rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (12/19/84)
This was provoked by a question about Calphalon vs Cuisinart cookware.
In my experience, Calphalon is ridiculously overrated. It just isn't well
designed, for several reasons:
The finish, although resistant to scratching and relatively
resistant to sticking, is NOT dishwasher-proof. A few trips
through a diswasher will dull the finish and make it start to
stick. Moreover, it stains in time and a good cleaner made
specifically for it (I've only found one) is hard to find.
The lips on the pans are poorly formed; you CANNOT pout from them
without dribbles.
Handles on the larger skillets are very long and poorly shaped,
so as to require a lot of wrist torque to manipulate. Many people
won't be able to manage an empty 12" skillet single-handed.
Moreover, the handles on the large skillets are so long and heavy
that, empty, they won't sit flat on a flat surface. This means
that you can't use them with an electric range unless there's
enough in them to tip them flat onto the element.
[My pet peeve] The handles on all the pots, pans, and lids are
either tinned or aluminum, meaning that they conduct heat very
well. It doesn't take long for them to get too hot to touch. If
you like to peek or move pans around, you're constantly grabbing
potholders. There's no damn reason that they can't put on handles
which pick up very little heat.
I strongly prefer STAINLESS STEEL. It's wonderful stuff. It's easy to
clean and the tough cleaners are readily available. It's dishwasherable.
Since it doesn't conduct heat well, it needs to be laminated with something
to distribute the heat (either on the outside or laminated between two SS
layers). SS handles on pots won't heat up enough to bother you--I have a
large stock pot which I use for brewing, and I can have it over a high gas
flame for two hours without the handles (SS loops welded to the sides)
getting more than warm.
My personal preference for everyday use would be Farberware--the standard
stuff, not their fancy newer line. It's got SS with aluminum bottoms,
phenolic handles on most items, rolled lips which pour well, good finish,
wide availability, and reasonable prices.
To be fair, my wife (who's a better cook than I) prefers the
characteristics of the Calphalon--as long as she doesn't have to pour from
it, clean anything nasty, lift the large skillet, and doesn't burn herself
lifting a lid.
--
Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086
...Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.