Struggling with warped pans that scorch food or flimsy pots with hot spots? It may be time to upgrade to cookware built for serious cooking.

Calphalon Premier cookware offers commercial-quality construction and design enhancements tailored for home kitchen needs.

Let’s examine what sets Calphalon Premier apart and whether it deserves a spot in your kitchen tool arsenal.

Is Calphalon Premier cookware worth buying?

In short – yes, Calphalon Premier represents one of the best options currently available for high-quality home cookware that approaches professional performance.

Between its innovative fully-clad stainless steel and thick hard-anodized constructions that heat precisely and evenly, plus specialized space-saving models allowing compact storage, Premier cookware delivers outstanding versatility, durability and ease of use that justifies the higher cost for passionate home chefs.

As we’ll explore in more detail, Premier sets itself apart through smart design enhancements tailored specifically to excel within home kitchens rather than commercial settings.

Cookware Options

Calphalon Premier cookware comes in three main options – Space-Saving, Stainless Steel, and Non-Stick.

Before getting into details about performance, design and price, it is important to understand exactly what is available within the Premier collection so you can choose the right set for your needs.

The Space-Saving line features pots, pans and cookware sets specially designed to save room with flat lids and interlocking grooves that allow the pieces to stack securely.

This is an excellent choice for smaller kitchens with limited storage, as it takes up minimal space without items shifting around or getting scratched.

There are over fifteen different Space-Saving options encompassing both stainless steel and non-stick.

The Stainless Steel line does not have the specialized space-saving design, offering instead traditional stainless steel cookware you may be more familiar with.

There are no interlocking grooves or flat lids to allow stacking.

This is best if you don’t necessarily need nested storage but want durable fully-clad stainless cookware.

There are thirteen total Stainless Steel options to choose from.

Finally, the Non-Stick line provides high-quality nonstick pots and pans without the space-saving details that allow them to nest.

The nonstick coating and sleek style remains the same.

With nineteen total pieces including various pots, pans and full sets, this line offers versatility in a classic nonstick cookware design.

Materials and Construction

When researching cookware, it is important to understand what materials are used and how the set is constructed, as this greatly impacts durability and cooking performance.

The Stainless Steel pots and pans feature a high-quality triple-ply fully-clad construction.

This means they bond three layers of metal together – a stainless steel outer layer, a thick aluminum core, and another layer of stainless steel on the inside where food makes contact.

The benefit of this type of construction is maximizing durability while also allowing efficient and even heat conduction.

Stainless steel alone is extremely durable but not the best at conducting heat.

Aluminum excels at heat conduction but lacks the strength of steel.

By combing both metals with aluminum in the middle and stainless steel enclosing it, you get fantastic cooking performance with longevity.

The Non-Stick versions utilize a hard-anodized aluminum base rather than stainless steel.

Hard-anodized aluminum goes through an electrochemical process giving it a tougher, oxidized outer layer while still maintaining aluminum’s excellent heat conduction.

Calphalon Premier’s hard-anodized base is 3.6mm thick – even thicker than cheaper nonstick pans.

This thickness allows better heat absorption and retention.

The nonstick coating itself contains three layers of PTFE (Teflon) rather than just one or two like bargain pans.

The additional nonstick layers allow high heat tolerance and make the pans safe for metal utensils.

Design

In terms of design, Calphalon Premier cookware keeps things simple yet functional.

The Stainless Steel pots and pans feature a brushed steel exterior without a shiny polished look.

Instead the matte brushed finish hides minor smudges or scratches.

Hard-anodized Non-Stick options have a dark charcoal gray color both inside and out.

Each piece features comfortably thick steel handles secured by two sturdy rivets.

The unique Space-Saving line takes the streamlined design even further with some specialized offerings.

The flat glass lids eliminate bulky traditional dome shapes, shaving off precious inches.

Interlocking grooves built into the sides also allow stacking without slippage or scratches.

However, these extended grooves and handles do give Space-Saving cookware a bulkier, almost industrial look.

So while they save room when nested, the pieces themselves take up more visual space on the countertop or stove.

If having a sleek minimal footprint is most important, the regular Non-Stick line provides a better-looking silhouette.

But the Space-Savers perform fantastically when you need compact storage without sacrificing quality or performance.

Cooking Performance

When researching cookware, how it actually performs during cooking is arguably the most vital consideration.

Calphalon Premier earns top marks in this category, heating up rapidly and evenly while responding quickly to temperature adjustments.

Excellent heat conduction and retention means no frustrating hot or cold spots.

Food simply cooks the way it should with no effort.

The Stainless Steel cookware works on all cooktops including induction, and it can safely go in the oven up to 450°F.

The hard-anodized Non-Stick pans match the 450° oven safety but aren’t compatible with induction due to the aluminum.

