Grill pan works great and makes food look great, too!
Written: Mar 27 '03 (Updated Sep 19 '03)
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Pros: Grill pan makes stove-top grilling easy!
Cons: Grooves make cleanup tricky
The Bottom Line: A wonderful addition to any kitchen! Grills foods superbly with even heat and attractive grill marks.
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| randfan's Full Review: Calphalon Square Grill Pan Commercial Nonstick, C1... |
I am a big Calphalon fan, an anyone who has read my other Calphalon reviews knows. This 11" grill pan is one of the most-used pieces in my Calphalon collection. Here's why:
First, Calphalon pans are made of anodized aluminum, meaning heat is distributed evenly and "hot spots" on the pan are virtually eliminated. On a grill pan, this is a huge benefit. The heat is evenly spread over the meat, fish, veggies or other food you grill, resulting in even cooking. No more rare sections next to well-done sections of meat or fish.
There are 15 ridges along the bottom of the grill pan, spaced about 1/2" apart. Food gets a real "grilled" look when cooked in this pan, making it more attractive and appetizing. Additionally, these ridges mean your food is slightly raised from the bottom of the pan, creating a bit of a "drip area" for fats to go. Your foods don't sit there cooking in fat, but instead are actually grilled on the ridges.
The pan is 11" square, allowing plenty of room to cook four fish fillets, two - four steaks or a pile of veggies. And because of the anodized aluminum, things at the corners of this pan get the same heat as things in the middle. You won't spend time juggling the food in the pan with this even heat distribution.
The metal handle of this pan will get HOT, so remember to use a pot holder or something similar to protect your hands. Calphalon sells a little suede handle cover that fits over the handle and works well, but I must admit mine stays in the drawer more than it is on a pan handle.
Since this pan is coated, I use utensils that are rubber, such as spatulas and forks. This protects the coating yet still gets the food where it needs to be.
The ridges in this pan make clean up a little more challenging than other Calphalon pans. I still use my old standby, Comet, to clean up. On tough sticky things, I use a Scotch Brite pad (albeit lightly) or soak the pan overnight. To help alleviate sticking, before heating the pan, I use a little spray olive oil to lightly coat the pan.
I received this pan as a gift (it came with two rubber utensils as well), so I do not know the cost, but Calphalon is available at department stores everywhere. It is very important to remember that Calphalon cannot be put in the dishwasher. It absolutely ruins the pan. I've seen pans that have been washed in the dishwasher and the results are not pretty!
This pan gets a work out in my home! I use it mainly to grill fresh fish, and it does a wonderful job. I lightly spray the pan with some olive oil, then I heat the pan on the burner. When it is hot, I put on the fish (or other food), and cook it with the heat relatively high. The "grill marks" look authentic! I have cooked everything from shashimi tuna barely seared on the outside to grouper and halibut fillets medium well to well done, and all work superbly in this pan.
If you are like me and have never mastered the outdoor grill, or live where that isn't an option, or just want the ease of grilled foods indoors, I most highly recommend this Calphalon Square Grill Pan.
********** UPDATE **********
I wanted to add to my review the great experience I had with Calphalon on their warranty service. My 5 1/2 quart saute pan had begun to deanodized (turn silver) on the inside bottom of the pan. I contacted Calphalon via email, and described the problem and how I had cared for the pan. They instructed me to send it back to them and they would replace it. It took about 10 days round trip, but I just received my new pan, delivered by FedEx on a Saturday, today. It is slightly restyled, as my old pan was 13 years of age, and Calphalon included a new lid with my replacement so that the pan and lid would match.
I was very impressed with Calphalon's response and follow up and the entire process of their warranty claims. I think this is an excellent example of a company that stands behind their product, and gives me even more conviction in my recommending them so highly.
***Please check out my other Calphalon Reviews***
http://www.epinions.com/content_109995134596
http://www.epinions.com/content_107550183044
http://www.epinions.com/content_103483739780
http://www.epinions.com/content_97479134852
http://www.epinions.com/content_94064840324
http://www.epinions.com/content_85737508484
http://www.epinions.com/content_85602700932
http://www.epinions.com/content_85713260164
http://www.epinions.com/content_88926359172
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): gift
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Epinions.com ID:
randfan
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Location: The Beautiful MidWest
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