Review of Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Piece Cookware Set

On cooking surfaces and Calphalon...

First, it is important to note that hard anodized cookware is NOT a coating...it is an intregal part of the cooking surface...hence it does not wear off. In terms of conductivity; which is the degree to which heat is transferred through the cooking surface, copper traditionally ranks the best.Copper is followed by aluminum, stainless steel and cast-iron.If looks are an important consideration in your cookware choice, then stainless steel with a layering of copper might be your best bet.Cast-Iron heats slowly but retains it's heat very well.It is excellent for casseroles and the like.Copper is great too, but it is very, very expensive and has the drawback of reacting with acidic-based sauces.Aluminum has this same problem.However, hard-anodized aluminum removes this roadblock to cookware nirvana.Which makes Calphalon such an important tool for your kitchen.

I have 14 separate pieces of Calphalon in my collection.So I guess I "walk the walk"....As much as I respect All-Clad and Le Creuset; Calphalon Professional and Calphalon Commercial are the best, most versatile sets of cookware, in my opinion.Much for the same reason most professional cooks use gas ranges as opposed to electric ranges, would be the main argument as to why Calphalon is such a superior product over less expensive variants.It is important to have direct heat control to turn out exceptionally finished product on a consistent basis.Obviously, the expense of a set of cookware reflects to a degree the ability maintain control over heat....On the other hand, it is still very value-priced, compared to some other well known and more expensive competitors.I think the main reason for this is simply that even cookware follows "asthetic trends" and this might be one small area where Calphalon lags behind.Nothing beats the beauty of highly polished stainless steel cookware hanging from your kitchen ceilings... except maybe copper!But if you are more interested in cooking performance as opposed to how the cookware looks, you would be hard pressed to find a better value.

...just bear in mind that Calphalon is "stick-resistant" as opposed to "non-stick".This is actually good.And necessary.This is because it is important for foods to brown properly.Not to "seal in the juices", so to speak.That is a misnomer.Juices are not "sealed in" as a result of browning.What browning serves to do, besides giving a great appearance to the food, is to carmelize the base.This, in turn, enriches the taste of the finished product.And it would stand to mean that any deglazing that's done for sauces afterwards would also impart an added richness of flavor.Both Calphlon Commercial and Professional Cookware do this particularly well.

Much as there are many sound reasons as to why an oven chicken roaster is shaped oval or why a good braising pan does not have gently sloping sides; it is also important to note that with whatever you decide to roll into your kitchen with, it should most importantly reflect what you are trying to accomplish once you walk in there.

Thanks and hope this review was helpful....



Click Here to see more reviews about: Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Piece Cookware Set