The nonstick interiors of these pots and pans are PFOA-free but still PTFE, which means they are emphatically not metal-utensil friendly. Even ceramic coatings will last longer when used with nonmetallic utensils, but PTFE is so easily damaged that even hard contact with some really stiff plastics or woods may scrape holes in the material.
By way of full disclosure, PTFE coatings are considered dishwasher-safe because the coating’s nonstick characteristics do not rely on an infusion of oil during manufacture, as ceramics do. Ceramics will steadily lose their nonstick capability with each pass through a dishwasher, and while it is possible to re-season them to an extent, it seldom gets them back to their original levels of nonadhesion.
All current types of nonstick coatings have their limits and their unique handling requirements. When you know those limits, you can make a more informed decision about which type suits your cooking style best.
@werehatrack Thank you. I’m currently trying to figure out if there’s something that’s not PFAS-esque in any way but is maybe easier to clean than cast iron. If not, I’ll stick (no pun intended!) to the (Lodge brush and) cast iron pans.
@werehatrack I was curious and looked for details, but everything reputable I can find about the chemistry of “ceramic” non-stick coatings suggests that they are not inherently dependant on oil or seasoning. But I imagine perhaps that manufacturers are adding some kind of oil or seasoning coat to improve out-of-box performance in trials and reviews. Is that maybe what you’re describing?
(Just to be clear: “ceramic” is being used in the sense from chemistry, not the everyday sense as in clay or stone.)
@AySz88 So far, all of the ceramic coated cookware I have seen recommends hand washing with a gentle detergent. And my personal experience has been that if you wash them by putting them in the dishwasher, they lose their non-stick fairly quickly. This is consistent with the coating relying on an oil infusion of some sort. I like the ceramic coatings, and I find that most of the time, all I need to do with them is wipe them out with a paper towel before the next use. Sometimes, just soaking them with water is enough to release everything if there is stuff stuck on. Some curries will stick to anything, but even those soak loose pretty easily.
This is a great set, my sister-in-law has them and coated anodized aluminum as a class I’ve found to be the best option for nonstick.
I gave up on ceramic after similar experiences with both Henckels and GreenPan (I think - one of the step up from generic ones with green in the name) - both were amazing at first use and rapidly declined to stabilize at okay but not great for a while (18 mo) and then slowly declined to “why am I spending so much time scrubbing off my scrambled eggs / I’m going to use the newer 12” even though it’s only two eggs, why do I still have this pan?” This is with only handwashing using a blue scratch safe sponge. It’s that rapid decline to mediocrity that really gets me - you pay a premium for ceramic but it performs significantly worse no matter how you baby it.
@pmarin@Pufferfishy This is hardly the only place where such information isn’t featured. Most retailers rely on the boiler plate from the manufacturer.
Seems like Meh bought a lot of these… Either that or they aren’t selling many of them each of the 23 times they have been up.
Having exhausted my snarkiness reserve for the morning, I will say that we got these for our cottage and they are quite good for the price. We won’t be using them everyday so they should last a long time.
@chienfou that actually seems like the least marketing mumbo jumbo? The whole point of these is that they are compact stacking - I don’t have them but have seen them in person at my sister-in-laws and they are well designed / live up to the space saving claim.
Calphalon used to be a high-end name. I fear they are becoming the Bell & Howell of cookware. Also, FWIW, stacking pots & pans is not a good idea: they will always get scratched, in this case around the top edges where it’s metal-on-metal. (I do nest my Tramontina frying pans, but only three high, and with a piece of soft foam in-between.) The way these are stacked in the picture(s), it would be a pain to get the one you want out of the stack, then put it back later.
BTW, three well-made Tramontina fry pans (8+10+12") can sometimes be found at Costco in the $25-30 range. If treated gently, they’re fine for a good 8-10 years, then inexpensively replaceable…
@MrNews Dunno about Bell+Howell (not “&”) pans, but these are the quality I would expect from Calphalon .
