Discount Nordic Ware Micowave 48-Ounce Round Casserole Dish with Cover

Customer Ratings:

This plate does the job, but the lids don't fit so securely, no matter how many times I put them on. It's safe for the microwave and dishwasher.

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I have used these for several years. I like them because I can take most frozen entrees/dinners out of the store carton and plastic tray and place the frozen food in this dish. I then add extra frozen veggies and/or frozen chicken strips for fiber and protein. Takes longer than the time on the store carton, but works well. However, I always put the dish on a microwave safe plate because the dish by itself is somewhat difficult to handle, especially when hot. Other reviewers are correct that the lid is not tight on the dish. This means that if you attempt to grab the dish by the edge handles when it contains freshly cooked food, the lid may slip and cause a serious steam burn to your fingers. Yesterday I used my microwave safe plate under another microwave dish. When it was finished I took off the dish with hot food, and placed this dish full of frozen entree and veggies on the hot plate and put it in the microwave to cook. I wasn't concerned since this is supposed to be freezer and microwave safe. However, when the entree was finished cooking, I discovered that this dish had a long and serious crack in the bottom. I can only speculate that this was caused by the difference in temperature between the hot underplate and the frozen food. I am ordering a replacement because I still think the dish serves my needs well, but I will be more careful to be sure my underplate is not too hot when placing this dish with frozen food on it.

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Dishes work really well in the microwave but do not put the lids in the dishwasher, not even top rack. The lids no long fit on to the dishes, they shrank. Disappointing that I will have to put left-overs into another container & then return them to these items to reheat.

Honest reviews on Nordic Ware Micowave 48-Ounce Round Casserole Dish with Cover

I ordered several Nordic Ware items and all the items had something wrong. Some items I received had cracked edges along the cover, other items the lids did not fit and this item the lid would not snap down. I bought this item to store leftovers. The edge of the lid was cracked and the lid doesn't snap down, then the leftovers would dry out or smell up the rest of the frig. I have bought Nordic Ware before at Target and other stores so I was able to verify that the item would seal. I highly suggest not to buy Nordic Ware online, buy it in a store so you can inspect it. When the items are not cracked and seal correctly, they actually work great.

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Love these for microwave use and easy to clean up. I've placed in the upper and lower rack of the dishwasher and had no problems.

Review of CucinaPro 380 Stainless Steel Grater

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List Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $19.25
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

This little grinder does exactly what it says WITHIN LIMITS. The housing and handle are sturdy but the grating cylinders are weak and bendable. It is really ONLY useful for grating soft cheeses. Get too close to the harder end of good parmesan and it will jam. You will have to get out the pliers to get it apart.

That being said, I really like this little grinder for grating cheddar or a not-too-hard chunk of parmesan -much better than the box grater and inevitably scraped knuckles. You will still need a box grater and microplane for carrots, potatoes, and anything tougher. Hubby-the-dish-washer complains about the nooks and crannies cheese gets stuck in -particularly in the rolled metal edges.

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It grinds the cheese ok but the suction on the bottom will not hold. It keeps coming off and making a mess with all the cheese. I would not recommend this product because of that one faulty feature.

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This is a good grater, suction to the counter was good and grated through the different wheels nicely. BUT: The threaded insert that goes into the wheel lever arm broke after just under a year of use. Looking for something more robust now.

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Works with the soft parmesan I can get at the store. I am not sure I'd want to try it with a hard parmesan.

There is a tendency for pieces to get stuck between the wheel and the body. Not much you can do, except take breaks to get them out.

It grates very quickly once you get going, but you will want to grate a lot at one time, since taking it apart to clean it is a pain.

The handle is metal. Hopefully it will not break, like the plastic ones seem to.

You will want to have pliers handy in order to take it apart for cleaning.

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The product description says the grater is made of powder coated aluminum. It is notit is powder coated steel.

The product description claims "Fine for hard cheeses, nuts and chocolate." When grating Parmesan cheese, the grater barrel dented and jammed when encountering the hard rind of the cheese. I would not attempt to grate nuts with it.

The end of the grater barrel is rolled. This area traps food particles and must be cleaned carefully with a toothpick.

The weld affixing the shaft to the grater barrel is rusting after one use.

Not recommended.

