Cheap Cuisinart 625-30D Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch

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List Price: $80.00
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Let me start off by saying that my main cookware set is the Anolon Titanium set that cost $399 when we got it in 2003. I love these pans because they are heavy-duty, nonstick because of the titanium, and dishwasher safe because of the titanium. Well, I wanted to add an "everyday" sort of pan to my collection because the Anolon set is VERY heavy and takes up lots of space, so I wanted something a little ligher weight for easier handling, but still large enough to cook for larger dinner parties AND easy to clean. So we looked at 12" pans and skillets and we decided on this one, the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Non-Stick Hard Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Cover.

For what you get in this set...the 12" pan and the covered lid...you cannot beat the price for the quality. For one, it uses a "quantanium" coating for its nonstick base...this is basically a nonstick coating reinforced with titanium, so it can withstand higher temps (oven safe to 500 degrees) and is scratch resistent. I don't use metal utensils anyway, so I can't attest to this...but it has been great so far!

The nonstick is great...makes clean up easy, which is very important to me as free time is very scarce in this household! I haven't thrown the pan into the dishwasher, but the lid gets tossed in and it's been fine. The pan itself cleans so easily that just a soapy nonabrasive sponge is all it takes to get the pan to brand new condition.

The pan also heats up very evenly. I cooked sauteed chicken in the pan and every single piece was evenly cooked. The pieces on the edges of the pan was just as cooked as the ones in the middle of pan. Makes for great cooking when you don't have to fuss about repositioning the food every few minutes for even heat distribution!

I also love the short handles because I always bump into the longer skillet handles when I'm cooking up a storm and I don't bump into this pan. I can also use this on the back burners too because of the short handles. You just can't "toss" your food like you can with a skillet. Use a towel or oven mitt when you touch the handles or the lid because they do get hot...but that's fine with me anyway because I don't like getting hot grease splattered on my hands anyway!

Overall, I am very impressed with this pan, and at a fraction of the price of similar items and nowhere near the cost of my Anolon Titanium set, it's a bargain!

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I would say the pan is a little lighter than the Calaphon 'Commercial' everyday pan (with no non-stick surface). However, remarkably, the 'Chef's Classic' claims to be oven safe up to 500 degrees while the Calphalon maxes out at 450 degrees. (Amazon's in-house brand, the Pinzon, only promises a paltry 350 degrees.)

The glass lid could only charitably be described as 'medium dome' and is not as high as its stainless steel counterpart.

To reviewers concerned about cleaning...no anodized aluminum pan should ever be placed in the dishwasher. If the exterior of the pan becomes spattered with cooked on food, I would say the use of a paste of baking soda or 'Barkeeper's Friend' might help. It does help that the pan will fit flat in a standard sink for easy cleanup with mild dish detergent and warm water. One key is to dry the pan immediately after washing.

With its titanium-reinforced, non-stick surface, metal utensils may be used; however, since the surface is truely non-stick, why take the chance of gouges?

The cast steel, Cuisinart embossed handles are smaller than those on other 'Chef's Classic' pans, but should not present a problem as long as the cook does not overfill the pan.

All-in-all, this remains an amazing 'buy' at less than $25.

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Talk about potato woes. Mine were sticking to the pan, ripping, smooshing against my spatula. I tried home fries on the stovetop, roasted potatoes in the oven. Nothing worked and I was getting so frustrated.

I got this pan yesterday and had to use it right away, for supper. I cut red new potatoes in half and tossed them with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. I poured the potatoes into the pan and put them into the oven at 380 F. After 30 minutes I went to turn them and when I pulled the pan out, the potatoes SLID around the pan. So beautiful to see. After another 30 minutes, they were donebrown, crisp along the edges, perfectly cooked.

I guess it's all about having the right pan for what you're doing. This pan turned my terrible potatoes into perfection.

Honest reviews on Cuisinart 625-30D Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch

What we'd all love in a 12-inch pan: (1) $25, (2) quality nonstick, and (3) heavy. Now pick two out of three, because that's all you're going to find. If you chose (1) and (2), then this pan could be for you.

This is a big, thin pan. Foremost, if you plop it down cold on a high flame, it will be far more likely to warp than either a heavier or a smaller-diameter pan. (So those one-star reviews that say "my pan is warped" should more honestly read "I warped my pan.") Proper technique is to let the pan heat up over moderate heat, add oil, let the oil heat, add food, adjust the flame as necessary. It even says in the literature that comes with it: do not use over high heat. But once it's hot, I've turned the heat up for stir fry without any warping.

It's an everyday pan, not an everything pan. Since it's thin, it doesn't have the thermal mass to take on a thick cut of meat. But it's useful for a wide range of properly chosen foods and techniques.

The pan has seen a couple of months' use, and it's become the most frequently used pan in the house. Heats evenly without noticeable hot spots. The nonstick surface is excellent quality, great release, tight, unmarked.

Yes, there are rivets inside, but there are rivets inside all my cookware except the cast iron and cheap stamped aluminum.

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This pan has such a perfect size and shape and non-stick quality (especially for the $19.00 price) that I wanted to give five stars. But there are important flaws. Right out of the box, I could see immediately that on one half of the interior, the non-stick coating was jagged and bumpy, like it wasn't painted on smoothly or someone had scratched it up. The other side was perfectly smooth. It immediately made me suspcious and wondering if I would be eating some of the non-stick coating chemical. This is a huge issue. The pan also is very thin and light. I wasn't expecting such a flimsy pan that boasted of hard anodized material. I would have been willing to pay more money for a heavier skillet. It's the flaking non-stick material that makes me worry. Otherwise, it's an ideal roomy shape, with tall sides so food won't spill over. The two handles make it easy to fit in the sink. The coating is very non-stick. The interior looks very smooth on the one side that isn't flaking. If they improved the quality control and make it more solid and heavy, even at a higher cost, this would be a great pan. Not sure I'll use this much because of the coating issue and any potential safety issues from that. It also seems too light weight for serious sauteeing. I have other heavy pans I use for that. I will go back to Calphalon pans; I've not had problems with the non-stick on Calphalon coming off.