Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Metal 1-1/2-Quart Sauce Pan with Cowl

Perfect Go-To Workhorses-saute pan & 8 inch skillet- for Daily Use at a price that can’t be beat
First, the saute pan: I’ve purchased this pan twice now. I stupidly gave the first one away (it’s good to share, right?) and even though I have Le Creuset, Lodge, Mauviel, two stainless saucepans, and an egg poacher, I really missed this saute pan, and finally broke down and just bought another one.Each type of cookware I own is perfect for some things, less so for others. I actually sold cookware for a few years, and I can talk specific uses and attributes till a person’s eyes glaze over, so I’ll save you that. I’ll just say that this is an ideal everyday workhorse, and if I could only have five pans, this would be one of the five, and if I could only have one pan, I’d choose this one because in a pinch, it can do anything.It’s perfect for steaming vegetables for 1 or 2 (I use a silicone basket), eggs smothered in chipotle sauce and cheese are perfect, boiled eggs (use the silicone insert for that too), sautéing greens and other vegetables, etc. My favorite bits:Stainless is non-reactive, and it has a solid aluminum core that goes up the sides of the pan.Clean up is a snap. Great in the dishwasher, but easy enough to wash by hand, too.Starch and heat rainbows come right off if you swirl white vinegar in the bottom.Lid fits well so no “rattling” sound, and it’s nice to be able to see how things are going with the glass top.It heats evenly and the handle stays cool.It’s also a killer price. I would say it is equivalent to my All Clad stainless pans, but at a quarter of the price.It’s just a perfect go-to workhorse! I got it yesterday (thank you Amazon prime) and last night, I made a Italian white bean, kale and potato stew in it, a perfect, easy, one pan meal. The pan is as great as I remember, and though I rarely post reviews, I feel so strongly about this particular piece of cookware that I just had to share. And as much as I enjoy sharing, I probably won’t be giving this pan away again :)Note: to clear up any misconceptions re: All Clad, it is excellent cookware and it DOES have either an aluminum or copper core. The review that say says it does not is incorrect.UPDATED Review 8 inch Stainless Skillet:I had to try it. It’s inexpensive, I needed a workhorse 8 inch skillet, and okay, you caught me – I read some of the reviews re: the pan and they made no sense, so I had to conduct an experiment. Now that I’ve just made the perfect hash browns (not as easy w/stainless steel as with cast iron), I’m ready to give another 5 stars, this time for the 8 inch skillet.But first, a little bit about the conductive properties of metal:Different metals conduct heat differently, of course.Cast iron heats slowly but holds heat well. It can also be heated to high temperatures and withstand the stress, but pop a searing cast iron pan into cold water, and it will most likely crack open (yes, I’ve done this) because of the stress.Copper conducts heat really well – both ways, so you could with copper when you want to be able to go from high to low and back again.Aluminum (the core of calphalon and all-clad) conducts heat really well, but reacts with food.Stainless conducts heat poorly (that’s why we buy stainless utensils, not aluminum ones) but when bonded to copper or aluminum, great cooking surface.These Calphalon stainless pans are aluminum with a stainless exterior. I’d say they’re about 2 mm aluminum which is sufficient for most things. However, there are some things I wouldn’t do in these pans: 1) make a very delicate sauce, 2) sear meat, and 3) saute or pan-fry without oil. The reasons, respectively: 1) I can’t control the heat well enough, 2) the thickness just doesn’t support the highest heat and I don’t eat meat :), 3) starches and proteins have a tendency to stick to stainless.When I read reviews about meat searing and pan warping, etc., it was obvious that the pan wasn’t being used correctly. ANY and all metals can warp at higher heats and extreme temperature changes and pressure changes. It depends on the metal, the heat, the temperature change, the external pressure, etc. In addition to that, with stainless exterior bonded to aluminum interior, you have two different metals, with two different sets of properties, and so two sets of reactions. Normally, that’s not a problem for the two, but when put under extreme stress, you will have issues. It’s why there are things like physics and thermodynamics – things I don’t do 🙂 – but I know enough about the properties of different metals to know when I’m approaching danger zone.So how did it go with this pan? Amazingly well. I was surprised, actually. Seriously, perfect hash browns WITH cheese. The tricks to using stainless w/aluminum core for things like meat, potatoes, eggs, etc. (obv steaming vegetables is different 🙂 :1. Put the pan on medium to medium high heat without oil2. Test your pan to see when it’s hot enough. I use the drops of water method – toss a few drops, if they steam you’re almost good, if they sizzle off, you’re there.3. Then, add your oil. The oil will be a protective layer between your pan and your food. (I often mix oils, too, to give myself a little more leeway.)4. After you’ve swirled the oil(s), add your food and stir to make sure you’ve got an even coating.5. Monitor the heat and adjust accordingly. This is key because you can have hot spots on the burner, uneven heating, etc.I did all of that with my new pan, and the results were perfect hash browns, caramelized brown on the outside, nice & crispy, creamy Yukon Gold on the inside, and even the cheese didn’t stick much. I left the pan to cool, later I’ll wash it, and I’ll add a little white vinegar to remove the blue rainbows if there are any. If you can’t wait for your pan to cool, then add very hot (tea kettle hot) water to the very hot pan.I’d definitely recommend this pan to anyone who wants a quality piece of cookware for everyday workhorse food prep. I own 2 copper skillets, 3 cast iron skillets, 2 enameled cast iron skillets, and one professional weight Demeyere skillet, and each one is perfect for some recipes, but I can say with certainty that I’ll be reaching for this inexpensive 8 inch skillet again and again.

Love love LOVE this!
I researched and compared so many different sauce pans before buying this, you’d think I was writing a dissertation on them. I really like to choose carefully so I know something is going to suit my needs and be worth the time and money invested. I’m so glad I chose this one – it’s perfect! I got the 1.5qt for $42. The shape is both beautiful and ideal functionally (rounded inside for smooth stirring, your soup doesn’t evaporate out, and it’s easy to clean). It has a nice weight and balance, and the size is perfect for soup and a whole bunch of other purposes. This is one of my two go-to pots. I previously shied away from stainless steel because I had one pot that stuff always burned in and got stuck to, but this is a dream to clean and somehow nothing ever sticks. I do take good care of it by using a silicone spoon or spatula to stir, not putting it under water when it’s still hot, and I hand wash it not because I have to but because it’s just so easy to since any remaining food just slides out. I have to really be impressed to write a review, so that alone tells you how happy I am with this. I would definitely recommend!

Nice stainless steel pan
Pan is nicely finished, heats up evenly and quickly, doesn’t stain and has a nice weight. It’s fairly heavy for its size, but not too heavy. I have several other pieces of Calphalon cookware and replaced a non-Calphalon pan with this one. Just be aware that the warranty requires you can provide a receipt. So be sure to print and keep your invoice.

Excellent quality cookware!
Calphalon is among the best consumer brand of cookware! The materials are heavy gauge stainless steel, and they are finished beautifully! A little pricey but worth it!

Nice weight. The slim, smooth handle is elegant and makes for a well-balanced pan. I love it.

After years of use, I thought I should write. This is, hands down, my favourite pot, perfect in every way. I use it for everything. It heats well and evenly, cleans up well, and looks so nice on the stove I never put it away.

I love it. It is cute in my kitchen. It feels so good to cook in this. A best addition in my kitchen. Best quality.