Calphalon Signature Nonstick Cookware 10-Piece Set Review

Calphalon’s high-quality nonstick set comes with a handful of items for a moderate price and plenty of options for meals.

You’ll be saving yourself time and money by going nonstick, and hard anodized aluminum offers a better alternative to teflon nonstick. Calphalon’s 10-piece cookware set is a popular collection that gives you a wide selection of durable materials with a cool metallic finish.

Calphalon

Calphalon is a well-established company within the cooking industry, producing everything from cookware and bakeware to cutlery and utensils. Created in 1963, Calphalon has built up trust with its quality products and lifetime warranties on most products.

The brand’s hard anodized aluminum cookware debuted in 1976, and has become a popular choice for home cooks seeking durability and style.

Signature Set

The 10-piece nonstick set is the perfect option for families and entertaining, but Calphalon also offers additional sets in various sizes as well. The 10-piece space-saving set is worth investigating if you have limited storage.

What’s in the Set?

Like most sets, the number of pieces indicates the number of pots and pans plus covers. In the Signature 10-piece hard anodized set you’ll get 6 pieces and four lids. These include:

• 10-inch omelette pan
• 12-inch omelette pan
• 2-quart saucepan plus lid
• 3-quart saucepan plus lid
• 3-quart sauté pan plus lid
• 8-quart stock pot plus lid

One small but clever detail we like is the spout on the sauté and saucepans along with the stock pot. This facilitates easy pouring and less mess.

Additional features to note on this set include:

• Stainless handles stay cool to the touch on the stovetop (always use mitts for oven use and be careful with the helper handles on the stove — they are closer to the heat and can get warm)
• Tempered glass covers let you keep an eye on foods while they cook
• Cookware is oven safe to 500 degrees; Calphalon states the lids are safe to 450 degrees but we recommend limiting oven use on the glass lids
• Calphalon offers a lifetime warranty which covers materials and workmanship
• All pieces are dishwasher safe

Hard Anodized Aluminum

The items in this set are constructed out of PFOA-free, hard anodized aluminum. Anodized aluminumoffers nonstick-like properties, including easy cleanup and no sticking, plus it’s more durable than teflon and tends to last much longer. With this type of material, you can even use metal utensils, unlike Teflon pans, though we do recommend sticking to nylon, wood, or silicone for best results.

This type of stick-resistant material is preferred by many cooks who want to move away from traditional nonstick coatings. Though hard anodized aluminum isn’t going to be considered completely “nontoxic” by some, it is considered to be safe when used properly. Regarding proper usage, the key recommendation is to not heat an empty pan — when you do it can release potential harmful chemicals and it will damage the coating if you heat it empty for long periods of time.

Additionally, hard anodized aluminum is not recommended if you have birds. Hard anodized aluminum uses PTFE coating, which has been found to be toxic to feathered friends. You’ll want to investigate nonstick alternatives if you do have birds in your home.

Calphalon Signature vs. Contemporary

If you’re looking at this set, you might have also noticed the Calphalon Contemporary set, which seems very similar. Set sizes are different, but both are hard anodized aluminum and look almost identical. There’s also a price difference: The Signature is more expensive. So what’s the difference?

The Signature is higher quality, as you might have guessed by that price difference. It features what Calphalon calls “Sear Nonstick,” a layer specially formulated for searing and which offers more durability. The biggest difference you’ll see in cooking is that the Signature can handle metal utensils and higher temps in the oven. The Contemporary cannot tolerate metal and is oven safe to 450 degrees.

We prefer the Signature, but don’t discount the Contemporary if the sizes work for you and you want to save a bit of money. There’s also one other nonstick line that’s even cheaper — the Classic set is relatively inexpensive, but scratches easily and isn’t as long-lasting.

Verdict

Overall the Signature 10-piece set is a high-quality hard anodized cookware set that’s pretty affordable given the quality. The set is versatile both in construction and included pieces, so for most cooks this set includes everything you need for every day cooking.

Pros: Versatile set, lifetime warranty, dishwasher safe, durable

Cons: Lid gets hot, higher price, may still scratch despite manufacturer’s claims of being scratch-resistant

One final point regarding this set is that it is still nonstick cookware, which ultimately means it’s not going to last forever. Even high quality, hard anodized aluminum will begin to show wear and tear and lose some of the nonstick properties after a while (stainless is your best option for cookware that lasts a lifetime). However, with the Signature set you should get several years from the pieces, and you’ll likely find that it cooks well and looks beautiful.