Anolon Titanium any good?

[tknaps]

Hi all!

I'm currently on the lookout for a decent set of nonstick pots and pans (if such a thing exists) as I'm getting tired of cleaning out all my regular pans for everyday use (whipping out my 12" cast iron frying pan to fry a couple of eggs etc.)

In any case, the most promising stuff I've found so far is an Anolon Titanium set:

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=ano81878&store=BG&catid=5667

I found some user opinions here which are all excellent (but no "proper" reviews):

http://www.epinions.com/hmgd-Cookware-All-Anolon_Titanium_Cookware_Set/display_~reviews

Do any of you have any experience with this line of pots and pans? Any other suggestions I could have a look at before deciding?

 

[GB]

I can't comment on the pans you mentioned as I have never used then, but I can tell you about my non stick pans which I highly recommend. I have a number of Calphalon non sticks and I love them. They are quite heavy which is a good thing. I have not found any serious hot spots on them. I have had them for about 2 and a half years and they still perform great. One of the pans even has a deep scratch (probably happened over a year and a half ago) and this has not affected the pan at all. The coating has not chipped off and nothing has ever stuck to the scratch. The scratch also has not gotten any bigger. They have a lifetime warranty (scratches are not covered of course), so I had no problem with the cost. I also have other pans (Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Enameled Cast Iron), but my Calphalon non stick gets a lot of use.

 

[tknaps]

Thanks for the feedback GB.

I had a look at some Calphalon sets as well, and the one that looks comparable is the "Calphalon One" series:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...103-1289467-1306208?v=glance&s=kitchen&n=1000

One immediate difference of course is the price... The Calphalon set cost almost three times that of the Anolon I'd looked at:

http://www.anolon.com/anolon/ProductLine.jsp?channelid=8608a74c94196f00vcm1000000001f00000a____

The Anolon pans seem to boast the same heat resistance, similar "multi coated non-stick layers", and they've got hard anodized aluminium interior so heat distribution should be good. And they're also supposed to be dishwasher safe. The Calphalon pans looks a lot better though

So, I think for now my money is still on the Anolon's unless it turns out that it's just marketing and that the Calphalon pans are actually worth three times the price...

Anyone else have good or bad experiences with non-stick that they'd like to share? (I know I've thrown my share of crap non-stick pans in the bin over the years!)

 

[Background Noise]

I am new to this board, but I do own a 10” Anolon Titanium skillet and the 8” and 14” Alnolon Advanced skillet (same construction just with the non-stick on the outside too).

I will say that I am a fan. The non-stick (autograph II, I believe) is very nice and clean-up is a breeze. The skillets conduct heat evenly and have significant mass to hold on to heat. They do what they are asked with no complaints on my electric range (yea, I know electric sucks). The rivets are stainless and are the only part of the skillet that does not clean up with a wipe of a paper towel.

I can’t comment on the durability as I have only had them for a few months and I never use steel utensils on them. I always use silicone and there are no scratches that I can see.

The Anolon claims that the Titanium can handle 500 degrees, but I don’t trust any non-stick at that temp. I have put it in a 400 degree oven with no problems.

I will say, try to find them on sale (Amazon has worked for me) where they are very good pans for the money. Unless you are hooked on a matching set buy them piece meal when you can find a sale.

 

[AllenOK]

I only own a couple nonstick pans, a 1 pint saucepan that's almost as old as I am, and my little 8" skillet. I use the skillet for eggs. It's a professional pan that I bought at a restaurant supply shop years ago. The only problem I have with it is that the handle is a little to long and heavy, and tends to tip the pan up until something is put in the pan.

Something else to consider, is that while nonstick is easy to clean, just wiping it out if paper towels may not be the most hygenic cleaning procedure. I always wash mine in hot soapy water, rinse in hot water, then air-dry. This ensures that any fat or food residue is removed and lessens the chance of bacterial contamination.

I'll also recognize that I am a bit anal about this; that comes from being a cook. My MIL thinks I go a bit overboard, as I'm always swiping her coffee mug so I can clean it (she'd rather just reuse it, reuse it, etc., ad nauseum).

 

[Robo410]

analon has been around a while and is still in business so someone's buying it. My thought if you want PERMANENT non stick, use any kind of untensil pan, go for SCANPAN. My mom got one years ago and abused the heck out of it. Still fine and in good shape. And their plastic handles are meant to take the heat. A good product.

 

[Background Noise]

After reading AllenMI’s response I realize the impression I gave. I am not suggesting that the pans do not need to be cleaned with soap and water, yikes. My point was that pre-cleaning (I don’t have a dishwasher) is easy and that if making multiple courses a quick wipe down between courses allows you to cook the first course, eat, then cook again. I will try to be more clear in the future.

 

[tknaps]

I am new to this board, but I do own a 10” Anolon Titanium skillet and the 8” and 14” Alnolon Advanced skillet (same construction just with the non-stick on the outside too).

I will say that I am a fan. The non-stick (autograph II, I believe) is very nice and clean-up is a breeze. The skillets conduct heat evenly and have significant mass to hold on to heat. They do what they are asked with no complaints on my electric range (yea, I know electric sucks). The rivets are stainless and are the only part of the skillet that does not clean up with a wipe of a paper towel.

I can’t comment on the durability as I have only had them for a few months and I never use steel utensils on them. I always use silicone and there are no scratches that I can see.

The Anolon claims that the Titanium can handle 500 degrees, but I don’t trust any non-stick at that temp. I have put it in a 400 degree oven with no problems.

I will say, try to find them on sale (Amazon has worked for me) where they are very good pans for the money. Unless you are hooked on a matching set buy them piece meal when you can find a sale.

Hi BG, and welcome! Thanks a lot for your insights. I've still to order any pans as some other financial obligations turned up... Anyway, I've decided to go with the 10-piece set of Anolon Advanced pans when I can afford it. They have the same non-stick coating as the Titanium series, but also on the outside as you say, and they have glass lids which allows you to check if you food is cooking the way you want it without lifting the lids every 10 minutes.

I'm situated in Norway, and as far as I can tell I'll have to ship these in from the states, so my cheapest option will be to go with a complete set. The best deal so far seems to be $239.99 from ETronics (http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=ano81895)
If any of you find anything cheaper, feel free to let me know