Calphalon Reviews

If you are going to invest in any of the Calphalon 8 quart stockpots, you do need this! The insert fits like a glove, and with a bit of practice filling with water to the correct level, about three quarters full as mentioned by the previous reviewer, you will have few problems with boil over. When using the pot and insert as a set, it will confortably hold up to one pound of dried or fresh pasta.

I would also like to recommend the steamer insert found here as an add-on to complement your cooking experience!

The Calphalon "All-Purpose" Insert that fits the Calphalon 8-quart stockpot (either hard-anodozed aluminum or Commercial nonstick) is an essential piece of cookware if you love pasta. Once you have made any kind of pasta (spaghetti, linguine, penne rigate, orecchiette) in this insert and pot (sometimes sold together in a slightly wider shape called a pasta pentola), you will never want to cook pasta any other way.

You put the insert in the pot, fill it about 3/4 full with water, put on the lid, and let the water come to a full rolling boil (it won't take long). Then remove the lid and add your pasta (I keep a little chart handy that has the cooking time for each variety, but you can always look on the box or package--make sure you buy semolina pasta imported from Italy, if possible). Add some sea salt (1 tsp.) if you wish. I also add a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, too. Give the pasta one or two stirs--14-inch stainless steel tongs work the best. It will come back to a boil, and then you start the timing. One or two minutes before you think it is done, lift up a strand or two from the pot (I use the serrated side of my large Wusthof bread knife for this, or I use a long-handled slotted spoon for smaller pasta.) Taste it. You want the pasta to be cooked "al dente" (lit., "firm to the tooth"). If it tastes almost done, then lift the insert slowly and carefully from the pot, letting the steaming water run back into the pot. After the water has completely drained, then shake the pasta a bit in the strainer. Do not rinse the pasta. Pour it out onto a large platter. Add one or two spoonfuls of the water from the pasta (which you have not thrown out yet), and then sauce it. You will love the pasta al dente! I have taught many non-cooks to make pasta with this insert (and the stockpot), and they are successful on the first try! Buon appetito!

I must admit I was skeptical in owning a pot rack, how would it look with pots on it etc. But alas my lack of space and remodeling my kitchen allowed me to try this out. I looked for pot racks for a long time researching on the web. I find this to be a huge space saver, and it holds my heaviest Le Creuset, and cast iron skillets etc with no problems. Just use balancing principals, offset one side heavy pan opposite side heavy pan etc. Very easy. I had to buy extra chain to come down from my high ceiling and had a professional hang it for me so I have no worries of it coming down. He measured it so it would be within my reach. What a joy, and easy to get pots off and put them back on. The hooks hold well, which was another concern of mine. In no way is it an eye sore even with ugly beat up pans.
A purchase well spent. If you love to cook you'll want to buy extra hooks. Highly recommended.

My Aunt was getting married and someone had beat me to the punch in buying her the Calphalon Cookware set she desired. As I looked over her list I did not see a pot rack on it. I could not imagine getting such a lovely set of cookware and putting them in a cabinet. So I bought her one of these babies. She was thrilled. She had wanted a pot rack, but was not buying a house for about a year, so she was going to wait. House is bought and rack is up with lovley Calphalon pots and pans glistening from the ceiling. She loves it. I plan to get one myself, when I have the room. I already have many Calphalon pots and pans. The price is much better than what I have seen at the department stores.

The Calphalon Oval Pot Rack is just perfect for mid-sized, or large, kitchens. The brushed aluminum styling is identical to that of the Calpahalon pots and pans and will complement them nicely. Once installed you will find that it is not only a classy addition to your kitchen, but also very practical. My only complaint about this pot rack is the absence of mounting hooks, which you will need to get at your local hardware store (I got mine at Lowe's Home Improvement.) You DO NOT need to have this rack professionally installed if you are willing to climb on a ladder and feel comfortable drilling holes into your kitchen ceiling. Installing this pot rack is quite easy, and should not take you more than 30 minutes. Assembly of the rack will take you 10 to 15 minutes (the rack comes in 4 or 5 parts.) It took me about 15 minutes to choose a location, find two suitable studs, drill two holes and screw in the two hooks. My recommendation is to get yourself a stud finder, if you don't already own one, and use that to find two studs to drill into. Also, if you buy this rack, make sure you buy additional pot hooks, because once you start hanging your pots, you will want to hang all of them, and this rack does not come with enough hooks!

