Calphanon Cookware

130r

Hi all, my Dad's not much of a Christmas shopper: Last year I got an ironic set of dinkies from the euro shop. I was 29 at the time This year he's delegated the job to my sister and after getting a few calls from her asking what I'd like I decided one good frying pan that would last me. Dad's put €100 towards it and I'd happilly top that up to make it say €160. Im thinking thats one good looking fancy-a*sed frying pan !

I took a look at www.cookingforengineers.com which helped me choose my Global G2 chefs knife a few years back. Calphanon hard anodised aluminium cookware seems to be the clear winner once you realise a $650 copper frying pan is total lunacy. Recession aside, thats just perverse. Anyway Amazon wont ship it and I cant seem to find anywhere else to get the stuff.

Does anyone have any ideas of equivalent quality european gear or better still a place to buy Calphanon pans?

The Sweeper

Just an observation: frying pans are the one item I would rather buy in a non-stick coating. If you want to cook something quickly and easily, not over-do it, and not have it stick (e.g. fried eggs, or a fillet of fish) a non-stick base is the best thing.

I wouldn't buy non-stick for something I wanted to cook a sauce in for hours, or something I wanted to put in the oven, but I find it's the best thing for what you use a frying pan for.

On that note, buying non-stick, I'd buy Bourgeat frying pans - great pans, great heat distribution, no hot spots, they're also not expensive, because they're designed to be used and abused daily and discarded and replaced (none of this shenanigans where you have a pan for five years and most of the non stick coating peels off into your dinner every time you cook!) Saying that, if you're good to them they'll last you years. I've a set of three that Minder bought me for a birthday present years ago and they're still going great guns - but I never put them in the dishwasher. I believe you can get them through nisbets.ie.

130r

Thanks for the link, thats exactly what Im looking for.

From what you've said my choice of pan to spend windfall chrismas-love-money may be misdirected. I use my tefal frying pan for everything I can as my set of 12 pots for €65 tend to scorch in spots when I dont eyeball them. I cook quite a bit so its a hobby Im quite happy to spend on. If you had €160 to put towards one quality item that you could cross off your list for a few years what would it be?

PS:Calphanon gear looks very attractive because it's relatively non-stick but also hard-as-nails and claims its good for any utensil: wood, plastic or (ta da) metal! I Wiki'd it and It sounded like the kind of pan professionals could abuse "indefinetly", non-reactive and all. They were the only manufacturer hard-anodising aluminium I could find. Id love something like that you wouldnt have to dance around. Thanks for your input all.

The Sweeper

If I had 160 yoyos to spend on something or put towards something I'd buy a one-off item that I'd have for years - for instance a Le Creuset cast iron and enamel hob-to-oven-to-table round or oval cocotte.

For saucepans, I'd stick with a set of 18/10 gauge stainless steel jobbies from a reliable maker. It's hard to tell though, to be honest. For instance, I'm in the happy position that me other half has told me I can buy a set of whatever saucepans I like early in the new year for our new house. I have carte blanche on what I want to get.

Problem?

I can't choose!

I wouldn't buy a set of copper badboys, because unfortunately you can't put them through the dishwasher and life as I know it means there is simply no way on this planet I'm handwashing a copper saucepan every single time I use it.

As a result, my current wish list involves a full set of Scanpan Coppernox 18/10 stainless steel with copper sandwich base pans - supposed to have excellent conductivity, but dishwasher friendly.

I'll mix and match what works though - I have my eye on a Mario Batali lasagne pan, for instance, plus an All Clad tagine, a large Le Creuset oval cocotte (to go with my current round cocotte and a simple oval Le Creuset roasting dish I picked up on my travels) and various other bits and pieces that I now covet, through either having had to put up with inferior tools up to now, or through drooling over various items in the shops for years.

CJhaughey

AFAIK the only place that sells Calphalon one cookware in Ireland is the Cookware shop in Bantry, Co, Cork.
It is very good looking stuff but pricey.
I haven't got their telephone number but I am sure that you can find it yourself.

130r

Thanks CJ, will give them a bell .

130r

Nice job CJ the Bantry store is: http://cookware.ie if anyone else is intersted.

130r

Whew, long day at work. Thanks Mines' for the suggestions and CJ for the store.

Mines': I reckon your spot-on with solid items for the long term. Ill see what andrew from bantry quotes me for the Calpanon and in the mean time look into some of the brands you mentioned. All clad I do know but Ive had no great success sourcing them for Ireland.

the way things are going my services are not likely to be in high demand abroad anyway.I might as well put my international aspirations on hold and get all fat and indulgent at home Opens the door to heavy cast iron and slow roasts. Le Creuset might be pricey but its a damn sight cheaper than Calphanon. I think Im going to pick up a mighty cast iron wok also. Its high time that tempered yoke Im using got passed on.

Incedentally a bit off topic but the thing that convinced me that spending significant cash on qulity was the Global G2 chef's knife I got myself last year. I love that thing and even though I payed way over the odds to a local retailer It was still value for the use and pleasure Ive had out of it. What would your second choice of knife be? Im thinking a cleaver for left hand work (lots of asian stuff cooked here btw).