Calphalon Unison Slide Nonstick 4-Quart Soup Pot
4.8
5
37
38
Very Much Needed...and Worth It
Purchased this to replace the soup pot that my boyfriend got for his first apartment 4 years ago. He is not a cook, so the old pot wasn't of great quality.
This pot is perfect for a childless couple, a single person planning to make meals for the week, a single parent with 1/2 children, or for a project that caters to 'Goldilocks' (the portions or the leftovers are 'just right'). I come from a large family that had left overs for days as we cooked in large pots. Since it is just my boyfriend and I this is perfect.
The pot heats up very well and the shape of it does reduce or eliminate soups and stews from evaporating even with the lid off on a simmer.
My only qualm is that generally small pots on the burner does heat up all-around. This leaves the handles and the lid to get hot to the touch. Remember your pot holders.
I grew up with Calphalon as my mother had her set for years and the large pot's lids and handles were never hot, so on my first experience with my new soup pot I was startled by its slight burning sensation when I touched the lid or handles. I've had to readjustment my methods in the kitchen, but I love the product.
I wait for day when Calphalon sells a cooking set for the single or or childless couple/ very small family in mind.
I considered the many cooking sets to choose from, but as a young person and even for young couples, the portions were too large and trying to find space in the kitchen to store all the pieces would be a hassle for us. I resorted to buying a few items separately, but only the essentials like this soup pot, a pan, and sauce pan. Buying these separately can be a hassle.
January 1, 2013
My Perfect Soup Pot
I generally prepare soup for just one or two people. I have grown weary of having to labor to use and clean 10 or 12 quart stock pots, so I wanted something smaller. Enter the Calphalon 4-Quart Soup Pot. It is the perfect size for my needs - and has a lot of bonuses I did not expect.
It is most likely profoundly eccentric, but the first thing that struck me was the aesthetics of this pot. Aesthetics? Yes. This pot has the look of a Medieval cauldron with its convex bottom and concave top where the handles are attached. The handles on the pot and lid have a distictive Celtic flair to them. Maybe one could say the sensibility of this pot is medieval meets modern design.
The second thing that struck me was the non-stick interior. Generally, I like to braise the meats I will use in making my soup base. That braising usually entails the use of a skillet, another implement to wash. I very quickly caught on that this pot allows me to braise the meat in the pot itself. How convenient!
I find that the pot distributes heat very evenly, creating a wondeful slow simmer that allows flavors to develop. The see-through lid is more convenient and helpful than I even imagined. The soups made thus far with this marvelous pot have been untra successful.
Negatives? Sure, nothing is perfect. Condensation from the lid tends to trickle down the pot in a thin line. I found that all I must do to stop the trickle is to turn the lid perhaps 1/8 of a turn, left or right. The drip stops completely. I also found that the handles do become very hot, so pot holders are necessary if moving the pot about or lifting the lid. But, that is something I do anyway.
Conclusion: A lovely cooking implement that exceeds my expectations for functionality. I look forward to many happy years with this item.
February 28, 2012
Love love love
Not only does it have curb appeal, but it really is dishwasher safe...or so my husband says!
September 20, 2011
a multi-purpose pot
I have this pot now for several weeks. It is working as wonderful as many people have pointed out. I've used it to sear meat, for soups, spagetti sauces, stir fried meat & veggetables, fried noodles, fry rice. Everything turned out beautifully, especially fried noodles. Nothing stick to this pot. The pot heated up quickly and evenly, which is very important for my type of cooking. I love the fact that I can actually sear the meat without burning the pot! The see through lid is an excellent feature because I no longer need to open the lid to see how things are doing inside.
My only complain is that whenever I need to simmer my food, water would condensed on the inside lid and then dripped outside the pot on to my smooth cook top.
Other than the above annoyance, this is one of favourite cooking tools that I gravitate toward for all my cookings
September 25, 2010