Cooking For Engineers

[jimjimjim9]

Does anyone have experience with this saucier?

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=1&SKU=12473540

The specs seem right (aluminum core thruout).

At $39.95 (less 20% coupon), it seems to be the best deal I've found.

Comments?

[danemodsandy]

[jimjimjim9]

Good points about the lid. I agree that multicomponent glass lids are inferior... perhaps best left for those that reach for the phone on impulse while watching QVC shopping network.

I am still curious about the parameters of the steel/aluminum pan itself vis a vis consistency of heat transfer and lack of hot spots. I plan to buy a saucier only for whisk work; the lid is unneeded and superfluous.

It would be nice if we could buy such cookware as we can plastic sheeting: it's all in the mils or microns of the thickness of the material. Your mention of degredation of quality thruout calphalon's line does not surprise me, and that's why I posted my question in the first place. I had hoped that the low price was a teaser to introduce people to the line and draw further purchases. Do you, or anyone else, have experience with this Tri-ply line regarding heat transfer?

Apologies for the QVC quip, but I'm gonna leave it in there.

[danemodsandy]

Jim:

At such a low price, less a coupon discount, I'd just go ahead and buy the saucier and test it myself. Since the glass lid is not a drawback for you, if the saucier works, it works. If it doesn't, then a thrift store or a friend who's not picky about cookware gets a saucier, would be my approach. It's my honest belief (based in six years in the housewares biz, during which I taught cooking) that entirely too much is made of cookware "quality" anyway. You'd be surprised how competent the old Farberware (the original with the aluminium-clad bottom) was. Even James Beard liked it.

The trick in making sauces is control of the heat source, especially important when you're tackling egg-thickened sauces like Hollandaise or Bearnaise. Many aspiring cooks get it into their heads somehow that they should be able to buy a perfect pan and a perfect stove, and leave the pan on the burner while they make the sauce. It really does not work that way. When you're whisking a Hollandaise or Bearnaise, you should control the heat by picking up the pan if things get a little warm, which you can tell by looking for little wisps of steam. Pick the pan up off the burner, and continue whisking; the retained heat in the pan will continue thickening the egg, but no more heat will be added to the pan, to make your eggs scramble. As the pan cools a bit, put it back on the burner to let it pick up some more heat. Up, down, up, down, whisk, whisk- you get the idea.

I've been faced with making Hollandaise for a family brunch using a piece of Corning Ware and a whisk that was probably bought at Woolworth's in 1968 or so. By using the technique I just mentioned, the sauce turned out perfectly. I worked with a lot of very good chefs when I taught, and I was struck by how little importance they attached to having a particular type of equipment. They were much more focussed on using their knowledge and technique to make the most of whatever equipment was available.

[BakerBob]

$$ Buy it. Buy it. Buy it $$ You'll be soooo happy.

I assist at SurLaTable culinary department, and have used many a All-Clad. But the All-Clad handles are NOT comfortable for ME.

Anyways, I bought the same exact saucier/chef pan that you are asking about last year.

I did a intensive 4 day Sauce class. Did nothing but sauces for 32 hours. If that doesn't test the this pan, I don't know what will.
Heats evenly. Clean up excellent. Gently sloped sides work like a dream.

I also have the TWO of the Calphalon tr-ply 5qt saute pan, a 8qt stockpot, and a 2 qt sauce pan.

The only thing I don't like is worrying about the glass lids. Can't stack lids ontop of each other, like you would with ss lids. I really baby my stuff, but if you have limited space or are careless, you may not be so lucky.

As far as the price: The tri-ply you're looking at , is Calphalon's older style. That is why it is reasonably price. You can find it at BB&B, Linen-N-Things, and sometimes at Ross's. (Got each of my 5qt sauce pan for $25 at Ross's).
The newer line is called "contemporary" - has sleeker lines on the handle and on the lid.
Hey, but the old line works just fine for me.

btw- Do not put in the dishwasher (soap is too harsh). Simply clean with liquid dish soap or BarKeepers Friend.
enjoy

[Masset]