Good Alternative to Stainless Steel and Anodized AluminumBased on the good reviews on Amazon, I picked up the 12 inch stir fry pan and I just gave it its first test run making curry.
In general this is an excellent pan, it's a good weight, meats brown and vegetables saute quickly, it cleans easily, and it is very responsive (i.e. it heats and cools quickly as you adjust the burner). So it makes a very good alternative to a stainless steel or anodized aluminum skillet or saute pan for everyday cooking.
That being said, it does not completely replace a standard cast iron skillet because it is so responsive...if anything, this pan heats and cools a wee bit too fast. Traditional cast iron heats and cools slowly because of its mass, making it very good for certain types of cooking that need the temperature to hold steady like deep searing meat, stir frying vegetables, shallow and deep frying, and braising.
I also wonder if the ceramic surface will hold up. As anyone who cooks on terra cotta or stoneware knows,...
Good product BUT...The pan itself works great - the non-stickiness quite good (although you do have to use some oil with it).
For the first time in ages I don't have to soak and scrub the eggs off the pan, which after years of hassle with LeCreuset pans feel borderline miraculous.
HOWEVER, my biggest problem with this product is that the picture shows a different pan altogether - the stirfry pan, and not the regular fry pan, which is more shallow and does not have the wok-like shape that the picture suggests. For me it was a huge disappointment (especially since apparently amazon does not carry the stirfy model at all, at least at the time of my writing it).
Plus, the main reason for my buying this pan was it's supposed non-toxicity. Call me crazy, but when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
I truly do hope that the non-stick coating is 100% safe as they claim, but still, I have my doubts.
That being said, the pan does work great. I'd give it...
This pan is dandyI picked up the 11-inch version of this pan because the old cast iron pan (one of the really heavy ones) I had used was reclaimed recently by my mother after a long term loan. I think having a cast iron pan around is essential, but I have to admit, that super heavy model was somewhat of a pain to us. Which is why I wanted a more versatile one, and one that wasn't as tough on the wrists. This pan fit that bill perfectly. It has the heft and strength of character you'd want in cast iron, but more maneuverability. The stay cool handle is nice, too, when you're cooking on the stove. Last night though I was making a savory bread pudding in here, and started it on the stove, and then moved it into the oven. Luckily, I remembered at the last second before pulling it out of the oven that stay-cool or not, the handle was going to be hot after being in the oven. So, be careful in that situation, which will come up because of the pan's ability to go from stovetop to oven easily. That, plus the...
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