Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized 12-Quart Stockpot with Lid

Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized 12-Quart Stockpot with Lid Review

Although I had been made a bit nervous by the user-supplied image of the leaking handles, I bought the pot, and am completely satisfied by it. I got it to use as a stockpot (using a stockpot to make stock - what an idea...) because my 8 quart stockpot is just a bit too small much of the time, and also because it was just the right size to fit a commercial steamer insert I already had. There are a lot of commercial aluminum pots which also fit that insert (and which are less expensive, in fact), but they are all raw aluminum, and I don't like the idea of cooking with wine in uncoated aluminum. The first thing I checked was the water-tightness of the handle rivets; they are just fine.

By the way, the pot is hard-anodized, which is a term with a very specific meaning. The process results in the deposition of an aluminum oxide layer on the raw metallic aluminum, and there is not a great range in the film thickness possible with the process. Aluminum oxide is very hard, and is used in the manufacture of abrasives, for instance. Although I can't claim that those people who report that the coating was scraped through by light contact with other pots are incorrect, I've much more often seen "smears" of stainless steel and aluminum from the other pots being laid over the anodized surface. Metallic aluminum is much softer than steel, but aluminum oxide is harder than normal stainless or mild steel; in fact, it takes pretty tough tool steel to go through it. (It is a brittle material, so you can fracture it and penetrate it in a cooking pot with the tines of a meat fork, for instance; bad idea.)

I have a dozen inherited Ohio-made Calphalon hard-anodized pots and pans, mostly more than 30 years old, and well-used by my mom as her daily cookware before she passed away. Some of them are well past their pretty stages of life, and have suffered huge insults from fork points and collapsing pot racks dumping them on to a range top or her tile floor, but none of them has lost its finish; that stuff is tough. It's also reasonably stable in acidic environment. It's basic, not acidic environments which will louse them up. Don't use bleach solutions, ammonia, or automatic dishwashers or their soap on them. Cooking with wine, vinegar, or tomatoes has been OK, in my experience. Since this stuff is no longer fashionable (the line has been discontinued), the pricing is great on the remaining pieces. There are differences between my old Calphalon stuff and this pot, but it's not clear to me that the Asian-made pot is inferior in sum; for instance, the handles on the new pot are better than the old style, in my opinion.

Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized 12-Quart Stockpot with Lid Feature

• Original Calphalon hard anodized aluminum for superior conductivity
• Perfect surface for searing, browing, deglazing, carmelizing or any other classic technique, a truly versatile cooking surface
• Extremely durable, metal utensil recommended
• "Cool V" handles stay cooler with regular stovetop use.
• Lifetime warranty

Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized 12-Quart Stockpot with Lid Overview

Great tastes come to those who wait. Calphalon stock pots are ideal for stews, stock, chili and other moist-cooked dishes. Heavy-gauge aluminum is responsive to temperature changes, whether you're slowly simmering or rapidly boiling. Calphalon's stock pots are designed for easy cooking, easy cleanup and maximum performance. Add a stainless insert for your pasta-making pleasure.

Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized 12-Quart Stockpot with Lid Specifications

Calphalon Commercial hard-anodized pans are made for the more serious cook who is looking for kitchenware built to last a lifetime. This large-size, 12-quart stockpot is good for soup, stews, and pasta, and its heavy-gauge aluminum construction also stands up to deep frying. The looped handles are easy to grip and stay cooler than you might expect, thanks to V-shaped splits where they meet the pan, but it's still a good idea to keep hot pads nearby. The nonporous and nonreactive hard-anodized surface resists sticking and doesn't affect the flavor or color of food. It's also tough enough to handle stainless-steel utensils and vigorous whisking. Unlike pans with plastic or wood handles, the extremely sturdy all-metal construction provides you the flexibility to take the pan to the oven or broiler. But do remember to hand wash your Calphalon pans--dishwasher detergents are bad for the finish and their use voids the lifetime warranty. --Dale Steinke

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Feb 10, 2010 10:20:04