I must have gotten my first Calphalon anodized aluminum cookware (Commercial Aluminum Cookware Company, Toledo, OH) from the commercial restaurant suppliers on the Bowery in NYC 30 years ago. This is the best professional pan for searing meat or vegetables quickly and without getting the product soggy or overcooked. I translate all the old-fashion oven recipes (Greek, Czech, German, etc etc) into a Japanese style quick sear for the meat, then removing the meat, slowly cooking the more fragile ingredients and sauce making, replacing meat later for controlled simmering.
Fast searing, slow simmering--no better pan in the world for convenient one-pot cooking--asian style, sort of. Calphalon anodized aluminum is almost intelligent--the best cookware material. And I have used them all, full copper, stainless-clad copper and aluminum, and iron. My old 3-quart saute pan is so precious to me, I'm buying a new one, just to have in my kitchen.
I've had this same kind of pan for years and used it every day sometimes more than once a day and loved it.It cooked beautifully and never, ever stuck.But it finally just wore out.I checked the number on the bottom of the pan and ordered a new one with the exact same number.It's terrible! The new one doesn't even cook bacon without sticking.This is NOT the same pan as Calphalon made before.
Buy Calphalon One Infused Anodized 3-Quart Sauté Pan with Lid Now
This is a top notch sauté pan.My wife and I cook a lot and this pan delivers consistent, reliable results.Here are some details:
Pros:
* Hard infused anodized coating will not flake off like Teflon.
* Very easy to clean with soapy water.Note not dishwasher safe
* Very good thermal conductivity produces professional results compared to other pans we have owned / used.
* Non stick as you'd expect makes cooking a breeze.
Cons:
* Few pans cook well with an electric cooktop.This pan is an exception as it does cook well using an electric flat-top surface.We have found however that over time, the pan bottom will slightly convex itself due to the extreme heat.Not a huge deal but I prefer the pan bottom to always lie flat.
* Over time, our pan tended to scorch.We have not seen this with other Calphalon products using similar nonstick technology.
* Cleaning with a scour pad worked well but led to pitting on the surface.
In general, I give this pan 3 stars because it does a marvelous job cooking but simply does not hold up to strenuous every day cooking.I'd expect better performance with a gas cooktop.
Read Best Reviews of Calphalon One Infused Anodized 3-Quart Sauté Pan with Lid Here
I hate this pan. I paid $199 for it and everything sticks to it no matter how I treat it and always has. I have written to Calphalon and apparently have no recourse.I have put up with it for more than a year and since Calphalon will do nothing to assist me with the sticking problem I am throwing the pan away. It is not worth the price nor the stress created by using it.I have a generic anodized set of pans that I have had for many years and LOVE them. I was adding this pan to that set. Silly me to think that BRAND NAME Calphalon would be even better.. Not so... It is going in the trash and out of my life and my kitchen
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UPDATE:
I noticed that the price on this pan has risen substantially. I gave this a 5 star review based on the price I purchased it at (below $70). As good as it is, I would not pay over $140. A quality stainless steel pan works just as effectively as this, and can be had for much cheaper.
After trying many of the cheap saute pan options, I forked up for this one and have not been disappointed. Responding to the one negative comment: no it's not perfectly flat on the bottom but I have a glass cooktop, and no pan that I've used is perfectly flat. A slight unevenness may be noticeable, but it doesn't affect cooking for me. Because this pan is nice and heavy (not cast-iron heavy though), it distributes heat evenly. And if it works on a flat glass cooktop, it will work anywhere. Food browns nicely, and the surface deglazes very well. I use this pan at least 5 days a week, and take care of it according to the directions (soap + scouring pad only) and it hasn't worn too bad at all, and I expect many more years out of it. My only concern is that I want to use it for everything and I might wear it out faster than I expect!
BOUGHT THIS PAN BECAUSE MY HUSBAND KEPT COMPLAINING OURS WAS TO SMALL FOR HIM. THIS HAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO COOK EGGS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY AT ONCE. HEAVY DUTY,COOKS EVENLY,NO STICKING.
