We had the 13″ skillet and a pot, both the Calphalon One non-stick. They both began chipping and flaking after about 5 months. Normally I would think, if someone complained of this happening to them, that they were obviously doing something wrong to the finish. I can assure you that we take very good care of our cookware. We never put them in the dishwasher, hand-washed them the same night after cooking with them, never used metal utensils on them, and used very soft sponges to clean them. Our skillet began flaking so bad that it started to rust last week so we had to stop using it. Both the pot and skillet began to chip around the time time, and they were used for two very different cooking purposes. I believe the finish was defective in the products sold a year ago. We went in to Bed Bath and Beyond last night to see if we could exchange the two pieces for stainless steal. (They let us, by the way, believing as well that they were defective). While at the store, we stopped to take a gander at the same pot and skillet – the new ones have a totally new finish on them. It looks completely different from ours we bought over a year ago. I think Calphalon knows about this defect and have since tried to make the product better. So maybe if you purchase a new piece, you’ll have better luck. However, I would strongly recommend stainless or cast iron above a non-stick set any day. Even though it’s Calphalon brand, beware.
Also, we bought the Calphalon One grill pan the same day we bought the skillet and pot. The Grill pan is still in top shape, never flaked at all. We cleaned it the same way we did the skillet and pot. And strangely enough, since it’s a grill pan for meat, I’ve used metal tongs on it all the time – not one scratch or chip or flake. I think it’s hit and miss with Calphalon as they seem to always be changing their products. Even in the store last night we saw a rack of omelet pans, all with minor differences – they were all the same product number and same price, yet some had smaller rivets, some had slightly different handles, etc. (Leading me to believe that they are constantly changing their design – not to say they are making them worse, I believe they are trying to make their products better, but you might get stuck being the “lab rat” as they work out the kinks.) I’m just concerned that Calphalon isn’t the top-of-the-line brand they used to be. It makes sense, though. The more a professional brand becomes accessible to the public at large, the more they skimp on the production.
Another reason why I’m wary of Calphalon now is that on their care instructions, it doesn’t matter if it’s hard-anodized, stainless, non-stick, or whatever – they have almost unreasonable instructions. You can’t soak them, you can’t use cooking spray, you can’t you can’t you can’t. I would think that a top brand like Calphalon would be focusing on ways to make outstanding cookware – pieces that stand the test of time and are actually made to be cooked in and cleaned. That’s just my opinion, but only in a perfect world I guess.
I’m giving them one star b/c I really hoped to use these products longer than one year. Also, it claims to evenly distribute the heat but it never did, even from day one. For the same price or slightly cheaper, you can get stainless or cast iron so this set is NOT worth the money.
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May 12th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
I received the set 4 or 5 years ago for Christmas. I really like the way they cook and haven’t had problems with food sticking to the pan. They clean up easily. However as others here have written, the nonstick finish does wear off after a while no matter how carefully you wash and store them. So I Googled the customer service address and you can return your pan to the company and they send you a new one. I’ve already returned 2 pans and have another one or two that will have to be returned sometime in the next 6 months. So, yeah the initial investment is high, but where else can you get a brand new pan every few years with no questions asked?
May 13th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
We had the 13″ skillet and a pot, both the Calphalon One non-stick. They both began chipping and flaking after about 5 months. Normally I would think, if someone complained of this happening to them, that they were obviously doing something wrong to the finish. I can assure you that we take very good care of our cookware. We never put them in the dishwasher, hand-washed them the same night after cooking with them, never used metal utensils on them, and used very soft sponges to clean them. Our skillet began flaking so bad that it started to rust last week so we had to stop using it. Both the pot and skillet began to chip around the time time, and they were used for two very different cooking purposes. I believe the finish was defective in the products sold a year ago. We went in to Bed Bath and Beyond last night to see if we could exchange the two pieces for stainless steal. (They let us, by the way, believing as well that they were defective). While at the store, we stopped to take a gander at the same pot and skillet – the new ones have a totally new finish on them. It looks completely different from ours we bought over a year ago. I think Calphalon knows about this defect and have since tried to make the product better. So maybe if you purchase a new piece, you’ll have better luck. However, I would strongly recommend stainless or cast iron above a non-stick set any day. Even though it’s Calphalon brand, beware.
Also, we bought the Calphalon One grill pan the same day we bought the skillet and pot. The Grill pan is still in top shape, never flaked at all. We cleaned it the same way we did the skillet and pot. And strangely enough, since it’s a grill pan for meat, I’ve used metal tongs on it all the time – not one scratch or chip or flake. I think it’s hit and miss with Calphalon as they seem to always be changing their products. Even in the store last night we saw a rack of omelet pans, all with minor differences – they were all the same product number and same price, yet some had smaller rivets, some had slightly different handles, etc. (Leading me to believe that they are constantly changing their design – not to say they are making them worse, I believe they are trying to make their products better, but you might get stuck being the “lab rat” as they work out the kinks.) I’m just concerned that Calphalon isn’t the top-of-the-line brand they used to be. It makes sense, though. The more a professional brand becomes accessible to the public at large, the more they skimp on the production.
Another reason why I’m wary of Calphalon now is that on their care instructions, it doesn’t matter if it’s hard-anodized, stainless, non-stick, or whatever – they have almost unreasonable instructions. You can’t soak them, you can’t use cooking spray, you can’t you can’t you can’t. I would think that a top brand like Calphalon would be focusing on ways to make outstanding cookware – pieces that stand the test of time and are actually made to be cooked in and cleaned. That’s just my opinion, but only in a perfect world I guess.
I’m giving them one star b/c I really hoped to use these products longer than one year. Also, it claims to evenly distribute the heat but it never did, even from day one. For the same price or slightly cheaper, you can get stainless or cast iron so this set is NOT worth the money.
May 14th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
I purchased this cookware set five years ago. Initially, I was very happy with it. The handles stay cool even with high temps and the food cooked easily without sticking. After frequent use, the nonstick layer started peeling off the pans and I would find flakes of Teflon in my food. I always use wooden or plastic cooking utensils and never metal.
Do not put these in the dishwasher or your warranty will be void. I don’t do it often but they have been in the dishwasher and even though Calphalon said that wasn’t the cause of the problem, they won’t replace any of my pans. I won’t purchase anything from this company again.