Precise Heat 6pc Stainless Steel Skillet Set with Steam Control Review

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List Price: $499.00
Sale Price: $103.54
Today's Bonus: 79% Off

My wife and I are very pleased with these skillets we purchased online. We really enjoy using them, learning to cook the "waterless and "greaseless" way. When we grill meat on the skillet, we do not need to use any cooking oil. The meat gets cooked in its own fat. For vegetables, we find the cooking time shorter using the skillet, compared to using other pans or pots we have. In addition, the cooked vegetable retains its own natural sweetness. The skillets are also easy to clean.

It's truly the healthier way of cooking. On top of that, we save on the cooking oil as well as the gas.

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These pans are terrific! Nothing sticks to them. The construction and materials are far superior to most of the pans I own. I would recommend them highly. HOWEVER, DON'T BUY THEM FROM SELLER BuyDBest!!! The pans arrived with no info on care or use so I tried numerous time to contact the seller and got ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE FROM THE SELLER AT ALL! Fortunately there was enough info on the internet about waterless cooking to get me started.

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I absolutely love these pans and wouldn't cook with anything else. I would recommend them to over any other pan on the market.

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I would recommend these skillets. They are good quality, but they are heavy so keep in mind before you purchase.

Reviews of BODUM Schiuma Turbo Milk Whip

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List Price: $19.00
Sale Price: $12.99
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

The Mr. Coffee Milk Frother, BODUM Schiuma Milk Whip and Aerolatte Milk Frother appear to be the 3 most popular milk frothers in the under $20 range. I've had all three and currently have two remaining. The Bodum died after 2 months. All run on 2 AA batteries. Regardless of which one you decide, don't set your expectations too high as all three have drawbacks.

I was quite pleased with the Bodum Schiuma. As far as torque, the Bodum appears to be the best of the three. I was able to whip up a good amount of froth when mixing up to 10-oz of milk. So if cappuccinos are your thing, then the Bodum is a strong contender. Although inconveniently placed on the top, the Bodum has a real on/off switch. Inconvenient meaning it's slightly tough to get to turn off. Many time this will result in you accidentally lifting the frother from the milk resulting in milk flying everywhere. As far as reliability, I can't give the Bodum a good rating. It died after 2 months of use.

Now needing another frother and not wanting to wait for one to come through the mail, I purchased the Mr. Coffee frother from one of those big box stores for $10. Compared to the Bodum and Aerolatte, the Mr. Coffee finishes a distant third. The Mr. Coffee will polish the milk nicely and produce a very nice micro-film. If Lattes or Macchiatos are your drinks of choice, the Mr. Coffee will do the job as both drinks call for little foam. However, expect to whip up enough milk for one drink at a time. The Mr. Coffee begins to bog down when trying to mix up more than 4-oz of milk. At 8-oz, the Mr. Coffee can't cut the mustard. It will take a good 60-80 seconds to produce an acceptable polish and little foam. At more than 8-oz of milk, the Mr. Coffee is totally worthless. Also, that big on/off switch is nothing more than a cheap contact switch, and it's very, very touchy. If the wind blows, the frother starts. Many times this means it starts when you don't intend it to and like the Bodum, you get a milk shower.

Now wanting something to move more volume, I ordered the Aerolatte through Amazon. If the Aerolatte had the Bodums torque, it would be the overall best of the three. Unfortunately, the torque is just slightly less. At 4-oz of milk, the Aerolatte will quickly polish and create a nice micro-foam. With a few seconds more and no effort, it will produce a thicker foam for those cappuccinos. At 8-oz, the Aerolatte struggles just slightly at the start but quickly rebounds. Count on mixing for at least 60-seconds before getting a high volume of cappuccino style foam. But even at that, results are inconsistent. On one try I might get good volume, and the next, poor volume. So 7-oz is about the maximum amount the Aerolatte can handle and produce acceptable results.

In my honest opinion, all three frothers are poorly made. Only the Aerolatte has any feel of quality, and even that isn't much to write home about. I've been itching to try another Bodum due to the impressive torque, but have held off as I want to leave the battery operated department and move to an electric mixing stick with a frother attachment. Currently, I'm using Ni-Cad batteries in both my remaining frothers to insure maximum charge as a small drop in battery power greatly affects performance. If you're considering any of these frothers, then you also need to seriously consider buying rechargeable batteries and a charger. However, by the time you add up the costs for all of this stuff, you may just want to consider a mixing stick. 120 volts of electric versus 3 volts of battery power is a huge difference, especially if you're going to be making more than two drinks.