This Calphalon All-Purpose Nylon Spreader and Spatula is such a handy utensil to have around the kitchen. I keep mine, along with some other matching black nylon utensils, in a pottery crock near my range top. The blade of this spreader/spatula has two different edges, one smooth and the other serrated. I use the serrated edge around the insides of my nonstick bakeware pans to loosen baked goods before removing them for cooling on racks; also, I use it as a knife for cutting wedges of cheesecake from the bottom of a nonstick springform pan. I use the smooth edge for removing baked goods from nonstick cookie sheets. I've not had one scratch on any of my nonstick bakeware since using this spatula. Sometimes I do use it as a spreader for cream cheese, peanut butter, jam, or marmalade, but I find it slightly bulky for that purpose. I wash it and all my other Calphalon nylon utensils by hand, which helps keep them from fading or becoming worn-out looking.

Great for scooping or scraping out jars or cans (especially LARGE ones) of peanut butter or Crisco, for example. Only utensil I've found so far that cuts-spreads sticky stuff like cinnamon-roll filling, cookie dough, etc without a fight. Serrated edge handily slivers off 'just a tad' off a cold stick of butter, and cuts a head of lettuce without browning the leaves. In a pinch it even makes a great spackling tool and paint stirrer [not to worry, I do have more than one!]. ... What I *really* wanted was a spreader exactly like the wood-handled one w/ the broader, oval, less-flexible, noncutting blade, something I recall being in nearly every '40s-50s kitchen. However, this appears to be the only thing made today that's even vaguely similar.

This is a very strong, sturdy cooking utensil! i recommend everyone have the entire set of calphalon utensils! They are safe with your (very) expensive cookware and work great!

This is the best roasting pan I have ever worked with! Beef, poultry, lamb, you name it. It is great for making lasagna (note: it takes two boxes and will feed about 20.) The forks make lifting any turkey a breeze. If you are really into seasoning meat, then get this set for the injector alone. I've even used this pan to make a large sheet cake. I've never had any problems cleaning it. Don't ever use any kind of steel wool or scotch-rite scrubber on Calphalon, and don't put it in the dishwasher, it will ruin it. The best part - the price Amazon offers - you won't find a better value.

My husband bought this pan and I thought he was crazy for spending so much on a pan. It was worth every penny! He loves to cook roasts which means I am usually the one cleaning up. None of the burned grizzle sticks to this pan. It just slides right off! The lifters are great too. The baster also has a pointy end and works as an injector too. Great pan! I highly recommend it!

Simply put, this has been the best roaster we have ever own. This roaster gets the job done, especially for turkey and roasts. Highly reccomend.

I like stainless steel stuff, which means I don't have much Calphalon gear in my kitchen. But this set is stainless steel and the price was right.

The pieces look fairly nice, though obviously not up to the same quality as my prized full tri-ply stainless steel cookware. It felt kind of odd picking up the cooking utensils only to realize that the handles are hollow so they feel less than substantial.

Nevertheless, they are shiny and nice looking, great for hanging up on hooks in the kitchen as decoration. My guests nod in approval as notice this flashy Calphalon set. I don't think anyone has ever noticed the solid stainless steel Oneida laddle and serving spoons that I actually serve with.

Well worth the few dollars I paid for it. Although, it was slightly disconcerting to see the box marked "free gift for you." Apparently, these were a give-away when you ordered a Calphalon set. Nevertheless they are good quality and useful on their own, if you own an 8 qt stockpot.

I bought this set to go with an 8qt stock pot I have. I am NOT dissapointed... and am, in fact, elated with this product's performance. The utensils fit wonderfully in my hands. And, the utensil holder looks great on my countertop! The veggie steamer insert has yet to be used... but, I doubt I will ever regret any part of this purchase. It, at the least, helps complete my kitchen.

I highly recommend this Calphalon accessory set for anyone!

