Cooking Reviews

The Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 11-Inch Square Griddle is a heavy well made griddle, one note: it is made in China not the USA.

I have a cheap griddle same size, and now have this Calphalon one. BIG difference. Much better heat distribution, better teflon = easier clean. Handy for bacon (may need to pour of drippings if a lot of bacon), grilled sandwiches, pancakes, eggs.

It's heavy and dead-flat. What can you say about a griddle except that it does exactly what you wish a griddle would do. There are no hot-spots, and the handle stays cool. (The Calphalon Contemporary handles are big, and may get in the way occasionally -- but they stay very cool.)

One thing, though -- the non-stick surface is *really* non stick. Make an omlette and it'll spread over just about the whole bottom of the pan in no-time-flat -- which is just great, so long as you like really thin omlettes. Over-easy eggs can be a bit tricky because it's so slippery -- it's not that easy to get the spatula underneath! (Part of that's because plastic and coated spatulas are thicker than metal ones.) One time I almost pushed an egg right off the griddle and onto the stovetop. But anyone who's ever had something stick to a griddle will not complain that nothing can stick.

Cleanup is strange. It just doesn't get dirty. I've only had this awhile, but I've used it twenty times, and the nonstick is not only still in perfect condition, it doesn't even show the "bright spots" that, with high-quality non-stick cookware, indicates some mechanical burnishing. I think this will last forever.

I was expecting calphalon quality, but these knives just don't feel like they are quality knives.

Picked up this set for $79 at Amazon and did not expect too much. However this is not a cheap set of knifes. They are real sharp, solidly build and slice with professional authority. I had never known that a Chef's knife could slice vegetables so fast! If you do not want to spend $$$ on German steel (China made anyway, just like this set) and do not want a cheap knife set that is a waste of money after all, then consider this set. I think you will not be disappointed. For more extensive reviews please also check epinions.com.

These feel very good in the hand. The set has the perfect number of items to have on the counter top for almost all my usual, and some extraordinary, food preparation needs.

These pots and pans are pretty, no question, but they just don't work that well. The long handles get in the way and are heavy enough to make the pans tilt on the burner unless there's a fair amount in them. There's a black band on the underside of the lids that's just PAINT. Who would put paint on a pan lid? Anyway, it peels off when heated. They're not dishwasher safe, and you need to buy a special calphalon anodized cleaner to clean the outsides. Burn anything in these pots and you're stuck, it sticks on, and you can't scrub it off without ruining the nonstick surface. There's no pouring lip on the saucepans, and no steam vent in the lids, so when you boil, you'll have dribbles down the side. These pots are made in China, which always makes me suspicious. For the price, there are much better pots; if you must have Calphalon, I'd go for the stainless interiors if you want a long-lasting pot, but you can get substantially better pots than these for a fraction of the cost; check out the new revere stainless line with the colander lids; dishwasher and oven safe, unlike these.

I got this cookware set as a wedding gift and have been nothing but happy with them since the first time I used them. The nonstick interior is wonderful. I have cooked a few different things including ground beef, pasta sauces, pasta, and mac and cheese. The meat browned nicely and never stuck to the pan (unlike my old aluminum pans where it would burn to the bottom). I even think the water boils faster...maybe it is just in my head, but I believe the pans distribute heat more evenly and the water boils faster.

I like the glass lids so I can see inside the pan. I can tell if the contents are boiling or simmering (whichever is called for in the recipe).

I forgot about the pasta sauce in the pan overnight and it cleaned out easily the next morning...just a quick rinse and it was clean. The cheese from the mac and cheese wasn't even a problem. I let that sit, too (I'm not exactly the quickest at cleaning up), but it came right off with no extra effort. So far, they have been the easiest pans to clean that I have ever owned. I used to hate washing my cookware, but since I got these, I am happy to clean them since it is so easy!

I highly recommend this cookware set to anyone who wants an easy-clean product that looks nice and cooks well.

