Choosing the Right Saucepan
Link: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/show_...
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Article: Get a Handle on Pots and Pans
Link: http://www.post-gazette.com/food/2000...
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Article: What a Cook Wants: Pots and Pans
Link: http://www.sptimes.com/News/120600/Ta...
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Professional chefs typically use All-Clad because they're fine and the All-Clad marketing department is really happy to donate them to schools. Any heavy-gauge cookware should work just as well, with proper consideration given to the materials you're using.
I dislike Berndes, for the most part, because they get damaged easily and their shapes are typically "home" rather than "pro" (that is, they have lots of rounded edges). If you have to go that route, I've been happier with my Scanpans, which are ceramic-titanium with a nonstick compound embedded in the pits of the surface (so it can't be scraped off). The first ones I got years ago weren't good, but they were a different formulation (not what I just described above), and they were recently replaced for free on warranty. Sitram still makes the pans I'm most happy with, for the money, and I've posted before about how I really like their Cybernox line (looks like they just released a 5-qt saucepan too).
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