The Calphalon Pasta Party Set includes a 8 Qt. Stock Pot with lid, stainless steel pasta insert/strainer, and a black nylon pasta fork. Gone are the days of having to drain your pasta over the sink (what a mess). Simply lift the Pasta Insert out of the stock pot when the pasta is finished cooking and you're ready to serve. You can also keep cooked pasta warm by angling the strainer and resting it on top of the stock pot. The stainless steel pasta strainer also works great when you're blanching large amounts of veggies at once too!
Like every piece in the Calphalon line the Stock Pot is made of a heavy-gauge aluminum, all-metal construction. This provides superior cooking performance by distributing the heat evenly so there are no hot spots as you cook. And because it's made entirely of metal, each pan can be used in the oven and under the broiler. The hard-anodizing seals the cooking surface, making it stick-resistant and non-reactive to the foods being cooked.
A couple of caveats - Calphalon pans retain and distribute a lot of heat very evenly, you will use a lot less heat to cook the food. Also, don't forget NEVER put them in the dishwasher. They will discolor and look horrible and besides they are a snap to clean.
If you have a cook on your Christmas list definately look for Calphalon's Special collections--it'll be a gift they'll love.
