Update on Calphalon One

21 years ago

I've had several pieces of Calphalon One for about a year now and use them a lot. I was initially very impressed with 4 characteristics of this cookware and my opinion has not changed:

1.) Performance. Aluminum is second only to copper in heat conductivity and copper and copper has a lot of problems that anodized aluminum doesn't. It has to be lined with a nonreactive metal (stainless steel or tin) that is a poorer heat conductor than aluminum thus detracting from it's advatage over aluminum, it requires considerable effort to keep looking good, and the cost is much greater than aluminum. The Calphalon One performs great. Heat distribution is even and fast, it makes a great fond (better than stainless steel), and I believe they have solved the reactivity-to-acidic-foods problem with their new adodizing process. I've cooked a lot of acidic foods in the chef's pan for long periods of time (several hours) and so far have experienced no "de-anodization".

2.) Design. The new handles (including the cover handles) are ergonomic, they really do stay cool, and I love the way they look. The lips on the pans are turned over slightly which makes it easier to pour from them.

3.) Ease of cleaning. This stuff is easier to keep really clean than any cookware I've used (All-Clad, old Calphalon, Sitram Cybernox, etc.). For most things a blue scrubber will do and for anything tougher a little BarKeepers Friend and a green scubber will take care of it in a few seconds. It's very easy to keep the C1 looking "like new". Anodized aluminum is MUCH harder than stainless steel so green scrubbers don't put the micro-scratches on the surface.

4.) Appearance. I love the way this stuff looks.

I highly recommend C1 but I would be interested to hear others experiences and comments.

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Comments (2)

geoffshepherd
21 years ago
I'm still new to C1, but have used the Commercial Anodized line for years with, for the most part, predictable results (once in a while I screw up and end up with very stuck food). With my old Calphalon, I found that Kroger brand spray olive oil worked very well without the nasty propellent smell and issues of Pam. The spray oil has lecithin in it, which is very slippery stuff.

The C1 pan is performing even better than my old anodized, but you still have to pay attention to food temperatures before cooking (too cold and it'll stick more). It is even easier to clean than the old stuff, sometimes cleaning up as easily as non-stick (soapy brush under running warm water and it's done).
geoffshepherd
21 years ago
OK - One more update on this... I just sauteed a chicken breast in the new C1 pan. I had defrosted the frozen chicken breast in the microwave and left it for about 30 minutes since I wanted to get my 20-minute run in before dinner. By the time I got back, the chicken was at room temperature. The C1 behaved like non-stick - that is the chicken budged free with just the slightest pressure leaving a perfect fond on the pan bottom for deglazing into a yummy pan sauce. I was blown away.

So, having foods at or near room temperature before going in makes a real difference with C1.
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