I have a set of anodized Calphalon cookware that I enjoy cooking with very much. What does "anodized" mean, you might ask.
Anodizing involves placing a sheet of aluminum into a chemical acid bath, quite often acetone in laboratory experiments. The sheet of aluminum becomes the positive anode of a chemical battery and the acid bath becomes the negative. An electric current passes through the acid, causing the surface of the aluminum to oxidize (essentially rust). The oxidized aluminum forms a strong coating as it replaces the original aluminum on the surface. The result is an extremely hard substance called anodized aluminum.
Anodized aluminum can be nearly as hard as diamond under the right anodizing process. Many modern buildings use anodized aluminum in places where the metal framework is exposed to the elements. Anodized aluminum is also a popular material for making high-end cookware such as frying pans and pots. Heat is distributed evenly across anodized aluminum, and the process of anodizing provides a naturally protective finish. It is possible to use another electroplating process to make anodized aluminum look like copper or brass or other metals. Special dyes can also be used to color the anodized aluminum for decorative uses.
So now we all have a full understanding of what the process is for making anodized cookware. Quite honestly, I did not know what it meant until I found this on Wisegeek.com.
I ordered this online and it showed up in a couple days, as usually happens these days with ordering online.
This cleaner is for the hard anodized cookware, not the stainless steel cookware.
This is the hard anodized set of cookware that I own.
This is the stainless steel set of cookware. You will need an all-clad cleaner for this set. Do NOT use the hard anodized cleaner on this set of cookware.
I found this label on the top of the container of cleaner rather amusing. I think it is safe to assume that Calphalon has received a few complaints from customers that the container of cleaner was not, shall we say, full, when they received it.
Indeed, when you open the container, as you can see above, there does seem to be more than ample space for the cleaning sponge that is included.
The cleaning solution does seem to start rather "low" in the container, but what can you do. If you want to keep your anodized cookware in gleaming, pristine condition, then you buy a container and use it to do just that. It's not like you are going to clean each piece in the set with this cleaner every time you use it. This is only to use when there are baked on stains that ordinary cleaners will not remove. So this seven ounce container should last for some time.
Just to reiterate, do not use this cleaner on the Calphalon stainless cookware or any stainless cookware. There are lots of suitable cleaners out there for stainless. There is one by Bar Keepers Friend that I have had good luck with on my Chef's Collection stainless cookware.
This is a cookware cleaner and polish specifically designed for stainless steel.
Keeping your cookware clean and gleaming and looking nice makes all the difference when you step into the kitchen and start to create your magic. It just gives a good positive feeling if you are working with good quality, clean cookware. It is especially important for me as my cookware is frequently being photographed while preparing dishes to be presented here. You wouldn't want to see me using inferior cookware that was not properly cleaned. We have set a standard here at At Home with John Newman that demands the very best in all aspects of keeping house. That includes keeping a clean and tidy kitchen as well.
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