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I was concerned that the Bodum Whip was cheaply made and would use up a lot of batteries. I was wrong on both accounts I have been using it for the past three years, and changed the batteries only one time. I found it to be extremely durable and easy to clean. It makes great tasting, coffee house style coffee drinks.

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I'd read about frothers running out the batteries too soon or not having enough power to forth well. This inexpensive little frother has been one of my favorite purchases of the past year.

I heat a few ounces of milk in a tall glass, then use the frother to whip it up. It makes a thicker, denser foam than the steamers at the cafes--yummm. I spoon that over a very strong french roast and add a little ground connamon on top....no more spending $3.50 for a latte. It costs me about 40 cents to make my own, and I use both organic coffee and organic milk, so a better product for a lot less money.

I've used it plenty of times and am still on those first batteries with no loss of frothing power. Though even if I had to spend 50 cents every couple of months for batteries, this would still be a tremendous convenience and bargain. Can't imagine why people would get anything more expensive.

Honest reviews on BODUM Schiuma Turbo Milk Whip

We'd previously owned a BonJour "Primo Latte" milk frother that died after about nine months of just-about-daily use. That was disappointing, and I didn't want to be replacing the frother that often, so I thought we'd try another brand. The BODUM frother has done the job just fine, but it definitely has less power than the BonJour model we'd been using. The self-standing design of this frother is really nice, though. The tipsy stand that came with the BonJour model was kinda more trouble that it was worth...

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This is just a 2 AA battery powered motor with a whisk on the shaft. It's an excellent tool to have to whip a small amount of cream, stir a hot drink, foam milk etc. However, the Bodum product is cheaply made. The batteries are held in by the top cap, which is secured by plastic tabs to the body. Predictably, the tabs break and both the battery retention and activation button fail. I am buying another one but will get a different brand because the Bodum was so poorly made. Bodum makes some great glass products, especially out of Portugal and I respected the name, but this product is junk.

Best Ikea 365+ Stock Pot With Lid, Stainless Steel Deals

Customer Ratings:

It has thick sturdy walls. It's a little larger than it looks in the picture. The surfaces come clean easily. Comes with lid that doesn't seal over the top, but rather sits on the top (not as unevenly as a set of Cuisinart that I have). I would recommend it.

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Great pot, haven't had problems with scorching or burning but Andes get unbearably hot. Love matching inserts for pasta or steaming veggies

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I like the quality and finish of the pot , it is great for smaller families, and works great with my induction cook top .....

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Great size and shape and it works perfectly with my induction cook top. It's just right for a pot of soup for three of us.

Cheap Mirro Get A Grip Aluminum Nonstick Fry Pan / Saute Pan Cookware

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GREAT STURDY PAN FOR THE MONEY. WILL BUY AGAIN. PERFECT SIZE, EASY TO CLEAN AND STORE. NEEDED IT TO COMPLETE A SET I ALREADY HAVE.

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I was looking for a 10 inch fry pan that would hold

up to my usage. This pan is just great! Food really

does not stick. Very easy clean-up. I would recommend

and also I am thinking about purchasing this manufacturer's

products again. Hope this help you make your decision.

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I wish I could rate this frying pan with 10 stars!!! I cannot say enough good things about this frying pan! I bought this Mirro frying pan October 4, 2011. I would definitely buy another later on! I can fry bacon on low on my GE stove! One must be sure not to use too high a heat when using this frying pan. I go no higher than Medium-High, but mostly use it on Medium heat. I use this frying pan nearly every day. Cleaning it is so easy, and the interior has not become discolored. You must be careful to use NO metal utensils, too! They will definitely ruin and mar the cooking surface. I highly recommend this frying pan to everyone! You won't be disappointed. One reviewer said their pan warped; it may be because they used too high a heat.

