Scotty B.—May 5, 2014
UPDATE (May 2017): After a little over 2 years, the non-stick surface finally lost it's non-stick properties. Part of that was due to the fact that my wife loved this pan so much, she used it all the time for everything, and non-stick pans will last longer if you only use them for applications where you really need a non-stick surface. NO non-stick surfaces last forever, however, which is why I think it's silly to spend a fortune on a non-stick pan. Of all the non-stick skillets I've tried (including some of the expensive ones) T-fal has the best non-stick surface. Some notes, though. This pan did exhibit the "hump" in the middle of the cooking surface, but I still say the constant belly-aching over this is way overstated. It never affected the ability to cook anything I wanted to. If anything runs towards the edge, just give it a quick swirl – problem solved. It made great, thin omelets, even with the "hump, until the non-stick surface wore out. However, this pan did warp. Just enough that it wouldn't lie perfectly flat on a ceramic cooktop. I think it had something to do with the construction. Although it conducts heat evenly, this is not a heavy duty pan. The stainless steel bottom is a thin disk mated to an aluminum body, which is different than more expensive pans that sandwich an aluminum disk between layers of stainless steel. The two metals expand and contract at different rates, so I think warping is inevitable with this design. Because of that, I opted for the Ultimate Anodized version of this pan for its replacement, which features solid anodized aluminum construction. Same non-stick surface. Same handle. I've been very happy with it. If you have an induction cook-top, then this Professional version is your only option. It's a good pan. Just don't overheat it and maybe avoid super hot dishwasher cycles to make it last longer. (May, 2014) It's still pretty much brand new. So I can't comment on its durability, yet. The build quality is fine. I prefer a slightly longer handle and ones with the slip-on silicone sleeves, but it's fine. This pan is oven-safe, but only at less than 400 degrees. But this pan is not made for super-hot cooking - no non-stick pans are. It's not a super heavy pan, but it's not super thin like so many cheap ones. But the purpose is to quickly heat things up, and it does so evenly. Mine did not exhibit the "bow" that some complain about. Even if it does bow slightly over time and the oil runs to the sides, I'm not concerned. With a non-stick skillet, you are adding fat strictly for flavor. A quick swirl is all that's necessary when you add the food. (Note: If you actually watch ATK like I do, you would see that their skillet actually DOES exhibit the bow and their oil runs to the sides. Doesn't seem to stop them from making great food, so I think the bellyaching over this is a bit overstated) If you are adding more than, say, a tablespoon of oil, you probably need to use a different pan, anyway. You should be using this pan to cook quickly sauté veggies or cook delicate foods like fish and eggs, not to cook burgers and steaks or simmer foods for a long time. Use stainless steel or cast iron for those things. The non-stick surface is excellent. Omelets are a breeze. Fish releases easily and intact while still getting a little color. To make the surface last as long as possible, hand washing is best, and cleanup is easy. This is more than I've spent on a non-stick skillet in the past - I usually just buy inexpensive commercial non-stick pans from restaurant supply companies. But the America's Test Kitchen tests and reviews seem to suggest that this one will put up with a little more abuse and retain it's excellent non-stick properties longer than most. I can't comment on that yet, but I haven't seen the non-stick properties of any of these skillets last longer than a year - or two, at best. Dings and scratches are normal wear-and-tear, unless you really baby these things, - always hand wash them, always use soft utensils (wood and silicone are best - hard plastic can still scratch the surface), and store them in a way that the non-stick surface never contacts any other surfaces. This skillet does the types of cooking it was made for extremely well. That's why you should buy it. Read more
SFG Electronics—March 15, 2016
