Mama Rilch sent Mr. Rilch and me an anniversary check, which we used today to get a set of Caliphon cookware.
We ran it through the dishwasher as soon as we got it home. The instant the cycle was finished, I took out the skillet to inagurate it. Well, it was only Hamburger Helper, but there was still a world of difference between using the Caliphon and using the old generic skillet. The meat came close to burning while I was browning it; then in the penultimate stage, the mixture started sticking to the pan long before it would have been finished in the old skillet. I mean, this stuff conducts heat, baby! And it has these cool transparent lids, so you can see what’s happening while something’s covered. No more messing around with tin foil!
It’s so heavy and shiny. Mr. Rilch is going to install hooks so we can hang it up instead of interring it in the cupboard.
[reality check]Am I getting orgasmic over cookware?[/reality check]
FYI, it’s “Calphalon.” Your food burned and got stuck to the pan and you LIKE this stuff?
Personally, I prefer cheapo RevereWare or T-Fal. If I were going to buy something as expensive as Calphalon, I’d rather buy copper-clad restaurant service equipment.
I like RevereWare cuz I dig the copper bottoms. Course, I cook about as often as I balance my checkbook (um, never) but still, I have a set on hand that’s pretty.
No, it didn’t burn, and it didn’t stick, but it would have if I hadn’t been on my game. What I’m saying is, the Hannibal Lechter’s crap I was using before was like holding meat over a fire on a stick: the heat wasn’t transferred evenly or strongly. Calphalon (I’ll have to check that; I was sure it was Calaphon) is the stuff the big boys use, and it shows in the greatly reduced necessary cooking time.
Well, yeah, you’ll see lots of Calphalon on cooking shows, which coincidentally, are often sponsored by Calphalon/Newell-Rubbermaid. But in real kitchens chefs tend to use industrial grade pots and pans, my mom has a ton of that since she used to run a restaurant, I’ll have to pop over and see what brand it is. It’s sorta generic looking, but of obvious quality.
Anyway, heat transfer is always the crucial issue. I have a glass-top electric stove and it’s a total bitch to cook on, no matter what type of pots and pans I use, I have to get the burner temp precisely right or it’s a disaster. In those circumstances, some people like big thick pans that offer a sort of buffer for the heat, it builds up and stabilizes at a heat, and takes a while to cool down too. I can’t ever get that to work, so I like the thin RevereWare stuff which is so thin, it cools down instantly when I take it off the burner.
calphalon is ok, but i much prefer all clad. conducts even better and cleans up MUCH better. ive got a lot of it. plus, calphalon gets these little dings and cut marks in the bottom after a while, all clad doesnt.