Honest reviews on Mirro Get A Grip Aluminum Nonstick Fry Pan / Saute Pan Cookware

just the right thing to fry a couple eggs in and doesn't need a spatula since the pan contour is just right for "flippin'. A little non-stick spay and you're good to go!

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I like this as a light-weight alternative to my existing pans, it's cheaper too. But the coating doesn't look as good as the other alternative pan I've tried from SilverStone2. Well, it's cheap enough that once I see anything bad like potential peeling off on the coating I can just throw it away. No one says those expensive pans several times this cost will last much longer.

Review of DeLonghi ECAM23210SB Compact Automatic Cappuccino, Latte

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List Price: $999.00
Sale Price: $832.24
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

We bought this after a couple of months looking (unsuccessfully) for a replacement for our 15-year-old krups drip brewer which we loved until it finally pooped out and started leaking like a sieve. At some point in our search we said "maybe we should get serious." This is the first super automatic espresso machine we've ever owned so I can't compare it to anything but I will say this: we love it.

We knew enough to know that "super automatic" is important if you don't like the actual manual process of making espresso (we don't) and since this one doesn't actually say "super automatic" but rather "compact automatic" I was a little confused but eventually learned that compact automatic just means it's a super automatic with a smaller footprint. For those really ignorant like us: Super Automatic means you fill the bean bin and the water bin once every so often, and then it's ready to go. When you want a drink you turn it on and press a button single espresso, double espresso, single lungo, or double lungo. Then you watch as it makes a bunch of interesting noises then fills your cup with beautiful, steaming hot frothy coffee. Then you drink it. Super automatic.

The benefit of a compact super automatic is the smaller footprint of course. The downside is that you have to fill the bean and water reservoirs (and empty the dregs basin) more frequently than "regular size" super automatic. For us it is about twice a week two adults home all day and we like coffee. We're actually probably going through more than normal right now because we're enjoying playing and experimenting with strengths, mixes, quantities, etc. It has been a few days and already I've figured out my tastes but it's still fun trying new things.

If you love coffee and want to treat yourself this is a winner. The small footprint is nice it doesn't look like a commercial espresso machine sitting on our counter (though it's bigger than a regular drip maker). Again I don't have anything to compare it to since this is our first one but I can't think of anything about it we don't like. You have to remove the outside part of the steamer/frother to clean it, or you can leave it off when you froth and avoid that cleaning step. But I don't do any frothing anyway (wife does).

It's super. It's automatic. It's compact. It makes incredible espresso, americana, lungos, long blacks, cappucino, and lattes. We are very happy. I will post back after our first full cleaning.

August update: It has been 8 months and we love it just as much as when we first got it. We cleaned it once it was trivial. No issues except that one bag of beans we purchased from Trader Joes were a little oily and they got stuck in the hopper another reviewer also mentioned this. I removed the little cap from over the hopper (2 philips head screws) and left it off not sure how or if that can hurt anything but it has worked fine since.

Seriously we love this thing. There is nothing like feeling an urge for a cup a joe and 3 minutes later having one in your hands with nothing to do or clean up. And it is goooooood stuff. We were talking the other day and decided it's the best luxury gift we've ever given ourselves.

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PROS: Makes very good coffee and lattes. Sleek, good-looking appliance. Works as you would expect.

CONS: (very minor) Chrome "heating" plate doesn't get warm enough to heat anything (who cares?). Beans on the "oily" side don't always feed smoothly from hopper to the grinder.

I've owned several automatic machines over the years from Saeco and DeLonghi (most recently the DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine) that have acted as our go-to small office coffee makers. (I'm a latte-holic myself, 4 to 5 a day, and admitting that is the first step toward recovery I'm told...) I have a tendency to wear them out in 2 to 3 years because they get a lot of use, 5 days a week. But that is to be expected, at least by me, as these really are intended as home-use machines. That being said, this is a fine machine for it's job which is to keep me in lattes!

It makes very good, tasty shots of espresso for those lattes, steams my 1% milk great with a nice, dense foam, and the regular coffee drinkers are very happy with their full coffees.

Tip: Best way to froth the milk?: swing the frother arm all the way to the left and stack your steamed-milk container with your cold milk in it on top of an empty coffee mug off to the side on the counter. That way your milk container is high enough to just sit there with the wand in it as it steams. You can walk away for a couple of minutes and do something useful. Just don't go too far away and "forget" it's steaming what a mess! But the frother "froths" really well all by itself, doesn't over-bubble and spill over the side like some past machines have done. Well-designed.