These are the best pots/pans I have ever used! This particular one I actually purchased as a gift for my mom, but I have completely switched all of my pots and pans to the T-Fal E series. I have yet to cook (or burn) anything that actually stuck to the surface and couldn't just be wiped out. FOR EXAMPLE: I occasionally make sandwiches for my family, and one thing that I do is throw deli meat (whether it's turkey, ham, salami, etc.) in the pan to heat it up and give it a slight crispiness, and top it with cheese (processed, shredded, real cheese, whatever we have at the time). I will then flip it over to "toast" the cheese side. Again, the cheese releases from the surface as good as the meat does, and this gives it a little smoky flavor that adds to the overall taste. This is by far the best non-stick pan I have ever used! PROS: Incredibly non-stick No harmful chemicals in the coating (does NOT contain PTFE (Teflon) Super easy to clean Lightweight, but solid Has a color changing circle in the center to let you know when it's hot Retains a considerable amount of heat (you can cook the same with less heat from the burner) CONS: Does not hold up to use with metal utensils -- have to use silicone-coated or plastic Made of aluminum -- this contributes to the light weight, but is soft and dents/bends easily if not properly cared for Lids are not readily available (T-Fal does not make them) After about 2 1/2 years of near daily use, this particular pan became "sticky" due to improper care (the non-stick surface became VERY scratched, down to metal in some spots), but this is not a fault of the pan. It could have easily been prevented. I cook just about every meal for my family, and after using this I would never switch to a different brand or series of pots and pans. But, like any high-quality item, they must be properly cared for. SUGGESTIONS: ALWAYS wash by hand, do NOT put in dishwasher!! (This should be self-explanatory, it takes approximately 30 seconds to completely clean by hand). For me, washing consists of a rinse under hot water, a simple wipe (NO SCRUBBING NEEDED) with either a soapy soft-sponge or cloth, followed by a hot water rinse and towel dry. DONE! NEVER heat pan with nothing in it!! (Even though it is non-stick, you should always add a little oil/butter or whatever you are cooking to the pan while heating). This prevents the pan from overheating. DO NOT overheat!! Overheating the pan causes the coating to "scorch" and will greatly reduces it's effectiveness. ALWAYS use plastic or silicone-coated utensils, as metal utensils WILL damage the surface. Pay attention to your cooking temperature! The design of these pans allow you to get a better cook in the same amount of time with less heat on the burner! For example, I can boil water with the burner set at 6 in the same amount of time that it takes an aluminum or stainless pot to boil with the burner on 9 or 10. Frying (say, eggs or burgers) can be done on 4 or 5, whereas other pans need to be on 7 or 8. **YOU'RE SETTINGS MAY DIFFER!! EVERY STOVETOP CAN PRODUCE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HEAT!!** I have used everything from cheap ceramic-coated non-stick to very expensive (and overpriced, if you ask me) PROFESSIONAL stainless steel cookware, and nothing I have used in the past can even begin to compare with the quality of this series of pots and pans by T-Fal. Not to mention, the price on this series is outstanding, and i would easily pay double for them if I had to, and they are definitely worth it!. I have repeatedly, and continue to recommend these to ANYONE looking for pots/pans or having a problem with sticking food. Now, I am not a professional chef, and I do not consider myself to be, but I do cook with multiple pots/pans a lot, and these have made cooking a much better experience for me, and cleanup is much simpler (no soaking to get the stuck-on crud off!). Read more
John Thomas—September 22, 2013
I recently bought a whole cookware set that came with a non stick fry pan. However it's often too small for bigger jobs like family stir fries. So when I was interested in supplementing it with a 12" pan, I settled on this for both the great reviews, and the price. I'm sure I don't have to convince many that often just making an addition to a set of something, or getting a replacement can sometimes cost near half of what the whole set costs. Some of the single frying pans I found on Amazon costs even over half of what I paid for a 7 piece set of good quality cookware. This fry pan is not only top quality in my opinion, but comes at a very reasonable price. It's all non stick, in and out, and the handle is a thick and comfy. As far as the red dot thingy in the middle, I have not see it change to all red yet when heating it up. But that doesn't really matter. It's plenty hot enough in no time and a pleasure to cook with. As far as some of the reviews here talking about oil running off to the sides of it, I noticed that too. But I really can't find any hump or bulge in the middle that accounts for it. I actually think that its mostly caused by people's stove tops that are not exactly level. For this pan is so non stick that oil tends to pool up in drops anyway and you are much better off using butter, or a spray. Actually I have no problems at all with either butter or oil for I just smear it around a little bit before plopping my fixen's in. And there are many here that haven't mentioned a run off at all in their reviews. In any event, I don't mind it or hold it against this fine pan at all. It's top quality all the way, very reasonably priced, and a good size for a big family fry. I highly recommend it... : ) Read more
