Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 8-piece Cookware Set

Bottom line

The Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 8-piece Cookware Set offers a middle ground between pricey All-Clad and budget-friendly Tramontina cookware. Its cooking performance is comparable to both, and its selection of pieces is similar. One difference is the glass lids included in this set. Some users enjoy watching what they're cooking, but experts say stainless-steel lids are more durable.

Performance

In professional tests, these pans keep up with pricier sets. Testers at a foodie magazine find the Calphalon cookware's performance comparable to the top-rated Tramontina 8-piece 18/10 Stainless Steel TriPly-Clad Cookware Set (*Est. $130) and the high-end All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless 10-piece Cookware Set (*Est. $700). All three are made of fully clad stainless steel, with an aluminum core that extends fully up the sides of the pan. This construction results in steady, evenly distributed heat. User reviews confirm that this cookware heats up quickly, cooks food evenly and holds its heat well. "It caramelizes foods beautifully and the flavor is amazing," says one owner at Amazon.com.

Ease of use

Be prepared for a learning curve. Several owners complain about foods such as eggs and hamburgers sticking to the pan -- more experienced users attribute this problem to overheating. For the best performance, they advise, the heat should be kept on medium or lower. "If you've never used stainless steel, you will have a small learning curve and need to watch your food closely for the first few attempts," warns one Amazon.com reviewer. Most reviewers find the shapes and sizes of the pans convenient. Professional testers note that the low, wide sides of the frying pans and saucepans make it easy to see what you're cooking and help liquid evaporate during simmering. Owners generally say cleanup is easy with the help of a stainless cleanser called Bar Keepers Friend (*Est. $3 for a 12-ounce can). These pans are technically dishwasher-safe, but the manufacturer says washing by hand "maintains the luster of the stainless steel."

Appearance

Few owners mention appearance. However, the references we did find regarding the cookware's looks were positive. One owner at Amazon.com calls it "strikingly beautiful," and an owner providing feedback at Macys.com says "they look great on the pot rack."

Durability

Lack of durability complaints is promising: A few owners report problems with white spots appearing on the finish, but others say these come off easily with a little Bar Keepers Friend. Another owner at Amazon.com had to replace warped pans more than once under Calphalon's lifetime warranty. However, we found no other reviewers who experienced this problem. Professional testers do express some uneasiness over this cookware's glass lids. They explain that stainless-steel lids are more durable and can withstand oven temperatures. (While this cookware is oven-safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, the lids are only oven-safe to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.)