| Overall Rating: |
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5out of 5 |
| Appearance: |
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5out of 5 |
| Workmanship: |
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5out of 5 |
Written By:
Anonymous
(New Bern, NC)
Customer Review
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| "Go tri-ply for everything" |
Date: 9/20/2007 |
"When my 20 year-old blue enamel Chantal pots bit the dust, I decided to go for an upgrade. I read lots of reviews and decided against non-stick because of chemicals, the fact that they scratch, not oven safe and with four kids, it's not allowed past the door unless you can put it in the dishwasher!
I owned a pot and a frying pan that are dark anodized aluminum. So I dug them out and cooked on them for a while. I remembered why I didn't like them: heavy, food sticks, hard to see, hard to see stuck food when you're cleaning and the handles on my two get piping hot!
So I set my sites on Stainless Steel. I needed to find out one more thing: is tri-ply really necessary or is the kind with the tri-ply bottom just as good? I didn't want to waste money on an entire set and not like it.
I went to Target and got a little Calphalon Kitchen Essentials 8-inch frying pan. It almost turned me off from stainless steel forever. It's unbalanced because the bottom is heavier than the rest of the pan. You wouldn't think it would matter so much, but it's very annoying. It's hard on my wrist.
After using it a few times, the bottom stayed shiny, but everything stuck to it and the sides turned a horrendous brown. I scrubbed with bon ami and everything else I could think of and nothing helped.
Then I found a tri-ply Tramontina 8qt. stock pot at Tuesday Morning for a very low price. I bought it and fell in love. Next I bought an all-clad no-name knock off from King Arthur's Baking catalogue website (google it, they have the best baking supplies. I grind my own flour and make homemade bread and I get lots of goodies there)8 inch skillet. It's shiny, easy to lift, cooks like a dream and cleans up so easily! Next I tried the Calphalon Triply Collector's Edition, Everyday 12 inch pan. It has the brushed inside stainless steel and it's a great pan. It's affordable and versatile and I use it constantly! I have more Calphalon now, because it's affordable and it's fantastic cookware. I also like the glass lids, because I was used to them from owning my Chantal for 20 years. I never ended up buying a set. I just added a piece here and there, which was great because I already owned a steamer and a double boiler and didn't need more. By the way the steamer and double boiler are just plain stainless steel and they still look great.
Yes, you need a few adjustments to your cooking style: preheat, use less heat, watch your food it cooks quick, don't be afraid of oil and butter. Even simple fried eggs are better cooked on these pans. Really, the triply is worth it.
The triply bottomed pans aren't that much cheaper price wise, and they are disappointing. Right now the 10 inch Calphalon omlette pan is only $29.99. You can't beat that! It's a great way to see if stainless steel triply is for you.
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