If you are reading this review, then you are probably considering a good pan for Asian stir-fry. Before I start, let's make one thing clear: This pan is NOT non-stick.If you are looking for a pure nonstick fry pan, stop now and look elsewhere.I am going to write about pros and cons about this pan, and let you be the judge.Today, we have so many choices: non-stick, carbon steel, cast iron, stainless steel, and now this Infused-Anodized Aluminum.I bought this pan during the promotion period when it was sold at $40.Non-stick woks simply won't do for proper stir-fry.They are good for beginners or people who need to avoid oil, but you can never achieve proper stir-frying with them because they cannot handle the high heat required in stir-frying.No creditable Chinese restaurant will use a non-stick wok.
You cannot get more authentic Asian stir-fry cooking than a well-seasoned carbon steel wok and they are inexpensive (~$18).This 12 inch Carbon Steel Wok w/ Helper Handle (flat bottom) is my main wok.A well-seasoned carbon steel wok is naturally non-stick and can handle very high temperature. That being said, these woks must be seasoned before its first use and they need to be occasionally seasoned after.They can be mildly difficult to maintain and take a certain level of skill and experience to use.
I have not personally used a cast iron wok, but certainly have experience with cast iron skillets and cast iron dutch ovens.A cast iron wok also requires seasoning.It has great heat capacity.However, cast iron cookware are heavy and brittle, heats up slowly, and can literally crack.You will have great difficulty to toss the foods in the air with a cast-iron wok.
Stainless steel woks can handle high temperature and they are practically indestructible.They have great corrosion resistance and do not require seasoning -- nor it can be seasoned.However, meats tend to stick to the cooking surface which prevents proper stir-frying.
Some reviewers had the expectation that the Calphalon One Infused cookware will function like a non-stick cookware and were disappointed when they found out otherwise.This line of cookware is simply stick-resistant, not non-stick.Meats will stick to this cookware, but simply less than stainless steel.Maybe the word "stick-resistant" is confusing, and Calphalon is largely responsible for this confusion.Anyway, here is my summary for this stir fry pan:
1) High temperature compatible.It can tolerate much higher heat than typical non-stick cookware.I have repeatedly heated it to the point of oil smoking out of the pan and the pan is fine.
2) Stick-resistant.It is slightly more stick-resistant than stainless steel, but nothing like non-stick.Foods will stick, especially meats.Stuck foods will release themselves as they start to caramelize and brown. In light of this, the Infused-Anodized technology is a more suitable for saute than for Asian stir-fry. This can be a good thing for people who care for taste over ease because this browning process is what gives cooked food a wonderful favor.
3) No cookware seasoning is required, unlike carbon steel and cast iron.You can boil water, cook acidic foods in this cookware without worrying about (1) the seasoning surface (patina) wears off or worse -- (2) rusting.
4) Relatively easy to clean. It is much easier to clean than stainless steel cookware, but tougher than non-stick.Immersing the pan in warm soapy water for 10 minutes will be sufficient to remove most of the food residues.However, instead of simply wash away all the stuck meat bits, you can deglaze the bits to make a nice sauce.This way, you are cleaning and making sauce at the same time.:)For tough stains, use Bar Keepers Friend Cookware Cleanser & Polish: 12 OZ which is recommended by Calphalon.
5) It is somewhat damage resistant and it is advertised that metal utensils can be used.I found this to be false.It is tougher than non-stick, but not nearly as tough as stainless steel.I have used stainless steel utensils and they produce dents and scratches on this cookware, though the nonstick surface seems to be intact thus far.I strongly advise against using any metal utensil on this.
Hopefully this review can help you to decide if this Calphalon Infused-Anodized pan right for you.It is not a perfect stir-fry pan and I personally prefer a carbon-steel wok, but this Calphalon wok does have some nice features.If I have to summarize this pan, I would say it feels like a cross between a stainless steel pan and a nonstick pan -- includes advantages and disadvantages from both.
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Product Description:
Master meals in minutes! We've adapted the traditional round-bottom wok for easy use on Western ranges, adding a long handle for easy lifting, tossing, and turning, and a flat bottom for stability. The cast stainless-steel handles also stay comfortably cool for stovetop cooking.
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