A good set of cookware can last a lifetime. Choosing the right, high-quality kitchen equipment offers many benefits: great-tasting foods, lower utility costs, easier cleaning---plus added savings from not having to replace your pots and pans every three or four years. Circulon and Calphalon are two well-respected cookware brands. Each line has its own advantages and disadvantages. Take time to learn about them so that you can make an informed choice in purchasing your next set of cookware. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Circulon's History
In 1985, Meyer Manufacturing Company Limited announced Circulon, the first line of hard anodized aluminum cooking utensils with a non-stick surface. Meyer was also the first manufacturer to back its cookware with a 10-year warranty on its Circulon non-stick technology.
Features of Circulon
Circulon is named for the cookware's signature design: concentric ridges or circular rings that discourage foods from sticking. Meyer calls this Circulon's "Hi-Low Food Release System." The easy-clean feature of Circulon cookware offers the added benefit of long-lasting durability. The maker claims that its patented Hi-Low technology causes less of the cooking surface to be exposed to wear-and-tear from kitchen tools. Circulon boasts a non-stick exterior that is stain, scratch and chip resistant.
Circulon cookware heats quickly and evenly, requiring only a medium stovetop temperature setting. The Meyers Company offers a limited lifetime warranty on Circulon products.
Circulon Considerations
You cannot wash some Circulon anodized aluminum pots and pans in the dishwasher unless they are from the newer Infinite Circulon line. The manufacturer recommends hand washing in mild detergent followed by a warm rinse and immediate towel drying. Do not use steel wool or any harsh cleaning pads. Cooking temperatures exceeding a medium setting will void the warranty, as does the use of cooking sprays.
Features of Calphalon
Calphalon's hard anodized aluminum is easy to clean with a non-stick coating. Its Unison Nonstick surface combines two surfaces, including a textured surface to facilitate food release. Calphalon's website claims that the cookware is dishwasher safe and oven-proof. The Commercial Aluminum Cookware Company offers 10-year, 20-year and lifetime warranties, depending on product line. Calphalon offers purchasers of Unison Nonstick cook sets the opportunity to send in their old cookware for recycling free of charge. In exchange, the manufacturer sends the consumer recycled cotton shopping bags.
Calphalon Considerations
Calphalon offers many different lines of cookware. Each line has different oven temperature guidelines, and you will need to know the limitations of your particular style. Warranties are vary by cookware line.
The manufacturer advises against immersing cold cookware into hot water, as it can cause warping. As with other anodized aluminum cookware, high stovetop heat settings and spray cooking oils damage the nonstick surface.
Price
Prices for Calphalon and Circulon are roughly similar. The manufacturer's 2009 suggested retail price of a 10-piece set of Calphalon's Unison cookware is $599.99. The manufacturer's 2009 suggested retail price of a 10-piece set of Infinite Circulon cookware is $550.00.
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