Congratulations...Bon Apetit!

I'm confused. In what ways do you need to be careful with hard anodized. I'm about to get new pots and pans and trying to decide which kind. Based on the couple of hard anodized pieces I have recently used, I thought that might be the way to go. Partly because I thought you could use metal utensils (which I just did while scraping browned meat and onions off the bottom of the saucier).

I also wonder about cleaning. I have cleaned these by hand - but can it go in the dishwasher?

Hard anodized comes in non stick and regular. I think you can use metal utensils in the regular, but definately not on non stick. And for longest lasting performance, wood or plastic utensils are best for all metal cookware. No aluminum (which both hard anodized regular or non stick is) should go in the dishwasher as alum is ruined by dishwashing. Get Stainless if you want dishwasher safe pots and pans. For the best information, go to your manufacturers site and read the washing instructions for each type of material for more detailed info.

You can safely use metal utensils with hard anodized aluminum because it is very much harder than any metal found in utensils, e.g. stainless steel. Anodization is an electro-chemical process that results in a very hard surface. Prolonged contact with acidic foods, like tomato sauce, will "de-anodize" the aluminum but Calphalon claims to have solved this problem with Calphalon-One by adding a polymer in the anodization process. After a couple years using the Calphalon-One, I can't argue with them.

Calphalon's top lines all have a lifetime warranty and, from personal experience, I think they,re about as good as you can get for dealing with warranty issues.

Thanks for the info about hard anodized. I didn't realize it could come in non-stick. I have a couple of non-sticks for things like eggs, pancakes etc. At this point I'm looking for cookware that avoids any potential teflon problems.

And I guess I'll keep hand washing my hard anodized.

Dont believe that the anodized is that hard, check out a TJMax once, they have alot of pans that are hacked up right down to the aluminum, its not reall that hard because for one it is a thin coating and its on a soft aluminum, so be careful

Usually what appears to be aluminum showing through the anodized surface is a metal deposit that will come right off with a scouring pad and/or Barkeeper's Friend. Using an anodized pan on metal burners will sometimes cause this to happen. You don't have to baby good hard anodized cookware.

I have the Calphalon One (not non-stick) 8 pc set. The frypans are amazing... they sear and brown extremely well. Yet if they are preheated and oiled properly and the food is at room temperature nothing sticks. Omelettes slide right out (I did try to make an omelette and forgot to add butter once... that did stick). They clean up well but do need a light application of BKF regularly to keep really clean. Seems like the infused anodized really works as claimed.

The saucepans are good too, but the advantage of C1 infused anodized is bigger on the skillets.

On the other hand they do warp slightly when heated. The stockpot bottom gets a little convex as it gets hot. The 12" frypan is perfectly flat but the 10" rocks very slightly on a glasstop stove. The thickness and conductivity of the aluminum means they heat relatively evenly anyway.

Re the hardness of anodized. My feeling is that the hardness relates to abrasion resistance but the aluminum under the anodized surface is still soft so they are more susceptible to little dings and dents than stainless steel. Maybe it is just my perception, since this is my first hard anodized cookware and I have only had it for 10 months. The 3Qt chef's pan has some little silver marks on the top edge where it looks like the anodized surface has chipped off. I don't think it is a mark from a metal utensil since it feels like a little chip on the surface. Maybe I banged it with a spoon, but I don't recall.

Deanb you seem to have used the C1 a lot. What's your feeling on the warping and my perception of the hardness vs. abrasion resistance issue? How liberal is Calphalon with respect to warranty claims like that. These seem to me like too small complaints to be warranty issues, but I just wondered.

I live close to a Calphalon Culinary Centre and have taken cooking courses there, and would really recommend them!

Thanks,
Bruce

Bruce,

I think you're right on with respect to the hardness vs. abrasion issue. Stainless steel will ding too, however. I've seen a 10" hard anodized (not the Calphalon One)fry pan warp slightly so that it wouldn't sit absolutely flat on the burner and Calphalon said they would replace it. I haven't got around to sending it back to them for replacement yet. Dings are another matter. You'd have to ask them to be sure but I doubt they would be covered. My experience with the C1 is much like yours. I love it.

deanb