Calphalon Commercial Nonstick Collector's Edition 9-Inch Chef's Skillet with Lid

Teflon is an easily scratched fluorocarbon, with essentially no advantages over a nice heavy anodized pan. I clean my non-coated pans with a simple sponge, with a warm water soak if I let something cake on.

In short, save ten bucks and the heartache of seeing fork-scratches on your brand new nonstick. Get the hard-anodized version, season it by heating vegetable oil in it until it starts to smoke and then let it cool to room temperature, and it will do everything this pot will: backwards and in heels.


My most-used pan.   December 1, 2003
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

An excellent little pan. I was ambivalent at first, not particularly interested in having any non-stick cookware.

Main drawback? The pan's smallish size. But we can hardly blame the pan, can we? I have still crammed a lot of food into this tiny thing...great for wilting a bag of spinach, great size for making sauces and personal stir-frys.

The nonstick surface is excellent. A few roommates have abused it in my absence and it still works great. I use it for pancakes, etc., since I lack any other skillet or omelette pan. The steep sides make flipping with a spatula a little work. However, the shape of the pan makes hand-flipping quite simple.

I have not had trouble with the pan's balance when empty, however I have dealt with much worse at work and so maybe calphalon's relative excellence had spoiled me. Nor have I had particular trouble with the handle getting hot, but again I'm used to everything being hot.

The lid is great, both because it is domed and it forms a good seal when liquid is present. It also allows the pan to be used for many other purposes to which it would not otherwise be suited (e.g. simmering messy sauces, wilting leafy vegetables)

Final thoughts: this attractive little pan is shaped thoughtfully, comes with a lid, comes clean very easily thanks to excellent non-stick, and can be used for just about anything (I have steamed, boiled, fried, roasted, sauteed...). Don't expect it to feed a family. It's ideal for one or two people, and for larger groups it will be a favorite for side-dishes, tapas, etc. Goes right in the oven.

This skillet is an excellent tool that if given a chance will be useful every day. As long as you don't expect something from it that its size simply cannot deliver, it has earned all five stars.

I just bought three more Calphalon pans (commercial hard-anodized) and expect as much from them.


A fine, small pan at a sweet price.   November 8, 2003
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

After using this gem for two years, I am extremely impressed. NOTHING sticks to it. Use non-metal untensils. and it will last you a lifetime. Keep in mind it has a rather small 6" footprint, so stir-fry would only be possible with the tiniest of utensils. Small burgers, grilled cheese, or omlettes are it's main function. This is a wonderful everyday pan for small quantities of food. It never leaves my stovetop. Highly recommended.


Excellent quality nonstick   August 2, 2003
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

If you have not tried Calphalon commercial nonstick this pan is highly recommended. The domed lid is more than beautiful, it truly seals in all moisture. The pan literally rinses clean - never needs soaking, and the nonstick finish is very durable. The handle rarely gets uncomfortably hot, but the handle on the lid gets hot. One minor annoyance is that handle is a little too heavy so the pan tends to tip when nearly empty. On the plus side, the light pan is a nice design for stir fry. It is true that it is great for stirfry, but look at the size - and don't expect this size will stirfry more than a small side dish.