Right out of the box, it made a great-tasting first latte for me. One of the best, actually. I left the grinder on the factory setting, and set the rotating knob to between 1:30 and 2:00 o'clock position (just guessing) and it made both a great double-shot of espresso AND a great-tasting regular coffee on my first two tries (I used the "double" buttons on both the espresso side and coffee side that'll make more sense once you see the machine and read the instructions).

I've only had it about a month, but so far so really good. The only minor issue is that bean hopper "con" above. It's a bit shallow in slope, so my slightly oily beans (Costco/Kirkland espresso, roasted by Starbucks beans) get stuck sometimes during the grinding portion of the process, and I have to lift the lid and stir them a bit with a spoon to make sure they get down where they need to go not a huge inconvenience.

I've had a couple of the DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnificas DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine mentioned earlier, and they are GREAT machines! (that's the one I have at home for weekend use). I'm hoping this latest DeLonghi for the office lives up to that model's standards. By the way, the model number for replacement water filters is: SER 3017. Google "Water filter SER 3017" though, to find it online, because it doesn't show up on Amazon. And DeLonghi customer service was no help at all via an emailed question about the filter, which should be a concern to them I would imagine. Hey Amazon, how about linking to the company that sells the filter?

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Bought this machine and right out of the box it was not drawing the beans into the grinder.Tried calling the manufacture and all I got was we can return it for repair.

It's only a day old.So I got on Amazon.com and looked at the reviews and see I am not the only one having this problem.So here is the fix.List off the cover to the bean bin and remove the mushroom cap inside the bean bin where the beans go into the grinder.This can be done by removing two little phillips screws and pulling the mushroom cap up and out of the bean bin.Save this piece just in case you would need warranty work for something else.Now there is no problem with beans feeding into the grinder.My guess is that it's a safety thing so one would not reach in and put there fingers into the grinder.Hope this helps someone else.

Honest reviews on DeLonghi ECAM23210SB Compact Automatic Cappuccino, Latte

I purchased this machine in July 2012 from a local department store. Following is my original review from August 2012. Scroll to the bottom for updated (and much less positive) feedback.

Original Review:

I purchased an ESAM3300 4 years ago and I love it. I recently moved it to my vacation home, and I purchased a new ECAM22110SB to use in my main home. I have had the new machine about 1 month, and I love it even more than the old one. I purchased my machine locally, so if there were any problems, I could exchange it with no hassles. Fortunately, it performed perfectly right out of the box. I use both machines primarily to make cappuccino, and occasionally to make coffee. I use Peet's beans, which are oily.

Both machines make great tasting espresso and coffee. Note that the coffee is "Americano", i.e. diluted espresso, but it tastes great. Both machines are easy to clean. The milk frothers on both machines are idiot-proof, and work great with 2% milk. However, if you are a barista who likes to make Latte Art, then you should choose a different machine with a traditional steam wand.

The things I like the most about my new ECAM23210B as compared to my old ESAM3300 are:

1) After a break-in of about a week, I got perfect espresso and coffee with the machine left at its default settings. During the first week the results were a bit weak, and I needed to crank up the strength dial. Now I have it back at the middle setting and get perfect results.

2) It is much smaller.

3) It makes much less noise.

4) It has pre-sets for coffee and espresso. The old machine had separate dials for water and ground beans quantities, but required experimentation to figure out where to set them for coffee and espresso. The pre-sets on the new machine are much easier to use.

5) The milk frother is easier to use. The old machine would spit water out of the frother until it heated up, requiring an additional pitcher to catch the water. The new machine emits only steam (unless you specifically request hot water).

6) The beans hopper cover makes a tight seal, keeping the beans fresh longer.

7) Although both machines purge water into the drip tray, the water in the drip tray in the new machine remains clean with no coffee residue. The old machine collected water mixed with coffee in the drip tray, making it harder to clean.

