I ordered 3 (2x) sets of these so that I would have a full complement of 6 cookie sheets.
When they arrived, I noted that they were a bit lighter than the commercial quality cookie sheets that I had used previously, but my thinking was that if they baked well, that was all that counted.I always bake with an Exopat silicone mat on my sheets.
Upon the first use, when they were placed in the oven, the edges of the cookie sheets turned up about a quarter of an inch - an ominous sign that the sheets are too thin.The next thing I heard was the tap tap tap of sheets buckling in the oven.Lack of dimensional stability at 350 degrees F translates to poor heat conduction, and burned cookie bottoms.This symphony of metal buckling, courtesy of my new $15 cookie sheets.
Even with the Exopat silicone sheets on them, the cookies were barely done when I decided to pull them from the oven to save the bottoms from getting burned - typical of cheap, thin cookie sheets that one knows one needs to "double pan" to prevent burning.What a wonderful situation Amazon has presented me with - $90 and a garbage can full of cookie sheets.
Yes, into the garbage all six sheets went - no matter how costly, its even more so to live with poor quality baking implements and invent work-arounds to augment their performance.These are no better than inexpensive supermarket cookie sheets - actually they're worse - with the price-point of supermarket wares, one can infer the quality that one is getting.
I used to believe brands like Calphalon stood for quality, and this translated into some assurance that products bearing premium names would be of, at least, mezzanine quality.When I buy on the web and cannot better scrutinize the items I'm choosing, I tend to favor trusted brands.As it turns out, these sheets did not have the Calphalon name on them anywhere - Calphalon apparently made the decision to buy up a bunch of cheap -Made in China- cookie sheets and sell them at a premium price by leveraging the Calphalon brand.
With the holiday baking season upon us, what do I plan to replace them with?The Vollrath cookie sheets (not non-stick, but I use silicone mats, so do I care?) recommended in Cooks Illustrated magazine.They're in stock at Chef Resource - their price everywhere is $19 but most vendors are out of them.They're due to arrive via UPS day after tomorrow - Tuesday, 10/17.Holiday baking is much too sacred a tradition to be left in the hands of Calphalon, apparently.
If I could give them no stars or provide an icon of 6 sheets going into the trash, I would so rate them.
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Calphalon Classic Bakeware 14-by-17 Inch Cookie Sheets 2-PackProduct Description: Calphalon Classic Nonstick Bakeware brings to baking what Calphalon cookware brings to cooking --classic quality construction and advanced features for reliably spectacular results. Like our cookware, Classic Nonstick Bakeware is made using construction standards of culinary professionals. It features a durable, reinforced nonstick coating which provides effortless release of even the stickiest baked goods. Calphalon Classic Nonstick Bakeware is an ideal choice for a lifetime of demanding use. Make every batch a beauty with Calphalon Classic cookie sheets. Whether you like them chewy, gooey, crispy or crunchy, the consistent thickness of our cookie sheets assures even baking across the entire batch.Colors affect baking performance because they conduct heat differently. That's why our cookie sheets feature a medium grey color which gives cookies a golden brown color while protecting baked goods against overbrowning. (You may want to choose our insulated cookie sheet when you want a moist, cakey cookie instead of a crisp one). Our reinforced nonstick surface means sticky fillings release easily, and moist or delicate cookies slide off the sheet in one perfect piece. Calphalon Classic bakeware is dishwasher safe too, so clean-up is a piece of cake!
Get 25% OFF
Want to buy Calphalon Classic Bakeware 14-by-17 Inch Cookie Sheets 2-Pack at other amazon sites? Click the corresponding icon below:
I've been burning cookie bottoms for so long in my cheap gas oven that I was hesitant to spend the money to buy these insulated cookie sheets.Turns out to be one of the best kitchen investments I've made.They really do what they claim.With the ventilated second layer it doesn't matter where on the sheet they are, all the cookies have the same uniform browned bottom.
