Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 2-1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid

Nothing sticks to this pan if you add just a dab of butter or oil, and it heats up and cools quickly. One great feature of pure aluminum cookware is the fact that aluminum dissipates heat quickly, so pulling the pan off the heat is a great way to regulate the temperature when making a sauce. This is a great product and a wonderful addition to my Calphalon cookware collection.


what a steal!!   October 17, 2003
ralphvirus (Brookline, MA)
70 out of 71 found this review helpful

Ok, let me get this straight...Amazon has 2 different 2.5 quart Calphalon Commerical Hard-Anodized saucepans, the regular, and the shallow. Inspecting the technical details of the two pans, one quickly realizes that they are identical except for the diameter and the height of the pan. The shallow is, naturally, more shallow (3 in. compared to 3 7/8 in), and therefore wider (8 3/8 in compared to 7 in) to accomdodate the fact that they hold the same amount of volume. What does this mean? More SURFACE AREA. What does surface area do? Well, think about it for a second: more of the pan is in direct contact with the heat because of the larger bottom. As a result, more of the food is exposed to the heat. The result? Faster cooking!
And this is a "sauce" pan after all. So what does this mean for sauce? Same thing as above, but remember, more of the sauce comes in contact with the air. More surface-to-air ratio = faster reducing times for sauces.
So we've established that from a technical standpoint, the shallow saucepan seems superior. It cooks faster because of a greater area for heat to contact food and for the surface of a sauce to contact the air. With that in mind, take a guess which one costs more. Surprsingly enough the pan with the lower amount of surface area costs at least %50 more than the more useful shallow saucepan.
So unless you are looking for a pan that reduces more slowly and has a much lower amount of versatility (try browning a couple of chicken breasts in the regulation sized saucepan...you'll have squished chicken), I recommend this pan whole-heartedly. The anodized aluminum does not react with acidic foods such as tomato sauces, looks really cool, heats quickly and evenly (aluminum is an incredible heat conductor), and won't bust your budget. This is the perfect way to own a piece of excellent cookware for a bargain basement price. Just remember, it is stick-resistant, not non-stick. This browns up much nicer than the Calphalon non-stick stuff, and you don't have to treat with kid gloves. About the only thing you can't do is throw it in the dishwasher (which you shouldn't do with any decent pot or pan) and use a knife or electric mixer in it (a hand blender is fine...the blades never touch the pot).


More a Sauteuse than Saucepan   February 22, 2001
Michela (Seattle, WA, USA)
68 out of 72 found this review helpful

This Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized "Collector's Edition" 2 1/2-Quart Shallow Saucepan with Lid is a perfect "test" pan to see if you like cooking with this superior line of cookware. My first piece of Calphalon cookware, a 1-quart shallow saucepan, convinced me to buy a 7-piece starter set, and I have added more and more pieces over the years. As Calphalon rarely discounts their cookware, I have looked for their "specials" like this Saucepan.

Of all my saucepans, my 2 1/2-Quart one seems to get the most use. This shallower version of that same pan (with a larger diameter base) will be perfect for a sautŽ, such as making a mirepoix. It would also work for making a sauce because the sides are straight.

Hand wash this pan with a mild liquid detergent, and you will enjoy it for many years.


Great deal on Great cookware   November 28, 2002
Joel Newkirk (NC USA)
52 out of 54 found this review helpful

If you own any Calphalon, you already know.

If not, you should. This is a great deal on a very useful pan. Once you've tried a calphalon hard anodized pan, you will probably never be satisfied with anything else. I currently own six pieces, lost two to my ex-wife. (They actually feature in our divorce agreement - I got computer, stereo, custody of our son, and 1/2 of our Calphalon... I miss the pans more than her... :^)

I've owned Calphalon, Anolon, Farberware, etc. The Hard-Anodized products from Calphalon are the best. I give this pan and a few others (like the 12-inch Everyday Pan) as gifts, almost universally appreciated. If you are serious about cooking, they are worth the $80-$100 and higher price tags. If you pick up one of the pieces that are on the frequent super-deep discounts it is a steal.

The heating characteristics of these pans are great - I refuse to make candy or fudge in anything else. (I make 20-30 pounds of fudge each December) As long as you keep the heat 1/2 to 1 step lower than you would use with another pan, cooking time is the same and it is difficult to burn things. If you DO manage to burn something, just let the pan cool off and wash with normal dish soap (NOT dishwasher!!) and a scrubby sponge, it will clean up almost perfectly with very little effort.

I've found the Pots'n'Pans and nonstick Calphalon products to be acceptable, but they can't compare to the Hard Anodized Aluminum product lines. Don't get distracted by 'nonstick' coatings, that require special utensils and usually start to flake and peel within a year. This product is solid Aluminum, subjected to an Anodizing process to harden it, with NO added coating. As long as you don't abuse it, cut in it with a sharp knife, or use dishwasher detergent on it, it will last a LONG time.

j


It changes the way you cook!   April 10, 2003
Scott Pointon (Crest Hill, IL United States)
27 out of 27 found this review helpful

This was my first Calphalon purchase, and my first ever commercial anodized aluminum pan. I am extremely pleased with the quality of this pan's construction - this pan is HEAVY duty. The first night I had it I tried the chicken recipe that came with the pan and it blew my family away! If there is a downside to this pan it is its size. At 2 1/2 quarts, its small size would not hold 3 raw split chicken breasts, so I had to brown 2, set them aside, brown the third, and then add the first two back in. On the upside, this cooking surface has unbelievable abilities to brown meat at a fairly low burner setting, it deglazes beautifully, goes right into the oven without worry, and as long as you follow the "rules" for cooking with this type of surface (which are included), it cleans fairly easily. I highly recommend this pan and predict that I will be buying many more pans in this product line in the future.