Things I don't like about the new machine are:

1) Oily beans don't feed well into the grinder. I think this is due to the incline of the hopper interior being steeper, and the entry area to the grinder being larger, on the old machine. However, if I manually push the beans into the grinder opening during the grinding cycle, then the new machine grinds perfectly. I haven't tried removing the mushroom cover as suggested by Steve, but that would probably help as well. If you use drier beans than I do, you may not have this problem.

2) When the grounds hopper is full and needs emptying, the new machine usually indicates this when I first turn it on in the morning. The old machine would do this immediately after brewing. When I get up in the morning and I badly need a caffeine fix, the last thing I want to do is clean my machine first.

3) The cover of the drip tray on the new machine is shiny like a mirror, and scratches easily. I prefer the matte finish of the drip tray cover on the old machine.

A note on service: My old ESAM3300 did require service once under the warranty. Fortunately, there was an authorized service center in the city I live in. They were able to repair my machine in 2 days, and then it was as good as new. Many of the reviews for Delonghi espresso machines on Amazon complain about their mail-in service. You might want to check for service availability in your area before purchasing this machine.

In summary, I much prefer the new ECAM22110SB to the old ESAM3300, and I am very happy with my purchase.

Update May 2013:

About a month after I published the above review, I started to have problems with the "ground too fine" error indication coming on. The manual states this is due to the grinder being set to too fine a setting, which prevents water from flowing through the machine. However, I got the error during rinsing and steaming milk, never during brewing. I called Delonghi, and was told this error can come on any time insufficient water is flowing, even when not brewing. There was always plenty of water or steam flowing when the error occurred, so I think the error was being falsely triggered. Delonghi gave me some things to try that didn't help. So I took the machine in for service to my local authorized service center.

They cleaned and adjusted the machine, and it worked fine for a month, then the error reoccurred. This happened 2 more times. The 4th time the error occurred it persisted even after cleaning and adjusting the machine. So the service center replaced the electronics and the pump. It took 2 months for the parts to come in from Delonghi. I was not pleased.

I had high hopes that the problem was really fixed, but two months later I started getting "ground too fine" errors again. By this point I had enough. I persuaded the department store I bought the machine from to take it back and exchange it for a new one. They assured me that if I have problems with the new one, they will take it back for a full refund. They said they have sold hundreds of these machines, and mine was the first to be returned.

I don't know if the original machine was a lemon, or there is something I am doing that sets off the error. I don't see any other reports of my specific problem online anywhere. I really hope the replacement machine works. I love it when it is working. If the replacement machine continues to work, I'll update the review and increase the star rating. Please wish me luck :)

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I have used other automatic espresso machines and I find this Magnifica to be better for many reasons.

1) settings to control strength, temperature, coffee grind coarseness, auto-off time interval, and cup size

2) small footprint in terms of machine size

3) easy to access the water bin which can slide out partially and be filled while it is in place. Very nice feature considering you add water daily like you do with all machines.

4) machine auto-rinses. Some machines make this an option which is really about maintaining the machine.

5) perfect user interface. Easy to use

6) Great coffee.... Great coffee

7) Excellent frother. Many machines (Jura) don't stack up

8) easy to clean! The brew unit comes out and it doesn't require service at the factory. Look for this feature!

9) by-pass doser option. Many machines have this but not all machines in this price range

10) Decent price range and reputable company

11) Nice looks; It is a value blend of plastic and metal where needed. Sure it could be all metal but that would only drive up cost with little to no benefit.

I am happy with the purchase and I have had this for 4 months at this point.

Cheap Paula Deen Signature Nonstick Bakeware 13-Inch-by-18-Inch Cookie

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I don't usually purchase brand-name chef's overly-expensive cookware. However, the size was what I needed and I splurged. I love this pan. Nothing cleans up like it does and it really is pretty. It is pretty enough to use on the table or buffet. Great purchase.

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Great product. Purchased them as a gift for my sister. She rants and raves about them. Nice seeing people happy. Recommend to anyone.

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These baking pans are really great ! High quality, the perfect size, easy to clean and a wonderful non-stick surface.

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the finish is superior and the baked items turn out very nice. I would recommend it highly to anyone. I support Paula Deen and will buy her cookware anytime.

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This is my second cookie sheet from Paula Deen. I have tried several such as airbake and this has been my favorite overall. Cookies never burn and they just slide off the sheet. Never sticks!