Recently I decided to upgrade my knife collection at my home and cabin, which meant buying two knives. My mainstay, a Japanese sushi knife, has incredibly hard steel but was too delicate for day to day use. After doing the research I bought the Tramontina Professional Series 8" Cook's Knife and also the Calphalon collector's editon knife, figuring to keep the best one at my house and exile the loser to my cabin. I ordered the Tramontina ($...) and bought the Calphalon ($...). If money is the primary thing I would buy the Calphalon. But if I had it do over again I would buy two Tramontina knives. The steel of both of these tools is very,very, good; unless you toss your knives in a drawer you won't have to sharpen these very often. The difference is in the balance, feel, look, and workmanship. The Calphalon blade has a wave or slight curve to it and when you run your hand along the side of the blade you can feel hollow places and irregularities in the forging. The Tramontina is just dead on. The handle is a bigger disappointment for the Calphalon, because it is almost square in cross section with a sharp transition from top to side and side to bottom. It just doesn't feel very good. The Tramontina, on the other hand, has a more rounded and complex shape that feels just right. The least important is the look. Seen from the top, the Tramontina's tang meets the bolster by curving outward in both directions, with the handle pieces having a matching curve, so the knife is rounded in two dimensions at the bolster. It's hard to describe but it just looks like a quality product. The Calphalon's tang keep's it's flat bar shape right into the bolster, with the handle pieces cut off square to fit, so it is square in both dimensions. Again, this is a minor point. I have since bought the Tramontina 6" utility knife and I'm just as happy with it. I highly recommend this product and for me, it was worth the extra $.... If you decide to get the Tramontina make sure to get the Professional Series as they make other, cheaper knives.

I like cooking knives. I purchased this blade ... simply to play with it. It does not compete with top of the line Wustoff, Henkels or Sabatier knives (forged in Europe of course). However those knives are generally at least 3-5 times the price of this knife.

This knife has many of the benefits of the higher quality European knives. They are forged and the steel is high quality. This knives lacks the workmanship detail you'd find in top of the line knives. Only someone who is really [particular] or interested in great knives would even notice these differences IMO. Also, the knife is extremely heavy for a Chef's knife. I have a 1/2 dozen so I should know. That could be a drawback for some but on the other hand weight can aid some cutting tasks. You might like the extra weight.

It won't replace my Wustof, Henkels or Sabatier forged chef knifes but I will keep it and use it and someday give it away to a younger relative just starting out.

I wish I'd have bought a knife like this years ago instead of even trying stamped blades.

If you don't have a forged chef knife this is a great way to get started with forged knives. You won't believe how much easier a good knife can made your prep.

The knife is made in China but the steel is German. The workmanship is better than other Chinese made knives in my collection.

I am not one to write reviews. I have purchased many things from Amazon. Even though I liked the products, I just wasn't motivated to write a review. I just received this Calphalon 8" Collectors Edition Chef Knife. I am a "knife nut", as well as a very good amateur chef. I've been doing this for 40 years. I KNOW quality knives. Before buying this knife, I read the reviews on ALL the Calpholon knives in the series. The reviews ranged from "junk" to "the best". I also checked cutlery websites and found a site that stated that the Calphalon line of knives are produced by Friedrich Dick-- a German knife company that produces professional kitchen knives comparable to Henckels and Wustof,(both of which I own). Even Henckels has different qualities of steel, depending on the series and price of the product. Was this Calphalon a "low quality" steel. Some reviewers stated it was "made in China". I figured for 20 bucks I'd take a chance--it would be a "test knife". Out of the package, it was heavy and appeared well made. Holding the end of the handle with my fingers and tapping the blade, it had a solid "ring" to it- the sound of a high carbon steel blade. I took a sheet of copy paper, and with the blade at an angle to the edge of the paper, sliced the paper in half with a single cut. Very nice for a factory edge. I sharpened it with my ceramic hone and was able to "shave" the hair off my forearm. It doesn't get any better than this! Yes it is forged in China, but this is excellent German steel. Also it doesn't have the rounded and highly polished handles that the German counterparts have. But in performance, I could not tell the difference from my Henckels. I owned a retail store for 16 years, and delt with many products from China. There is a lot of "junk" from China--but there are also a lot of very high quality products from China. I'm not going to go into political or labor issues here. It is personal choice. I found some Chinese products to be far superior to U.S. or European goods at a fraction of the cost. This is a high quality item. I am definately going to buy more from this line. You will NOT find a better "forged" knife at this price! My only "objection" (if you can call it that), is that the knife is a little heavier than the Henckels or Wusthof knives, so they "handle" differently. I prefer the lighter weight, but this is a personal thing. It would not influence my decision to buy this product.