Amazon offered a bonus for purchasing Calphalon pots that I never received because the orders were split and they refused to honor it. Next time, I will order directly through the vendor or shop in person for this type of purchase - the vendor did their part efficiently. The pot is well worth the money and I take care to heat and cool it slowly to avoid any possibility of warping.

This is my first official review of anything, ever, I believe.

First off: I needed to start a "grown-up" collection of cookware. My collection had consisted entirely of the visions cookware my mother gave me when I moved out on my own over ten years ago and the sad pieces I inherited when I purchased my late grandfather's home from his estate (mostly revereware). I had never purchased anything for myself and discovered I did enjoy cooking (and pretty well if I might humbly add) when I moved out. So for over ten years I have been cooking on very lousy cookware.

I managed to get some great pieces at yard sales - mainly Le Creuset.

I decided to ask for some good pieces for Christmas last year and did some research on ratings to determine the brand I would try.

Two of Calphalon's lines made the top two spots in consumer reports two years ago, so I took a look at them and loved the look of this line. Plus, I had heard for years that copper was the way to go.

I received three pieces that Christmas and this was one of them.

They hung in my kitchen (after my husband made a special rack for them) for at least 3 months before I got the nerve up to try them out. I thought "I can't wait to try them" when I received them, but once they were hung up I thought "They are too pretty to use and scratch up".

I got over that eventually and now find myself constantly reaching for this pan in particular. I use it almost everyday.

The size is wonderful. Large. I used a much smaller saute pan almost daily and can't believe the difference.

PROS/GENERAL COMMENTS:

Let it heat up before adding meats and they will release better.

It heats evenly - even on an uneven cook surface that tilts to one side.

It browns beautifully.

I've never burned anything on it.

These pieces have a nice weight to them for cooking but are easy to handle (although I did read another tri-ply copper piece review by a woman with arthritis who had trouble with the weight and handle length.)

I like that it can go into the oven so you can brown something nicely then finish it off in the oven as some recipes call for. And you can heat it to 450 degrees.

I like the brushed finish as opposed to the mirror finish some other brands use. I think it looks more elegant.

It would probably make a half decent wok or stir fry pan in a pinch. It has some depth to it compared to skillets.

You are not supposed to use non-stick sprays on this line, and I haven't. Just use a bit of olive oil, it's good for you.

It cleans up easily - though the outside does spot up and tarnish quickly. I also soak my in the sink when I'm too lazy to clean up that night - and you aren't supposed to do that with these pans. The tarnish comes off very quickly (if you care) with salt and white vinegar or Never Dull. I just polished mine for the first time today.

CONS: The color they tarnish to is an odd yellowy color. Not like better French cookware. You think the pot actually is permanantly discolored, but it's not.

I don't think the actual copper content is very high, but they do the job promised.

The handles attached to this pan do get hot. The lid does not.

It does get scratched, but I don't care about that.

CONCLUSION:

I like this line. It cooks nicely and cleans up well. I am now in the process of ordering a ton of Calphalon items from Amazon that are priced so low I couldn't resist. Mainly the Commercial Anodized line. I will review those when I get the chance to use them a bit.

If you like to cook and don't have the proper tools, do yourself a favor and get some good pans and knives. I used Ginsu steak knives as cooking tools for almost ten years, and "oh the humanity". I almost gave up ever making salads entirely because I dreaded chopping/sawing things.

I've owned the non-stick version of this pan for about 2 years now. It's always been the first pan I reach for when cooking. While non-stick is great for a lot of things, I decided to get a pan better suited to de-glazing and other cooking techniques that don't work as well in non-stick pans. I'm very glad I choose this one.

Keeping with Chalphalon's tradition of high quality, you can feel how well constructed this pan is the moment you pick it up. It's pretty heavy, thanks to the thick layer of aluminum sandwiched between the stainless and copper. While I'm sure the copper is doing a great job of conducting heat, it's really mostly just for looks, as the thick layer of aluminum is responsible for keeping a nice, even heating in this pan. And for even heating - you can't beat it. There aren't any hotspots, and things cook remarkably well.

Plus, this pan just looks great! The copper is beautiful, and looks great paired with the stainless. I've cooked five or six things in it since it arrived last week, and was impressed each time.

Pros:
-Calphalon quality
-Food doesn't stick very well to stainless, but the absence of a non-stick coating still allows you to perform cooking techniques that don't work well in non-stick pans
-Great looking
-Will likely last forever

Cons:
-None really. You do have to wash this by hand, if you find that a con - but it cleans very easily.

I love to cook... and I swear by Calphalon cookware. I've had their non-stick version of the everyday pan for almost 2 years now - and I really do use it almost everyday. I came to amazon looking for the Stainless steel model when I saw this one. I just couldn't resist the copper finish.

Non-stick pans are great for lots of cooking... but sometimes the non-stick coating interferes with a certain procedure. For instance, if you're deglazing the pan with wine after cooking some sort of meat - it won't work nearly as well with a non-stick pan, and then end result will therefore not be as good. That's why having a Stainless steel pan like this is such a necessity if you cook (or plan to expand to cooking) some fancy dishes.

Just like all the other calphalon cookware I own - this pan is very sturdy (and heavy), and heats extremely evenly thanks to it's thick aluminum core. While the copper looks great, and while copper is a good conducter of heat - I really think that in this pan, with the little bit of copper that's really on it - it's almost soley the aluminum responsible for heat distribution. But - that's not to say the copper is useless - far from it! This pan just looks so much better than the plain stainless steel - and if you're paying to same for either the stainless, or the copper/stainless, why not get the best looking pan! Asthetics do count :)

The fact that this is oven safe to 450 is also a great help. I love being able to use this pan (or the non stick version) for a dish where you brown something on the stove top, then throw the whole thing right in the oven for the final cooking. There's no need to transfer food to another pan - making more dishes, and wasting more of your time.

Pros:
-Super even heating (no hotspots)
-Very sturdy, heavy and durable
-Great looking
-Basically screams high-quality
-easy to clean
-sized and shaped such that it will become the first pan you reach for when you cook

Cons:
-I only ordered one.(Seriously - I don't have a con - it's just too good.)