Calphalon D87821/2P Commercial Hard-Anodized 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid
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List Price: Our Price: $85.00 You Save: $34.00 (29%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Calphalon D87821/2P Commercial Hard-Anodized 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid
Customer Review: Great deal on Great cookware
Summary: 5 Stars
If you own any Calphalon, you already know.If not, you should. This is a great deal on a very useful pan. Once you've tried a calphalon hard anodized pan, you will probably never be satisfied with anything else. I currently own six pieces, lost two to my ex-wife. (They actually feature in our divorce agreement - I got computer, stereo, custody of our son, and 1/2 of our Calphalon... I miss the pans more than her... :^)
I've owned Calphalon, Anolon, Farberware, etc. The Hard-Anodized products from Calphalon are the best. I give this pan and a few others (like the 12-inch Everyday Pan) as gifts, almost universally appreciated. If you are serious about cooking, they are worth the $80-$100 and higher price tags. If you pick up one of the pieces that are on the frequent super-deep discounts it is a steal.
The heating characteristics of these pans are great - I refuse to make candy or fudge in anything else. (I make 20-30 pounds of fudge each December) As long as you keep the heat 1/2 to 1 step lower than you would use with another pan, cooking time is the same and it is difficult to burn things. If you DO manage to burn something, just let the pan cool off and wash with normal dish soap (NOT dishwasher!!) and a scrubby sponge, it will clean up almost perfectly with very little effort.
I've found the Pots'n'Pans and nonstick Calphalon products to be acceptable, but they can't compare to the Hard Anodized Aluminum product lines. Don't get distracted by 'nonstick' coatings, that require special utensils and usually start to flake and peel within a year. This product is solid Aluminum, subjected to an Anodizing process to harden it, with NO added coating. As long as you don't abuse it, cut in it with a sharp knife, or use dishwasher detergent on it, it will last a LONG time.
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Customer Review: more than a saucepan
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this pan toserve mostlyas a deep frypan(3 inch deep/8.375" diameter)whileI'vebeen using a stainless steel/non stick double deep(4") frypan by Farbeware forsauteing and stir frying, but the nonstickinterior is unsuitablefor high temp cooking requiredfor proper Oriental cooking,;alo the stainless exterior is hard for me to keep brilliantlyimaculate(having onlyonefunctional arm)as mycookwarehangsfrom a wall mount Calphalon pothanger and brighten mytiny kitchenby reflecting 99.9% ofthe light andthisbrings meto mymaincriticism of all hard anodized cookware; the matte black absorbs about 90% of the lightthat strikes it, thusreducing general visibility inthewhole kitchen and even more inside thepan where ithampers visibilty ofwhat's cooking! Couldn't the cokwaregeniuses anodize a white inside anda colorful external surface?I'd love a bright orangey red and brightstainless lidwith a red knob.I really wantedto rate this Calphalon 4½ stars but itis not possible.At the Amazon price hurry buy two, the secondfor you best friend(I can'tbelive tha amazon will keep this giveaway price forever and you'll love me forthesuggestion.the only alternate I'd consider is theCuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 3-1/2-Quart Saute Pan with Helper Handle & Cover by Cuisinart another super bargain from Amazon)bless their cotton-picking heart!)One moresuggestion:unless youhavethewrists of Alexeyev the weight lifting reord holder, stay away from "clad cookware in the home even ifthe outrageous prices don't deter you;muchtoo heavy and after all you won't live 200 years to benefit fromtheir extremelongevity and new technologies havealready appeared, merging the benefits of stainless, nonstick and hard anodized; still expensive but wait awhile: we're notamericans for nothing!)
Customer Review: my favorite pot, ever
Summary: 5 Stars
This pot is phenomenal --- the handles don't get hot, the food browns well, it works for nearly any food you would try to cook in it, and it is easy to clean. The best use is for cooking meats: you can saute the meat and deglaze the pan and put the pan into the oven, or you can just put the pan into the oven directly and bake the chicken there. This is the only pan that I use for baking small amounts of chicken in the oven, and the walls of the pan retain heat well enough to brown the skin nicely.