We recently purchased this set after first trying out the Commercial Hard-Anodized pans. Everything stuck in these pans, so we tried non-stick. We are thrilled with this cookware set! They are truly non-stick; I haven't had any problems with sticking. Clean up is a breeze; they quickly clean up in soap and water with little to no scrubbing. And they look very classy in our kitchen. I cook 6-7 days/week - usually just for our family but we do entertain 1-2/month so they get a work out!

I would highly recommend these pots and pans and will be adding other Calphalon pieces to our set.

First, I will admit to being a Calphalon snob - I have over 20 pieces of their cookware, both from Toledo (Go Mudhens!)and from China, and am aware of their value and quality.
So, with that knowledge, I must write my first dissapointing review for a Calphalon item.
These knives are not worth carrying the Calphalon name, or are worth the high price charged. They are poorly balanced, the balance point is approx 1" behind thew bolster, making the knife "handle heavy", so you must keep a good grip on the knife to keep it in your hand. The blade, though forged, will be impossible to sharpen, as the tip is serrated, and is hollow ground on only one side, producing a "chisel" sharpened blade = great for scraping a surface, as with a chisel, but not the best cutting edge - and nearly impossible to sharpen. The knife holder, though nicely machined, is made out of soft pine, rather than a hard wood that will stand up to normal wear and tear - and it has a decidedly sour, sappy smell which permiates the knives, making you wash them before each use. The best feature, in my estmation, is the handle, which is comforable in larger hands vs the skinny handles on many steak knives.
At approx fifty dollars for a set of four knives, I cannot recommend this set - it is worth about half that more suitable for sale at a discount or closeout.

Unlike all the other Chinese produced Calphalon products which carry very attractive prices, this is not the case with these knives, and do not compare favorably to Calpholon's other knives. Though forged, the knife blanks are considerably thinner in thickness, producing a very flexable blade more akin to a fillet knife than a meat cutter / slicer and are hollow ground on only one side of the cutting surface due to a serrated tip, making the blade impossible to sharpen. The balance point for the knives is approx an inch behind the bolster, making the knife a bit handle heavy, rather than balanced. The wood knife tray, though nicely machined, is made out of soft pine or aspen with no finish - it has a distinct pitch odor and is already serverely dinged and gouged from having to remove four rather large pieces of tape which afixed the plastic cover to the tray. Not very attractive - I suspect a short life for the tray. Had it not been for the fact that these knives were purchased as a package with a bunch more Calphalon, and received a fifty dollar off a future purchase certificate, thereby, in effect rendering these knives as "free", I would return these sub par Calpalon offerings. The form of the knives is good in concept, but the function / execution of the form leaves alot to be desired. If I had seen these during a late nite infomercial, I would understand, but these are supposed to be top shelf items. My first dissapointment from Calphalon.

This nonstick pan sticks. In fact it sticks so bad it's almost impossible to clean.

R

I bought this pan, and really enjoy it. The black rim on the inside did peel.

The Calphalon Contemporary line is nice to look at, no question. But if you actually use these pots to cook, that's another story. When you see one up close, be sure to look under the lid. See the black ring around the edge of the glass? That's PAINTED on, and it starts to peel off and ends up in your food once it gets hot. And water gets trapped between the glass and the stainless rim of the lid, and there's no way to get it out. When you heat these on the stove with liquid inside (which is mostly why you'd want to buy these), as it reaches boiling, steam will lift up the lid, and you'll have dribbles down the side and onto your stove. There's no steam vent, and the lids don't easily sit ajar to let steam out. Finally, though you'd probably buy non-stick pots like these thinking they'd be a breeze to clean, think again. Stuff gets stuck on the "non-stick" surface, and is hard to clean, and they're NOT dishwasher safe. Though you might imagine by their pleasant design and Calphalon's good name that these pots are made in Europe or the USA, SORRY, they're made in China. I cook a lot and enjoy good pots and pans and utensils, but I'm very disappointed with these.