A high quality nonstick pan is a must among your kitchen essentials. Well, stainless steel and cast iron pans may triumph over them when it comes to caramelizing and searing, but they are no match for nonstick in flipping pancakes and frying eggs.
Nonstick pans have a slippery cooking surface on which food slide out effortlessly. Consequently, the pans are easy to clean afterwards. While the advantages of having good nonstick pans are many, knowing which one to buy is not always a skill many have.
One of the best nonstick pans around is the Calphalon contemporary nonstick 10” omelette pan. It is a high quality product, ideal for everyday tasks in a busy kitchen. This pan is the perfect complement for a hardworking professional kitchen, thanks to an array of top notch features.
OVERVIEW OF THE CALPHALON CONTEMPORARY NONSTICK 10/12″ OMELETTE PAN
These contemporary pans from Calphalon remain true to their description. They are modern, stylistic, and looks great, adding pomp and functionality to your kitchen. The pans are availed in a set of two pans. One is a 10”, while the other is a 12” fry pan. Their modern design offers reliable everyday performance for professional chefs and homeowners alike.
The pans are designed in such a way that they have thick bottoms with the sides sloping gently towards the same bottom. As a result, they are perfect for preparing omelets, just as the name suggests. Also, they are great for frying crab cakes, preparing eggs, and sautéing vegetables. The nonstick coating is on a hard anodized aluminum, constructed for even heating.
The nonstick layer is applied in a threefold layer design. This feature aims at ensuring a longer lasting coating as well as making the pan easy to clean. Unlike a majority of nonstick pans made from hard anodized aluminum, this set of pans can be safely cleaned in the dishwasher. This is besides being oven safe to a certain temperature.
Core Features
1. HARD ANODIZED ALUMINUM
The use of hard anodized aluminum is fast gaining popularity among cookware manufacturers. It is a solution for the problem of having cookware made from pure aluminum. The metal is reactive with acidic food, is less temperature tolerant, and fragile. However, hard anodizing the aluminum solves these drawbacks.
The term anodized in used in cookware to refer to an aluminum metal that’s been subjected to an electrolytic process under controlled oxidation. It is a process that entails the immersion of aluminum metal into a chemical bath, then an electric current is passed through the bath. Hence, the aluminum oxidizes at the surface of the metal.
The aluminum oxide layer formed on the surface is inert, thus making the cookware unreactive to foods as well as being resistant to corrosion. Thus, a harder and more durable cookware results than before. The process creates a hard and durable coating. In fact, the aluminum becomes twice as hard as a stainless steel cookware.
Regardless of the toughness, the cookware are just as light as any regular aluminum pots and pans. Heat conductivity remains unhindered, and so does even cooking. Aluminum is one of the best heat conducting metals around. As such, your cooking with these pans experiences no hot/cold spots. In addition, a dark finish that results adds a professional touch to your kitchen.
Both the pans in this Calphalon set are made from hard anodized aluminum. Therefore, you can expect consistent, durable, and fast heat distribution. Hence, the pans are perfect for sautéing, frying, searing, and much more. It is this level of versatility that makes these contemporary frying pans some of the best around.
2. MULTI-LAYER NONSTICK SURFACE
One of the disadvantages of nonstick pans is the fragile nature of the nonstick cooking surface. This surface is susceptible to scratching, especially from culinary utensils and scouring pads. To overcome this disadvantage, the cookware is triple coated with the nonstick PTFE compound on top of the hard anodized aluminum outer shell.
Subsequently, 2 layers of PTFE coating is applied to a sintered then polished anodized aluminum layer. These PTFE primers results in a cooking surface that has nonstick properties similar to a regular PTFE coating, but with the added advantage of being hardy to abrasive forces. The coating is sprayed evenly throughout the entire cooking surface, resulting in excellent resistances to wear, just like an iron hot plate.
The nonstick coating on these two pans is PFOA free giving you the peace of mind of a healthy toxins-free meal. Similarly, the surfaces allows you to reduce on oil usage during the preparation of meals. Hence, you can achieve your low-butter, oil cooking goals, for a healthy lifestyle. Also, you should not worry about food sticking onto the surface in a long while.
3. OVEN AND DISHWASHER SAFE
Traditionally, PTFE coated cookware are not to be used in ovens or cleaned in the dishwasher. Their fragile coating would degrade when exposed to the high oven temperatures or the rigorous actions of dishwasher sprays. However, the Calphalon contemporary nonstick 10” omelet pans are designed to be used in both appliances.
The two pans can withstand oven temperatures not exceeding 450 degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature would be ideal for a range of baking processes. Above this temperature, the coating begins to deteriorate, emitting toxic fumes in the process.
Still, we would recommend washing these by hand as much as you can. For such exemplary frying pans to serve you for a lifetime, you should exercise great care for them.
CONCLUSION
The Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 10 and 12 inch Omelet Pans are versatile additions to your kitchen arsenal. They are perfect for everyday cooking from flipping pancakes, turning delicious eggs, preparing frittatas and scrambles, and sautéing tasty vegetables.
Also, the pans feature long stainless steel handles riveted into place. This feature ensures the pans are easy to handle as they stay cool when the pans are on a stovetop. To ensure the longevity of the pans, never use aerosol cooking sprays. The gummy residues that remain are difficult to clean.
Also, cook at the right moderate temperatures. For preparing sauces, simmering food, and warming, low heat is appropriate. On the other hand, medium heat works best for stir-frying, grilling, sautéing, searing, and frying. Boiling and reducing the liquid percentage should be done at high heat.