The pan also makes terrific popcorn which (almost) never burns and pops all the kernels without having to be shaken during cooking. I think that the heaviness of the pan also gives the popcorn a more complex flavor than the light aluminum sort.
Other than popcorn, I have found that starches don't fare well in it. After cooking rice, I see shadows of the grain outlines and haven't been able to get those off. The outlines have no substance, but it's strange to see outlines of rice several months and dozens of uses after cooking rice in it.
The pot is the perfect size for cooking for one or two people. It is a reasonable weight and easy to manipulate.
The stay-cool handle really does stay cool on the stove. The dangerous part of the handle is that if you are used to being able to touch it without potholders, you might forget to use a potholder after you have removed it from the oven. Of course you remember to use a potholder while actually removing the pot from the oven, but the handle stays hot after the pan is removed from the oven for long enough to forget that it had been in the oven. I've only burned myself a few times like this, and have learned to rest a potholder on the handle after removing it from the oven.
Customer Review: Super duper for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently got this pan, and I LOVE it. I actually bought the little pot with no lid :( and bought the "everyday" pan today. I don't own much expensive cookware, although I wish I could afford it. This seems to be the perfect compromise.
The handles are sturdy metal (which can go into an oven without fearing the temp like with plastic). The lids fit well and also have metal handles. On my gas stove they heat up amazingly fast compared to my old crappy pots. (Plus, I must add, looks handsome and professional on the stovetop when my picky mother-in-law visits..ha ha!)
Trying to upgrade from department store sets, I bought 2, kind of expensive, Le Creuset items last year. While I know you can't really compare these Calphalon to cast iron, I find myself using these way more often.
Neither can be put in the dishwasher and neither are non-stick, but cast iron is so freakin' heavy! I swear those two iron pots and lids were going to break the lazy susan in my cupboard! Once, a lid slid off a small Creuset pot while removing it from the cupboard, dropped about 6 inches and actually cracked one of my ceramic tiles! Don't get me wrong, those are wonderful pans for slow even cooking and will likely last a lifetime or more (if the enamel is treated gingerly), but for real life, I don't often have time for slow cooking and the "don't soak" "dry thoroughly" rules, not to mention the wear and tear on my wrists from lifting those buggers! (They might be nice to use as a weapon in case of an intruder, though!)
So, for a nice, affordable upgrade from standard everyday pots and pans, these are definately the way to go.
Customer Review: How To Fix This Pot
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're like me, you might have missed the part where Calphalon says not to put this pot into the dishwasher. Oops! What happens is the soap does something to the aluminum, not sure what, turning it white and dry-looking. I contacted Calphalon about this and was told that I had voided the warranty on the pot and there was no way to fix it. Same story when I visited a Calphalon retail store. Sadness ensued.
But then I noticed that I had gotten some olive oil on the lid, quite by accident. Where ever the olive oil was, the white dried-out patina wasn't. Hmm... So I wiped the entire pot down with a paper towel and olive oil. It was like magic. The pot looked like it's original self. Even after more than two years of use and only hand washing (now!) the pot is still as pretty as it was when I bought it. Warranty? I don't need no stinkin' warranty! I have olive oil!
The most complicated thing I make in this pot is rice. Over medium-high heat, I put in some olive oil and chopped onions. When the onions are translucent, I add a cup of rice and stir it all around. When it starts to smell like popcorn, I then add a cup and a half of chicken broth and a pinch of saffron. Cover for about 15 minutes. I admit that I cheat and look before the 15 minutes are up. I TRY not to end up with a layer of crunchy rice on the bottom, although some family members consider that to be a treat.
Of course, soups and sauces are a snap. The pot is light in weight and easy to clean, even if you have to do it by hand. It is a necessary addition to any kitchen. In fact, we have 3 and they all get used constantly.