Calphalon Tri Ply Stainless 5 Quart Saute Pan with Glass Lid
Some of our favorite meals are those one-pan wonders that cook to perfection on the stovetop and feed an entire family or add to a bountiful feast. Chicken and rice, paella, beef stroganoff – the possibilities are many. This 5-qt. saute pan with lid is not only versatile, but combines the beauty of stainless steel with the superior performance of aluminum. It’s the ultimate in Calphalon cookware while still being budget-friendly. Interior and exterior layers of surgical-quality, 18/10 stainless steel surround an inner core of highly conductive, heavy gauge aluminum. The aluminum core spreads heat evenly, and responds to temperature changes quickly. The softly brushed, stainless interior provides clear visual clues when cooking and naturally masks signs of wear. And the mirror-polished exterior provides the brilliant look stainless lovers admire. The ergonomic Cool V handle design provides superior balance and feel, and vents heat away from the long handle, keeping it touchably cool on the stovetop. A domed, tempered glass lid lets you monitor cooking at a glance as it re-circulates moisture and nutrients back into the food.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Pan Warps
I purchased the 5-qt saute pan for use on my flat-top electric stove. When the pan is brought up to medium heat, it warps to such a degree that it is impossible to use. I shipped ($14 out of my pocket) the pan back to Calphalon and they sent me a replacement – it warps even more than my original.
5 Stars Calphalon cookware tries harder and costs less!
I have a number of pieces of Calphalon’s Tri-Ply line of cookware and I also have some of that BIG NAME/BIG PRICE line of cookware by All Clad. I consider Calphalon the cookware company that tries harder. You get a better product than a comparable piece from All Clad and it costs a whole lot less!
Skeptical? Consider: Of the pieces I have from both lines, i.e., that are the same size and type of pan, pot, whatever, the Calphalon product is heavier, a tad larger (especially in the bottom of the fry pans or saute pans where it really counts). Calphalon attaches its handles with more rivets for a more secure handle-to-pan bond. The long handles on the fry pans and saute pans, for instance, are fitted on with three rivets, not two as with All Clad. On sauce pots, the two loop handles on the sides are (each) fastened on with four rivets not just two apiece as with All Clad. Believe me, I appreciate this when I’m carrying a 6-quart pot full of hot pasta water or sauce and (sometimes) wonder if one of the handles’ rivets might fail with catestrophic consequences! Yes, two each would probably last a lifetime, but Calphalon goes the extra mile with their products and I really appreciate that.
I have found that the general look and finish of the metal surfaces is far better on my Calphalon Tri-ply pots and pans than on the comparable All-Clad pans. The stainless steel surfaces are mirror bright right down to the handles. I have noticed some slightly rough-looking metal on some portions of my All-Clad handles. Yes, I’m picky, but these are things that I look for in overall quality.
Generally, I feel that the metal thickness of my Calphalon pans is thicker and heavier than the same size and type of All-Clad pans. This may take a bit longer to preheat the pan, but that’s a minor quibble when it comes to a lifetime investment. A heavy pan is less likely to warp with high heat cooking. The heavier the better. Calphalon delivers.
As for this terrific 5-quart saute pan, it is just the right size for a large batch of chicken, steaks, or anything you like. It will cook a family size meal and it can go right from stove top into the oven for a great braise. The heavy glass lid fits snugly to keep all those delicious juices from escaping. Don’t worry if you notice a bit of side-to-side movement when you put the lid on. It is designed to create a vapor tight seal and return any evaporated moisture right back into the pan.
I preheat my saute pan for 4 minutes on medium-low heat before adding any oil to the pan (use an oil that has a high smoking point like Canola oil). Once I add the oil, I immediately notice the “shimmer effect” of the oil on the hot pan surface and know I’m good to go. At this point, just before adding the food, I usually add a tablespoon or two of butter for better browning and flavor, but this is optional. Then I crank the heat up another a notch to medium high and begin adding my food to the hot pan.
TIP: To help prevent sticking of food, preheat the pan properly (see tip above) and remove the food to be cooked from the ‘fridge at least 15 minutes prior to cooking to allow it to come up to near room temperature before you add it to the hot pan. If you add any food straight from the ‘fridge to a really hot pan, IT WILL STICK! The manufacturer recommends that you DO NOT use cooking sprays. They will cause a stick mess on the bottom of the pan and cause sticking. If you cook at properly high temperatures, the food will brown quickly and virtually all of the oil will remain in the pan when you remove the food. If the food is cooked at too low a temperature, it soaks up the oil like a sponge and just gets soggy.
Once you have placed your chicken, beef, pork, or what-have-you, to the hot pan, DO NOT TOUCH THE FOOD FOR AT LEAST TWO MINUTES! Don’t move it, poke it, prode it or lift it. Yes, it may seem to be stuck to the bottom of the pan. This is a good thing! This will allow the food to achieve a beautiful brown, carmelized crust on the bottom. When you begin to see a bit of brown about the bottom edges of the food, it’s time to try lifting it to see if it’s ready to turn. If the food releases easily from the pan and it has a lovely brown crust on the bottom, it’s time to turn it over to brown the second side. Same rules apply. Don’t poke, prod or move the food constantly around in the pan. Just let it do its majic against the hot surface in the hot oil. When it is ready to turn, it will release easily. If your pan is preheated properly and your food was allowed to warm slightly before you added it to the pan, you don’t have to worry about sticking!
If you have browned your food, remove it from the pan and pour off any excess oil. Then deglaze the pan with wine, broth, stock, water… The choice is yours. Even the most stubborn brown crust on the bottom of the pan (the French call this “fond”) is a treasure waiting to be developed with a little liquid and stirring over low heat to deglaze. Use this liquid love as the basis of a nice pan sauce.
Cleaning this pan is a breeze, as well. Get yourself some cleanser called “Barkeepers Friend” and use it when you hand wash these pans. It is formulated to work magic on stainless steel and copper. It keeps my Calphalon (and All Clad) stainless steel cookware clean and gorgeous. A clean pan is less likely to have any sticking problems.
A warning about hot handles: The long handles on the fry pans, saute pans and the like, usually stay cool enough to handle during stove-top cooking. I would advise using a pot holder on the short loop handles and on the lid handles. If you put the pan into the oven to finish cooking, ALL THE HANDLES WILL BE VERY HOT AND YOU MUST USE PROPER PROTECTIVE GLOVES OR POT HOLDERS TO HANDLE THEM.
All in all, you can’t beat Calphalon’s Tri-ply line for quality and price if you are looking for upscale cookware at a down home price.
4 Stars An Excellent Large Saute Pan, with some reservations
If you have a ceramic cooktop and need a large flat heating surface, this is a great pan. Unlike some so-called 12″ pans that actually have much smaller bottoms, this Caphalon is truly 12″ at the bottom and absolutely flat.
This pan heats up very quickly! Probably its best feature. It’s very quick and sautes beautifully. Cleaning is a bit more involved than with no-stick.
On the downside: 1) The short handle is too hot to touch under most circumstances; this is annoying. The long handle, however, stays cool enough if you don’t grip it too closely to the pan. 2) The lid, which is heavy, needs a larger grip. You can’t lift this with a finger or two — too heavy — so you need more fingers than can comfortably fit under the handle lid.
Overall, if you have a ceramic (or perhaps gas) top that can benefit from a larger pan’s heating surface, and don’t mind occasionally reaching for handle covers/gloves, this is recommended. I hope Caphalon will replace the short handle with phenolic grips and install a larger top grip some day.