These will not get scratched from stacking. There’s no pan to pan contact. The contact points are the handle base on one side, and that big chunk of cast aluminum on the other side.
Within the two pan diameters, you can stack them in any order you want.
First time purchaser on Meh. I have been eyeing this set so I pulled the trigger. Got my order…it was a completely different set!! I received a CUISINART Chef’s Classic Pro STAINLESS 11-piece set. I’m waiting to hear back from customer service. I sure hope they make this right because this is a pretty big mistake on their end and I hope I didn’t make a $139 dollar mistake.
This is @islandgirl15 following up. Yay! Customer service was excellent and they absolutely did make it right quickly and efficiently. I got the correct set today. I am very happy and look forward to more great deals on Meh! Thank you!
Specs
Product: Calphalon Space-Saving Hard-Anodized Nonstick 9-Piece Cookware Set
Model:
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$215.99 at Target
Warranty
10 Year Limited Warranty
Estimated Delivery
Friday, Mar 22 - Monday, Mar 25
I wonder if this deal will pan out.
@yakkoTDI deja meh, all over again.
@yakkoTDI I hope you spoke that line out loud, deadpan.
Yep, they’re good. Bought them a few months back.
I wish I could figure out how the make non-stick stick to the pans.
Fax machine! not printer…
@lenv Gangster status verified
@lenv @Pufferfishy “PC Load Letter! What the fuck…?!?”
@lenv @MrNews @Pufferfishy
Paper Cartridge. Load. Letter Size.
@lenv @Pufferfishy @yakkoTDI No: Personal Catastrophe, Load of Crap, Letter Rip!!
The nonstick interiors of these pots and pans are PFOA-free but still PTFE, which means they are emphatically not metal-utensil friendly. Even ceramic coatings will last longer when used with nonmetallic utensils, but PTFE is so easily damaged that even hard contact with some really stiff plastics or woods may scrape holes in the material.
By way of full disclosure, PTFE coatings are considered dishwasher-safe because the coating’s nonstick characteristics do not rely on an infusion of oil during manufacture, as ceramics do. Ceramics will steadily lose their nonstick capability with each pass through a dishwasher, and while it is possible to re-season them to an extent, it seldom gets them back to their original levels of nonadhesion.
All current types of nonstick coatings have their limits and their unique handling requirements. When you know those limits, you can make a more informed decision about which type suits your cooking style best.
@werehatrack Will it survive a nuclear war?
PTFE - No
Ceramic - No
Aluminum - No
Cast Iron - Yes
@werehatrack Thank you. I’m currently trying to figure out if there’s something that’s not PFAS-esque in any way but is maybe easier to clean than cast iron. If not, I’ll stick (no pun intended!) to the (Lodge brush and) cast iron pans.
@werehatrack I was curious and looked for details, but everything reputable I can find about the chemistry of “ceramic” non-stick coatings suggests that they are not inherently dependant on oil or seasoning. But I imagine perhaps that manufacturers are adding some kind of oil or seasoning coat to improve out-of-box performance in trials and reviews. Is that maybe what you’re describing?
(Just to be clear: “ceramic” is being used in the sense from chemistry, not the everyday sense as in clay or stone.)
@AySz88 So far, all of the ceramic coated cookware I have seen recommends hand washing with a gentle detergent. And my personal experience has been that if you wash them by putting them in the dishwasher, they lose their non-stick fairly quickly. This is consistent with the coating relying on an oil infusion of some sort. I like the ceramic coatings, and I find that most of the time, all I need to do with them is wipe them out with a paper towel before the next use. Sometimes, just soaking them with water is enough to release everything if there is stuff stuck on. Some curries will stick to anything, but even those soak loose pretty easily.
@AySz88 @werehatrack
This is a great set, my sister-in-law has them and coated anodized aluminum as a class I’ve found to be the best option for nonstick.
