Paula Deen Signature Porcelain Nonstick 15-Piece Cookware Set Reviews

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My favorite frying pans are good old cast-iron, and I compared a cast-iron pan with the larger 10" Paula Deen. In each, I made an egg for an egg sandwich, meaning the egg needed to be flipped. Then I fried a frozen hamburger patty. Third, I made scrambled cheesy eggs (so the eggs had to be "stirred"). My comparisons:

LOOKS:

***** Paula Deen. These pans are simply gorgeous. I have the Blueberry Speckle, and it's a very pretty blue porcelain with a black non-stick interior.

**** Cast Iron. Even when it's new, there's nothing gorgeous about cast iron. Heft is its middle name.

HANDLES:

***** Paula Deen. The rubber-ized handle matches the blue exterior. It is non-slip and comfortable to hold. And, it doesn't get hot. You do have to be more careful that the handle doesn't wander over a heat source, though, as it would be damaged. The handle is solidly riveted to the pan with two rivets. It could come loose eventually or with banging around, but it isn't put together in a flimsy manner.

***** Cast Iron. The handle gets very hot, but it's also indestructible and part & parcel with the bowl of the pan. No separation anxiety.

HOW FOODS FRY:

The Paula Deen heats up a little faster than the cast iron, and cools down faster than the cast iron.

***** Paula Deen. No oil needed for either the eggs or the burger. The eggs cooked beautifully with no browning around the edges. If you LIKE a fried egg with crisp edges, then this may not be the pan for you. The burger browned nicely. Eggs and burger released for serving perfectly and smoothly.

**** Cast Iron. At least a minimum brushing of oil is needed for both eggs and the burger. Eggs more likely to brown unless you're watching carefully and use more oil. Burgers brown nicely. Food definitely doesn't slide off the pan like with a non-stick. The need for oil could be a concern if counting calories or watching cholesterol.

PAN STABILITY:

*** Paula Deen. Maybe it's because I'm used to my cast iron pans which I have in sizes both bigger and smaller than the Paula Deen 10" and 8". I have a gas stovetop, and I was annoyed when I couldn't flip the egg or flip the burger without holding onto the fry pan handle. When I tried to flip them one-handed, as I always do with the cast-iron pan, the Paula Deen pan skittered off to the side of the burner and the bowl tilted up (the handle tilted down). Perhaps you are saying, "Well, get a grip, and use the handle like you're supposed to." I'm not arguing with that, but I'm spoiled by the cast iron pans and I got annoyed.

Even just sitting on the stovetop, it is easier to tip than most pans. Maybe the handle is too heavy for the base.

The 10" pan, by my measurements, is: 9.75" diameter at the top rim; 6.5" diameter for the flat bottom; 7" handle.

The 8" pan, by my measurements, is: 8" diameter at the top rim; 5.5" diameter for the flat bottom; 6 1/8" handle length.

***** Cast Iron. Stays where you put it, whether you are flipping or stirring.

This fault is the reason I took one star off my overall rating of the two Paula Deen fry pans I have. The handle seems too heavy or the body is not heavy enough, to counterweight each other.

FRY TEMPERATURE:

**** Paula Deen. This is non-stick. Per the instructions that came with the fry pans, you can use "low to medium heat only". You cannot do a proper high-heat stir-fry in a non-stick pan. Due to the rubber-like handle, the Paula Deen fry pans are oven safe to only 350 degrees. However, these restrictions apply to all non-stick brands, so it wasn't a deduction from my overall rating. I've just deducted a star for this comparison.

Please also note that any PTFE non-stick pan has a caveat for cooking with "birds or small pets in or near the kitchen". The nonstick coating can "emit fumes harmful to birds", even if you are NOT using a high heat. In particular, though, smoke from burning foods or overheated oils (including butter) "will create dangerous fumes which a bird's respiratory system cannot handle". This is covered in the Paula Deen instructions that came with the fry pans.

***** Cast Iron. Can take any temperature you throw at it. This includes any oven temperature.

CLEANUP:

***** Paul Deen. Extremely easy clean-up. Definitely no soaking needed. Of course, you need to use no-scratch utensils when cooking and no abrasives when cleaning. The fry pans are not dishwasher safe.

Paula Deen pans have a lifetime warranty for "normal household use". This does not cover "damage caused by accident, misuse, abuse or commercial use. Scratches, stains, discoloration, damage from overheating or damage from use of automatic dishwasher are not covered."

***** Cast Iron. Maybe it's just because I'm used to it, but I find cast-iron easy to clean. A metal mesh scrubber and hot water takes off everything without hurting the pan. (You don't use soap on cast-iron, as the soap can be absorbed by the pan and affect the taste of food cooked afterwards.) Not dishwasher safe, as you'll get rust on it and it probably won't get all the food off it anyway. (Rust is just scrubbed off.)

Overall, the Paula Deen pans are lovely and work the way non-stick is supposed to work. I'm not throwing out my cast-iron, though!

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We bought these after our Rachel Ray ones decided to give out on us. Not the inside of the Rachel Ray pans, but the outside of them started to strip away.

So I went looking for some inexpensive, but still nice pans to replace ours and found these. They are beautiful in person and we absolutely love them. After two months of solid use, we still have no issues. I'm just absolutely in love with these and so glad we purchased them.

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I ordered this set for my daughter as a surprised for her birthday. She was thrilled! Quality product. Great value.

Honest reviews on Paula Deen Signature Porcelain Nonstick 15-Piece Cookware Set

Excellent, just like my turquoise. This will match my new kitchen !!! Have been cooking with it for a year & couldn't do without it !!!

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This is so bad it is not worth spending more money returning ! They don't tell you no frying in oil, no stacking, no high heat and more. Really, its not to sit on a shelf -its use is to COOK .