In the last month I've owned this set, I've noticed that it has encouraged me to cook more and make more interesting dishes. It replaced a Revere Ware "stainless" set that was thin, flimsy, and subject to uneven heating. That set now sees only two uses - the 1 qt saucepan for tomato sauce (so I don't stain my Calphalon) and the 4 1/2 qt dutch oven for making pasta.The Calphalon on the other hand sees much more "hard" use and after a solid month of use, it remains looking brand new. Understand that if you want these to look new for a long time, you should follow these tips.
1. NEVER PUT THEM IN THE DISHWASHER! You wouldn't put your wedding silverware in the Maytag, right? Why put precision-crafted cookware in there? So how do you clean it? Look below.
2. LET THE PANS COOL BEFORE WASHING! Hot pan + cold water = warpage. Aluminum, even anodized, will warp in that situation. Always let them cool to touch before washing them.
3. SCRUB THE INSIDE WITH A "DOBIE" PAD FIRST. Dobies are available at most supermarkets -- they are a yellow sponge with a plastic nylon mesh over it...provides the "bite" you need to get out the gunk, but is safe to use even on non-stick surfaces. Warm water, liberal dish soap, and a dobie are all you'll need, and you'll turn your nose up at "Brillo" for sure!
4. WASH A SECOND TIME WITH A REGULAR SPONGE AND SOAP. The dobie isn't so good at the grease film many foods leave behind, this job is for your sponge.
5. REPEAT UNTIL THE PAN IS COMPLETELY CLEAN. Your hand is the best measure of this...when rubbing the pan with the sponge, you should feel no intermittent resistance at all -- that says it's all clean. Then rinse well.
6. DRY THE PANS IMMEDIATELY. Do not let them "rack dry" for that can leave spots which will be readily apparent.
Some other general tips...
7. CAREFUL! THOSE HANDLES GET HOT! I've burned myself initially touching lid handles and the panhandles as well; use a Calphalon suede handle cover or a potholder...it's awkward at first, but will become second nature thanks to burn-induced aversion therapy!
8. PREHEAT THE PANS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE AN ELECTRIC STOVE. Some of us who live in apartments are cursed with electric "burners." Remember that these take longer to heat up the thick aluminum pans and that contact with the burner is key.
9. DO NOT ADD SALT TO WATER UNLESS IT IS ALREADY BOILING. You will most likely never add enough salt to the water to "lower" the boiling point...it is mostly a flavoring agent anyway. But if you do add it before boiling starts, it may settle to the bottom of the pan and cause pitting.
10. AVOID VERY ACIDIC FOODS, SUCH AS TOMATO PASTE. This is not always reasonable, but like I said, I use a cheap saucepan for this rather than worry about spoiling the finish on my Calpahlon. Granted, if you don't mind, by all means use the good pots but be warned.
11. USE CALPHALON ANODIZED POLISH INFREQUENLY, BUT REGULARLY. Every six months is what I've heard if you use the pans at least three times a week.
In conclusion...yeah, All Clad is probably the best you can buy (unless you like to work out when cooking, then Le Creuset's cast iron is best) but Calphalon is almost as good (i.e., All Clad = Wusthof Gran Prix, Calphalon = Henckels Four Star), and tends to be easier to get a bargain with! And yeah, anodized cookware won't look as good hanging from the ceiling but if you're looking for decorating your kitchen, don't look here -- go get some fancy-shmancy copperware, just don't expect to cook in it regularly (the clean up is much harder)!
