Calphalon fry pan bottoms - lacquer like buildup

[tenspeed]

Not totally on topic, but about the Calphalon NS pan. I bought two, one 12 and a 10 inch pan a couple years back. The 10 gets very little use, but the 12 has developed a crown in the middle that protrudes outward. It does not sit flat so having an electric cook top means I have uneven heating. anyone else seen this?

I had that happen to me with a Calphalon anodized pan. Take two pieces of wood (such as 2x4s, high enough to keep the handle off the surface), turn the pan upside down, suspended over the pieces of wood. Take another piece of 2x4 at least as wide as the pan and place it across the pan, and wail on the 2x4 with a hammer to pound it back into submission. Using a 2x4 across the pan will prevent you from bending it the other way. Use this on a solid surface, such as a concrete floor. I was able to remove the saggy bottom. Thank AndyM for this tip.

 

[medtran49]

We haven't had the warping problem as much since we got the ceramic flat top with 1 burner that's 3 diferent sizes and 2 of the other 3 burners that are different sizes so you can fit the pan to the burner. I will say though that the only calphalon pan we have left is about a 6 inch nonstick pan that my dad bought for me when DD was a little girl and she's pushing 40 now. Surprisingly, it's still pretty much nonstick and not warped. Alll the other calphalon has been replaced with allclad stainless, scanpan or the new ceramic nonstick that we'll see how it stands up over time.

 

[CharlieD]

OK. I'll use EZ-OFF on it again, and not worry if the pan bottom continues to changes color. I'm sure not gonna use elbow grease. I thought maybe I was somehow ruining the bottom of the pan by using EZ-OFF on it, because it changed color.

I suppose it's not that critical that "pan bottom residue" be removed from time to time. EZ-OFF sure does remove it like nothing else tho. No elbow grease needed.

The only thing with EZ-OFF you have to be careful it doesn't get inside your pan. It will remove non-stick surface "like nothing else" too.

I have the same problem. Used the same product. Gave up.

 

[Caslon]

Used the same product. Gave up.

Huh? You used EZ-Off and it DIDN'T remove the baked on pan bottom brown glaze? It did with my pan bottoms.

I'm not saying remove that glaze. I'm wondering if the "ideal" isn't having a glaze free pan bottom. Like new.

"Ideal" being relative, of course.

 

[CharlieD]

Huh? You used EZ-Off and it DIDN'T remove the baked on pan bottom brown glaze? It did with my pan bottoms.

I'm not saying remove that glaze. I'm wondering if the "ideal" isn't having a glaze free pan bottom. Like new.

"Ideal" being relative, of course.

You misunderstood me, or maybe I was not clear. I am talking about inside the pan. The non-stick finish inside. EZ-OFF will take it OFF.

 

[Caslon]

You misunderstood me, or maybe I was not clear. I am talking about inside the pan. The non-stick finish inside. EZ-OFF will take it OFF.

Ah. Okay.

Eggs no longer slide off my well used smaller pan without oil or butter. The smaller pan gets a lot of work tho.

I've never heard of anything other than hot water, a mild brush and soap to clean a non-stick pans.

I'll just use these 6 year old pans until it's time to replace the pair ($59).

 

[TomW]

Gas Cooktop?

Out of curiosity, is everyone who is experiencing a brown buildup using a gas cooktop? I always assumed the buildup on my cooking pans was the result of oil residue from cooking.

But my tea kettle has a mildly sticky buildup, too and I use no oil making tea...

I have concluded the brown buildup is at least partially due to unburned hydrocarbons in the natural gas supplied to my house.

Tom

 

[RPCookin]

Out of curiosity, is everyone who is experiencing a brown buildup using a gas cooktop? I always assumed the buildup on my cooking pans was the result of oil residue from cooking.

But my tea kettle has a mildly sticky buildup, too and I use no oil making tea...

I have concluded the brown buildup is at least partially due to unburned hydrocarbons in the natural gas supplied to my house.

Tom

The sticky buildup on my wife's tea kettle is due to the fact that it lives on top of the stove almost 24/7, so when anything else gets cooked, the kettle is the recipient of the splatter. I wipe it off regularly to help keep it from getting cooked on. I don't worry about the outside of my fry pans.

 

[medtran49]

Electric for us.

 

[caseydog]

Eggs no longer slide off my well used smaller pan without oil or butter.

Why would one want to cook eggs without butter???

CD

 

[caseydog]

Out of curiosity, is everyone who is experiencing a brown buildup using a gas cooktop? I always assumed the buildup on my cooking pans was the result of oil residue from cooking.

But my tea kettle has a mildly sticky buildup, too and I use no oil making tea...

I have concluded the brown buildup is at least partially due to unburned hydrocarbons in the natural gas supplied to my house.

Tom

My last house had gas, but now I have a ceramic cooktop (that I don't like).

My classic Revere tea kettle is browned on the bottom, too, but it is not sticky. I don't know if the copper bottom is the reason, but it could be.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

Any heat source can be responsible for a coating. It can happen on the stovetop or in the oven. When you cook with oil, some of it vaporizes. it can settle on any surface like a teakettle or a pan bottom. If you spill some oil and it coats a pan bottom, the brown coating can happen even faster.