Both versions feel solid and weigh enough to stay firmly planted during cooking and pouring without being overly heavy.

From frying eggs to braising meat, Calphalon Premier cookware handles any recipe with ease.

While marketed as metal utensil safe, using gentle nylon or silicon is still best practice to preserve the Non-Stick coating as long as possible.

In terms of real world performance, Calphalon Premier earns glowing reviews.

Food simply comes out right time and time again.

Price

With its high-end fully-clad and hard-anodized construction, exceptional cooking performance and versatility, Calphalon Premier cookware does come at a price.

This is not bargain basement cookware, but rather an investment designed to last years even with regular use.

Expect to spend over $100 for single frying pans and sauce pots, ranging up to several hundred dollars for complete cookware sets.

Compared to discount brands found in department stores, Calphalon Premier is certainly a step up.

However it is still reasonably affordable compared to luxury names like All-Clad, Made In or Mauviel.

See the chart below for current price ranges on Amazon of some best-selling Calphalon Premier items:

While not cheap per se, Calphalon Premier offers outstanding performance and quality at a mid-upper tier price point accessible for serious home cooks.

Downsides

Even well-made cookware has a few potential downsides to consider, and the same is true for Calphalon Premier.

Here are a few possible negatives depending on your needs:

The price makes this line prohibitively expensive for anyone on a very tight budget.

While worth the investment long-term, the upfront cost is significant.

The Contemporary and Classic Calphalon lines offer similar performance at a lower price, or explore budget brands for basic cookware.

The specialized Space-Saving line with its extended handles and ridges make for a bulkier appearance, especially the pots and pans are not nested.

It simply takes up more visible space.

Plus the industrial vibe doesn’t work with all kitchen designs.

While oven-safe to a very usable 450°F, some recipes do call for higher oven temps.

So if you need to go above that threshold frequently, another brand like All-Clad may work better.

The heavyweight fully-clad stainless and thick hard-anodized bottoms make these pots and pans substantially heavier than cheap options.

While great for stability while cooking, the heft makes storing and maneuvering more difficult.

Over time, the dark nonstick exterior coating can chip or peel, especially if scraped on grates or abrasive scouring pads during cleaning.

The stainless and anodized aluminum underneath prevent this from impacting function, but it mars the nice appearance.

No nonstick coating lasts forever or is truly impervious to scratches and wear.

But Calphalon Premier’s triple-layer design does enhance durability and longevity versus cheaper nonsticks.

With proper care you can expect the nonstick to last five years or more before needing replacement.

As with all stainless steel, expect some sticking with foods like eggs.

Proper preheating and fat helps minimize this drawback.

Plus unlike bargain stainless pans, Calphalon Premier’s aluminum core prevents hot spots that burn food before releasing it.

While the Stainless Steel pots and pans work on induction cooktops, the hard-anodized Non-Stick versions don’t due to their aluminum composition.

Nonstick needs that slippery coating to prevent sticking.

So if you have an induction range, another brand offering induction-capable nonstick is better.

Although Calphalon as a company still has headquarters and design facilities in Ohio, Premier pans themselves are manufactured in China.

So if American-made is important to you, another brand may be preferable.

Comparisons To Other Calphalon Lines

With so many cookware lines on the market, it helps to compare Calphalon Premier to other popular Calphalon collections.

The chart below lists key specs on materials, construction, price and more.

The triple-ply stainless construction of Premier is similar to Contemporary, with a core layer of aluminum, but it is heavier gauge for enhanced durability and heat retention.

The medium-gauge Classic line doesn’t retain heat quite as uniformly.

Premier’s Space Saving option has no direct equivalent in other offerings.

In terms of nonsticks, only Premier and Signature boast 3 layers of coating reinforced to handle metal utensils.

And Premier’s commercial-grade hard-anodized base is exceptionally tough versus cheaper aluminum that dents and warps easier.

With Premier besting even Signature and Contemporary in oven-safety temperature ratings and metal utensil durability, it is clearly the best-performing nonstick Calphalon sells.

Yet it comes at a premium price point given the upgrades.

Classic and Contemporary lines offer excellent nonstick performance more affordably.

No matter your priorities – whether commercial-grade durability, nestable space-saving storage, exceptional nonstick release, or a lower budget – Calphalon makes a Premier or other line to suit your cooking needs.

Conclusion

After reviewing construction, design, pricing, and performance, Calphalon Premier clearly stands out as a top option for any home cook wanting professional-grade cookware without the restaurant price tag.

With robust fully-clad stainless steel and commercial hard-anodized builds maximizing heating precision, plus specialized space-saving options perfect for compact storage, investing in Calphalon Premier pots and pans means enjoying easier and better cooking for years to come