I gave up on ceramic after similar experiences with both Henckels and GreenPan (I think - one of the step up from generic ones with green in the name) - both were amazing at first use and rapidly declined to stabilize at okay but not great for a while (18 mo) and then slowly declined to “why am I spending so much time scrubbing off my scrambled eggs / I’m going to use the newer 12” even though it’s only two eggs, why do I still have this pan?” This is with only handwashing using a blue scratch safe sponge. It’s that rapid decline to mediocrity that really gets me - you pay a premium for ceramic but it performs significantly worse no matter how you baby it.
I’ve had this set for 7 years. Highly recommend if you cook regularly. Nice stuff for sure
Yes you need plastic or most (non metal) cookware. It will scratch. Not easily but it will.
As a reminder these will NOT work with an induction cooktop.
@pmarin It saddens me that after hundreds of complaints it’s STILL up to the user-base to point this out in these listings.
@pmarin @Pufferfishy This is hardly the only place where such information isn’t featured. Most retailers rely on the boiler plate from the manufacturer.
@pmarin i have the ninja neverstick annodize ones, they have a steel plate on the bottom for induction and it works well, sucks that these dont.
Seems like Meh bought a lot of these… Either that or they aren’t selling many of them each of the 23 times they have been up.
Having exhausted my snarkiness reserve for the morning, I will say that we got these for our cottage and they are quite good for the price. We won’t be using them everyday so they should last a long time.
Glad to see they added some plastic or rubber to those handles, especially the small ones. Mine doesn’t have them and they get so ridiculously hot.
I especially like this marketing mumbo jumbo:
@chienfou that actually seems like the least marketing mumbo jumbo? The whole point of these is that they are compact stacking - I don’t have them but have seen them in person at my sister-in-laws and they are well designed / live up to the space saving claim.
@benjyhe
it’s the 30% MORE space that is clear as mud…
Calphalon used to be a high-end name. I fear they are becoming the Bell & Howell of cookware. Also, FWIW, stacking pots & pans is not a good idea: they will always get scratched, in this case around the top edges where it’s metal-on-metal. (I do nest my Tramontina frying pans, but only three high, and with a piece of soft foam in-between.) The way these are stacked in the picture(s), it would be a pain to get the one you want out of the stack, then put it back later.
BTW, three well-made Tramontina fry pans (8+10+12") can sometimes be found at Costco in the $25-30 range. If treated gently, they’re fine for a good 8-10 years, then inexpensively replaceable…
@MrNews Dunno about Bell+Howell (not “&”) pans, but these are the quality I would expect from Calphalon .
These will not get scratched from stacking. There’s no pan to pan contact. The contact points are the handle base on one side, and that big chunk of cast aluminum on the other side.
Within the two pan diameters, you can stack them in any order you want.
I liked the world better when vulgarity wasn’t cool.
@IAMIS well, shit.
@IAMIS
Looks like you accidently wandered into the wrong site. Ask @carl669 if you don’t believe me
@chienfou @IAMIS i fucking agree with @IAMIS
@carl669 @chienfou Well, it was always a little cool. But it loses it’s coolness when everyone from your grandmother to your toddler is doing it.
@carl669 @chienfou @IAMIS I draw the line at my cats.
Alas, but I laughed. Like my son when young couldn’t understand why he still got a consequence when “…but you laughed!”
You can pop these in my next irk please and thanks.
I bought this last month for my RV. They stack really well. I really like the design of the lids - I can avoid getting my forearm steamed
First time purchaser on Meh. I have been eyeing this set so I pulled the trigger. Got my order…it was a completely different set!! I received a CUISINART Chef’s Classic Pro STAINLESS 11-piece set. I’m waiting to hear back from customer service. I sure hope they make this right because this is a pretty big mistake on their end and I hope I didn’t make a $139 dollar mistake.
@islandgirl15 customer service here is top-notch. They will make it right.
@islandgirl15 head over to meh.com/support to report the error, they’re the ones who can unscramble it.
This is @islandgirl15 following up. Yay! Customer service was excellent and they absolutely did make it right quickly and efficiently. I got the correct set today. I am very happy and look forward to more great deals on Meh! Thank you!