Calphalon Commercial Nonstick 10-Inch International Griddle/Crepe Pan

This is my first Calphalon pan. I purchased it primarily to use as an egg and breakfast fare pan. I wanted a good non-stick pan, because most of my other pans are stainless steel.

I consider it a very good buy for the price. It has a very attractive design and the interior non-stick cooking surface appears to be very durable. However, the pan is slightly heavy and slow to reach the proper temperature compared to stainless steel. The manufacturer's enclosed brochure says the slow warm-up is due to the non-stick surface (true of most non-stick pans). Once it arrives at the required temperature, it performs very well. This aluminum pan is the equivalent of a permanently seasoned cast iron griddle. It produces foolproof omelets and the food never sticks. I use it to warmup chicken breasts and make grilled sandwiches too. It is the most used pan in the house, because of my passion for eggs.

This product, like a few other Calphalon products I have examined, slipped past the quality control inspector. On my pan there is an interior area, smaller than a grain of rice, that was not sprayed with the non-stick coating. It is high enough on the pan where no one will ever cook on that spot, but it is there in plain sight. The lack of quality control may have something to do with the Calphalon pans being manufactured in third world countries - no offense intended. This pan is made in China. You would probably not have any trouble forgiving the stray blemish. Especially, when you consider this pan's beauty, functionality, and price.

Here is my list of PROS and CONS for this purchase.

PROS:
- Good price.
- Excellent non-stick surface - appears to be very durable too.
- Excellent stain resistant exterior.
- Cool & comfortable handle.
- Attractive appearance.
- Lifetime warranty.

CONS:
- Slow to warm up, because of the non-stick surface.
- Fairly heavy pan - you won't flip anything without a spatula - think griddle.
- Quality control at Calphalon could be better.
- The handle is beautiful, but the finish on the handle and rivets are not as refined as some of the more expensive cookware brands. However, it has no impact on the cooking.

Conclusion: Excellent pan for the price.


A great little gem for the kitchen, at a great price!   January 6, 2002
148 out of 158 found this review helpful

I picked up this Commercial Nonstick skillet along with several other pieces of Calphalon's open stock collection, and I have been impressed with every piece I've gotten. This is great for burgers as well as omeletes and pancakes. About the only "problem" with it is that I'm not accustomed quite yet to the high quality found in Calphalon, and I didn't expect the burgers to brown on a non-stick surface as quickly as they did, so I wound up with two rather rare burgers as a result of fearing that I would burn them. Now that I see how Calphalon's nonstick line cooks, I have had more success, and now I have beautifully cooked hamburgers every time.
This is nonstick, so you do have to treat it with kid gloves, but as long as you use nylon or wooden utensils, do not overheat the pan, and don't run it through the dishwasher, this pan should last you a lifetime. I'm so glad I bought this, because I know that Calphalon's line of Collector's Edition products are only available for a limited time each year. I'm glad I didn't miss out on this beauty before it was gone forever!


Nonstick Griddle/Crepe Pan is a Great Buy   April 3, 2001
Michela (Seattle, WA, USA)
97 out of 106 found this review helpful

This Calphalon Commercial Nonstick "Collector's Edition" 10-Inch International Griddle/Crepe Pan is from the newest line of Calphalon's nonstick cookware. The "Commercial" nonstick finish on the inside of these pans is very durable as long as one uses wooden, nylon, or good plastic cooking utensils with them and keeps the heat below 400 degrees (medium-high). This 10-inch pan is the perfect size for making crepes, without any need for butter in the pan. The crepes cook quickly and evenly, so it is easy to prepare a lot of them for blintzes or crepes suzette. Also you can make buckwheat blinis or use it as a small griddle for silver dollar pancakes or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Since this pan has a beautiful stainless steel handle, it will stay cool to the touch. Calphalon recommends hand-washing of this pan. It will make a wonderful addition to your collection or a nice gift for a friend.


Non-Stick Surface Does Not Last   March 7, 2004
43 out of 50 found this review helpful

I chose this pan for the calphalon name (and it was on sale). It was great for the first 2-3 months,...then unfortunately the non-stick surface self destructed, and the pan had to be tossed. This is despite taking very good care to always use plastic cooking utensils, teflon safe sponges etc. I was very dissapointed and expected way more from calphalon.


This is a must for omlettes   January 15, 2002
Robert M. Hardy Jr. (Houston, TX United States)
20 out of 22 found this review helpful

We don't eat a lot of crepes at home here in Texas. But we do eat eggs, and omlettes. I am from the old omlette school that they should be folded over in thirds, to look like a burrito, rather than folded in half as most high volume establishments do today. When you fold the omlette into thirds the trick is to put the plate on top of the pan, and in a quick motion turn it upside down to let the omlette fall on the plate, browned on the outside, and tenderly juicy in the interior. Problem, the eggs invariably stick to the pan.

Not with this baby. The omlettes are evenly browned from stem to stern. They fall onto the plate with no sticking. The balance of this pan is great for handling the turn out. The size is perfect for a three egg omlette. This is a must have for omlette lovers. It is also perfect for scrambled eggs. The base allows an even heat distribution at very low heat so you can cook the eggs slowly and get what my kids call "juicy eggs."

Forget crepes. This is a real egg pan.

Bob Hardy