Sur La Table Kitchen Essentials Chefs Deck 8-Inch Stainless Steel Frying Pan Induction Ready Skillet with Tri-Ply Base

Sur La Table Kitchen Essentials Chef's Deck 8-Inch Stainless Steel Frying Pan – Induction Ready Skillet with Tri-Ply Base, Polished Finish & Hollow Stay-Cool Handle We have an 8” All Clad frying pan that we use literally every day and love. It’s also very expensive, so we have a couple of backups in the cupboard for those times when we need two of them, but the backups don’t have even heat distribution or a great surface to them, so I decided to jump on this one as a new backup. This pan is distinctly thinner material than our main pan - probably close to half the thickness, but it has a heavy bottom. The handle is very similar to our All Clad and feels good in your hand. This pan is also slightly taller, so it may be better for certain dishes. The thin sides were my biggest worry, since other pans we have of similar design tend to burn badly on the thin sides if you’ve heated the bottom properly. The thick bottom seems to do its job and heats evenly and has enough mass to hold that heat once the food goes in, so there’s no need to crank up the heat to compensate. Perhaps it’s just what we’ve been cooking and I’ve kept the heat a little lower on the gas stove, but so far burning on the sides has not been a major issue, with only a little scorched oil to deal with. The stainless steel surface cleaned up easily though, so I’m happy with that. This pan doesn’t come with a lid, so be sure to get one if you don’t already have one in the kitchen. Our existing lids fit just fine, so we don’t need another. Would I trade in my All Clad for this? No. But if you’re on a budget, or just need an extra pan in the kitchen for occasional use, this is a really nice addition at a very reasonable price. Read more

This has quickly become my go-to pan. I think I was under the impression that it would be smaller when I ordered it, but I'm actually pleasantly surprised with its size. You won't be cooking a family meal in it necessarily, but it's great for a few eggs or a dish for one. It heats up evenly and retains the heat well. I happen to really like stainless steel from a cleaning standpoint. Even if you manage to make a good mess of the pan with egg or whatever, they can take a little more abuse than a coated pan. You can soak it for a bit in water, heat it up with some water in it and scour a little bit, or go nuts with an abrasive sponge, and you don't have to worry about "ruining" the pan. You can even throw it in the dishwasher if you choose. Frankly, I think most frying pans are overpriced, but comparatively speaking, I feel like this is a pretty good value for what you get. I have a couple other stainless steel pans, and I expect that they'll outlive me by a long shot. On the other hand, I've never had a non-stick (coated) pan that lasted more than few years of regular use before throwing it out seemed like the safe thing to do. Overall, I really like this pan, and it's been a great addition to our kitchen. It's well-made and thick enough to avoid warping. Cleanup is easy, and you don't have to coddle it. Read more

This is a lovely 8" stainless steel frying pan. I've been wanting to add some cookware that isn't non-stick to our collection, because even though most of what we have is ceramic now, I don't want any more Teflon in my family members' bloodstreams and even the ceramic can chip with wear and I'm sure some particles are ending up in our food, even if they are less harmful. You will have to deglaze this pan since it isn't nonstick, but it's a great way to add some extra flavor to many dishes if you do it properly. It is very lightweight, it cooks evenly, and it's aesthetically pleasing to boot. My wife is the main chef in the family and she said it's her first stainless steel pan and she's in love with it. She says it cooks evenly and it has a plate on the bottom that helps it to retain heat. When I asked her for some more details about the pan, the first thing she said is that it's an easy five stars. Her only complaint is it's a little small for cooking a meal for an entire family, but it is what it is, and it's perfectly good for cooking one or two things for one or two people. She says it's a truly great pan and asked me to watch out for the opportunity to review anything else from Sur La Table-- she commented that they're one of the best widely available brands for a reason. Read more

It's a nicely made pan--sturdy, hollow handle--doesn't cost a ton but still nicely made for the price. Mine discolored immediately after the first use... only on one side and only on the inside. Sort of looks like a golden brown as if oil had been burnt. I guess this can happen for a few reasons... could be the base is made thicker so flames travel up the side, heating that more on a regular stove. Could also be that I heated it up too hot, too fast. I'm not sure, but it won't come out with regular soap and water, guess I'll have to try something like Bar Keepers Friend. But it's just aesthetic, doesn't affect cooking ability or anything. Still a nice stainless pan and I have much pricier ones where this same thing happened, so it's not a reflection of quality... just stainless steel. Read more