Product Review

I almost feel like a real blogger posting a product review!  This is probably going to be a surprise when you guys read what I’m reviewing.  I’m reviewing our cookware that we got as a wedding gift.  We got Calphalon’s Contemporary 12 piece set.

I’ve been a stainless steal cookware person my entire life so I didn’t know how I felt about this black hard-anodized set.  Most of my reserve was based solely on the look of the cookware.  To me pots and pans should be stainless.  That’s how I picture chefs cooking, that’s how I pictured myself cooking.  I quickly got over this when I had to wash the pots.  When they say non-stick, they mean non-stick!  It’s amazing how everything just falls right off these pots.  The pots aren't dishwasher safe, but that’s ok, I don’t like taking up valuable space in the dishwasher with huge pots, bowls, or other large items anyway. 
We’ve added some other pieces to our set, another 1.5 qt and 3 qt sauce pan, a 13 in covered skillet, and a square grill pan.  I love the square grill pan.  It’s awesome for quickly “grilling” chicken and pork, it even puts the grill lines on the meat!
The one major downside to this cookware is the lids.  The handles on the lids get super hot and can’t really be removed with the bare hand.  It gets a little annoying always having to reach for a hand towel or oven mitt to remove the lid to stir. 
So I’ve gotten over the lack of shine on my pots and really embraced the non-stick aspect of this set.  We still hope to add some more pieces, we’d love the double boiler, and the Panini press, but we really don’t have to have them right now.  And to be honest, I’d really like to add some of the stainless pieces from this line so I can still have a little bling.