Induction Heat and Calphalon Unison Cookware

16 years ago

Its Kitchen renovation time and I'm wondering if an induction cooking system will work well with Calphalon Unison cookware. I'm reading about induction cooking and how is uses electricity and magnetic fields to cook your food but the pots and pans used need to be good conductors and of ferrous material. I can't find anything on Calphalon and if it will work well. Has anyone else made the jump from gas to induction? Is it worth it and/or difficult to get used to cooking with it?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
16 years ago
Test your cookware with a magnet.

I personally prefer gas.

Have an electrician to find out if you currently have enough electric power to convert to induction cooking.

How often do you have power outage in your artea?

dcarch
mfenimore
Original Author
16 years ago
Well, I tested the pots with refrigerator magnets any they don't stick to the pots. I guess that really solves the problem. Also, I didn't know that the electricity would be a concern too! Another reason to stay with a gas top stove. I'm in New York so black outs are rare but it doesn't look like I'm an idea candidate for induction heat. Oh well. Maybe in another 20 years.
Related Discussions
Induction Cookware
Q
Comments (56)
Demeyere and Le Creuset for us. We have quite a bit of Le Creuset. My first pieces were from my grandmother's house. They were given to her over 60 years ago by her sea captain brother who brought them back from a voyage to France. I purchased more Le Creuset when I lived in Europe during the 90s. It performs wonderfully and lasts forever with minimal care. We put a 36 inch Thermador induction cooktop in during our remodel and got the free Demeyere cookware (Apollo) that came with it. We love it and will be ordering a couple of more pieces in the near future - a larger stock pot and a stove top smoker for DH. The skillet is large capacity and I love the straighter sides. It gets a real workout at our house. We use the Demeyere and LeCreuset for different things and are very pleased with the performance of both on our induction cooktop. Our very large Le Creuset pot takes a while to heat water to boiling. I'm no electrical engineer but would guess it it due to the energy required to heat the large mass of cast iron. It works fine for soups, etc where I'm not looking to bring a large quantity of liquid to a boil. The Demeyere stock pot brings water to boil in an amazingly short period of time and we expect similar performance from the larger one we'll be getting soon.
...See More
Induction cookware review: long post
Q
Comments (1)
El bumpo
...See More
Best cookware for induction?
Q
Comments (120)
jasdip, i have both a single induction plate (Frigidaire) and an induction cooktop (Electrolux) and use cast iron pots & pans without any problems; and when cooking dried beans (kidney beans), the cast iron pot simmers away on the hob for a couple of hours or more. So I think it is the quirkiness of certain pans on certain cooktops, rather than incompatibility per se, that causes some issues. I have one stainless steel pot that squeaks and whines on occasion, whereas other stainless steel pots do not. If you know anyone with induction, why not try your pan on their hobs to see if it is the pan or the induction plate that is misbehaving.
...See More
Induction Cookware
Q
Comments (50)
I purchased the Tramontina from Walmart and was not happy with them at all. While they worked fine on the induction cooktop, the handles - even though they were silicone grip - got too hot to handle without a potholder. It was ridiculous that I couldn't even lift a lid off without hunting down something to protect my hand. They also were quite lightweight and seem cheaply made. Needless to say, I returned them, and picked up a wonderful set from Target - Kitchen essentials by Calphalon. The handles on these stay perfectly cool. They are solid, well made and quite a bit more substantial than the Tramontina. So glad I switched.
...See More
stir_fryi SE Mich
16 years ago
There are a lot of good quality brands that are induction capable. When I shop for pots and pans, I always have a magnet with me. My favorite pan so far is a 12" all-clad skillet that I use almost daily.

Electricity is not necessarily a concern. You just have to do your research.

Anyhow, I got my induction stove last November and absolutely love it. It is much faster than my mother's gas stove and puts off a lot less heat into the kitchen.

But, if you are used to gas, I am sure you will still be happy with it.
wizardnm
16 years ago
stir fryi, I'm glad to hear you love your induction. I'm getting ready for a kitchen redo and am going with induction.

mfenimore, I'm not sure that having to buy new pans is a reason not to go induction. I have mostly Calphalon that will have to go. Probably 20 different pans. I'll keep a couple of the soup pots and buy a single electric burner, that's just a maybe. I feel the pluses of the induction will out weigh the cost of pans. Speed, easy cleaning and the cool surface convinced me. I know which size pans I use the most and will buy good ones to replace those but sizes that I don't use often will be less expensive.

Nancy
beachlily z9a
16 years ago
I love my induction!

I had a bunch of Cuisinart pans that I had for years. They polished up to look almost new. Our only niece was moving into her first house so she got 16 pans, and a friend in north FL got 19 or 20 of them. I have a lot fewer pot/pans now! I'm using Berndes skillets from Tuesday Morning. A Canadian friend purchased a set of Lagostina for me. I love both brands and really enjoy cooking on that range!

I bought a Emerilware set when I first got the induction, but didn't like it at all. The Battered Woman's Shelter got those.

Induction Heat and Calphalon Unison Cookware

Comments (5)

dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m

mfenimore
Original Author

Related Discussions

stir_fryi SE Mich

wizardnm

beachlily z9a

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Induction Heat and Calphalon Unison Cookware

Comments (5)

dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m

mfenimoreOriginal Author

Related Discussions

stir_fryi SE Mich

wizardnm

beachlily z9a

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mfenimore
Original Author