Commercial Aluminum are the original pieces from Calphalon. Basically they are bare anodized aluminum, so just the aluminum and zero non-stick coatings of any kind (which is rare because most modern anodized pans are also non-stick coated). Calphalon made these up til about the early 2000's, discontinued it, then brought it back roughly around 2010 for another year or two and it's been dead ever since.
They are very simple cookware. The handles on the vintage pieces like this are cast aluminum, and the body is thick anodized aluminum. They actually cook better than some modern pans because of how much aluminum is used (compared to All-Clad D3 for example, these actually cook more evenly). They can be a little sticky similar to stainless steel, but otherwise fantastic stuff.
Aluminum doesn't rust, so any spots you see are some combination of water spots / dishwasher fading, leftover food or polymerized oil spots, etc. BKF is safe on anodized aluminum surfaces, but with a huge caveat. The surface cannot have scratches or chips that expose bare aluminum. Bare aluminum is not safe with BKF, so if you rub these down with BKF you run the risk of chipping away more areas and degrading any exposed aluminum underneath. Vinegar is a milder solution that can tackle all sorts of spots, same with baking soda. I would try those with a medium duty sponge, then possible a heavier duty sponge (like scotch brite green, no steel wool). Just know that any dull grey or white spots that don't easily go away even after cleaning may be permanent: anodized aluminum can permanently fade and discolor from dishwasher cycles and other harsher cleaning methods.
Avoid putting these in the dishwasher, try not to use metal utensils or cleaners, and they should still last quite a long time. These things are tanks when taken care of, but they often got ruined by people using metal spatulas and the dishwasher.
Thank you for this great information. I have these. They are in great shape. I am struggling with one pot leaking due to the handle loosening. Do you have any thoughts on how to fix this? I have not been able to tighten any of it. Thanks for your time.
You can try to tighten the rivet at home but it's not always going to work. Basically would put the pot on a hard, slightly curved surface and use a hammer to bang the handle and rivet more flush towards the pot. Usually if a handle is loose, the rivet hole has expanded some, which means you will have to flatten out / expand the rivet a bit more to cover that gap.
Best bet may be to just look on ebay for a replacement. There's still quite a few pieces floating around in gently used or sometimes NOS condition.
Commercial Aluminum are the original pieces from Calphalon. Basically they are bare anodized aluminum, so just the aluminum and zero non-stick coatings of any kind (which is rare because most modern anodized pans are also non-stick coated). Calphalon made these up til about the early 2000's, discontinued it, then brought it back roughly around 2010 for another year or two and it's been dead ever since. They are very simple cookware. The handles on the vintage pieces like this are cast aluminum, and the body is thick anodized aluminum. They actually cook better than some modern pans because of how much aluminum is used (compared to All-Clad D3 for example, these actually cook more evenly). They can be a little sticky similar to stainless steel, but otherwise fantastic stuff. Aluminum doesn't rust, so any spots you see are some combination of water spots / dishwasher fading, leftover food or polymerized oil spots, etc. BKF is safe on anodized aluminum surfaces, but with a huge caveat. The surface cannot have scratches or chips that expose bare aluminum. Bare aluminum is not safe with BKF, so if you rub these down with BKF you run the risk of chipping away more areas and degrading any exposed aluminum underneath. Vinegar is a milder solution that can tackle all sorts of spots, same with baking soda. I would try those with a medium duty sponge, then possible a heavier duty sponge (like scotch brite green, no steel wool). Just know that any dull grey or white spots that don't easily go away even after cleaning may be permanent: anodized aluminum can permanently fade and discolor from dishwasher cycles and other harsher cleaning methods. Avoid putting these in the dishwasher, try not to use metal utensils or cleaners, and they should still last quite a long time. These things are tanks when taken care of, but they often got ruined by people using metal spatulas and the dishwasher.
Thank you for this great information. I have these. They are in great shape. I am struggling with one pot leaking due to the handle loosening. Do you have any thoughts on how to fix this? I have not been able to tighten any of it. Thanks for your time.
You can try to tighten the rivet at home but it's not always going to work. Basically would put the pot on a hard, slightly curved surface and use a hammer to bang the handle and rivet more flush towards the pot. Usually if a handle is loose, the rivet hole has expanded some, which means you will have to flatten out / expand the rivet a bit more to cover that gap. Best bet may be to just look on ebay for a replacement. There's still quite a few pieces floating around in gently used or sometimes NOS condition.
Thank you so much! I will give this a try.
I had these in the 90s - great pans.