Buy Magefesa Mageplus Stainless Steel 6.5 Quart Super Fast Pressure

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List Price: $179.99
Sale Price: $137.34
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Hello,

I have used the old Presto rattle top pressure cooker and the American (Wisconsin Aluminum) pressure cooker for years. Both are aluminum and use the rattle top device on top of the pressure cooker to control pressure. I have researched pressure cookers for a while now and decided on the Magefesa Mageplus pressure cooker, I have the 8 and 4 liter pots. According to Cook's Illustrated the Rikon Kuhn and Fagor are the best. The German WMF Is right up there and the Presto stainless does well too. But after checking on the Magefesa I learned that Cooks Illustrated test used the Magefesa XL or Practika pressure cooker for testing. It did well but not as good as this one would have. This one is their top of the line pressure cooker. The XL or Practika is in the middle and uses a different type of pressure control. This Mageplus pressure cooker uses a similar pressure control to the Kuhn Rikon and WMF cookers. After using these I can not imagine a pressure cooker being any easier and safer to use. The large pressure indicator (a button with lines) moves up and down with pressure. It is very easy to see and adjust burner temperature as needed to control pressure. If you walk away or forget, there are other safety devices to keep everything safe, 5 total.

From what I have seen, it is easy to clean, well made and should last a very long time, time will tell.

For those of you who are a little scared of pressure cookers. If you will pull up a chair and watch the first 2 or 3 times you use any pressure cooker you will see how they work with YOUR stove. You need to learn how the pressure cooker acts on your stove. Once that is done you will feel confident and try new things with your pressure cooker.

Good luck.

Something I failed to mention is this .8 bar or 12 PSI is a touch below 240 degrees that 15 PSI would generate. This is a good thing as far as vitamins go. The slightly lower cooking temperature does not kill vitamins that would be destroyed at 15 PSI.

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I write this review with some reservation, as this is not a positive review, althouh this is a very nice pressure cooker.

I have an aging orphan jiggler type pressure cooker with an aging and unavailable gasket so I thought I would shop for a new one. This pressure cooker seemed to offer everything in a quality pressure cooker and at a reasonable price. Basically the quality of a Kuhn Rikon for much less.

As far as quality is concerned this pressure cooker will not disappoint. It is constructed of very good quality stainless steel and the "fit and finish" is excellent. Everything seems to be heavy duty from the encapsulated disk on the bottom to the plastic (?) handles on top. Even the stainless steel steaming basket is very nice quality. I did a test run with some water and it worked like a dream. I have no problems with my jiggler, but by comparison, using the jiggler is like driving a nice Chevy where this cooker was like driving a Lexus. More technology, quieter and more precise. Very nice.

So why not 5 stars? First, my unit arrived missing the internal "padding" in the box. Further, the cover had all sorts of sticky stains on it. I initially thought it was used (but the inside was clean). Perhaps it was a demo. Second the instructions were in Spanish. This is a pressure cooker after all, instructions are important. In addition, it seems to be very difficult to get replacement parts including the all important "gasket." Even Magefesa's USA site did not list the gasket as a replacement part for this particular model. Pressure cookers can last for many decades, gaskets will last from less than a year to years. However, "years" is less than "decades." A pressure cooker without a gasket becomes a pot.

Here is my big concern. Amazon and all other web sites list this as a three pressure, pressure cooker and state that the top pressure is 15 PSI. In reality it is a two pressure, pressure cooker. Now, in itself, this is no biggie as I only use 15 PSI anyway. However, the bottom of the pot is stamped with .8 bar which is less than 12 PSI and both the Spanish and English instructions list the top pressure as 80 kgs/cm2 (.8 bar) confirming that the top pressure is less than 12 PSI. Why is this important? All US cookbooks use the US standard of 15 PSI so you will need to adjust all of your times (extend them). PC experts like Vickie Smith will tell you that this will give you unpredictable results. You will also loose some of your energy and time savings. You will need to add at least 20% to you cooking times compared to a 15 PSI cooker. So 12 minutes becomes 15 and 50 minutes becomes a hour. Now think about a recipe that has several depressures and repressures....it starts to get confusing. This is sort of like having an underpowered microwave. You are always adding time, but how much is enough and how much to too much.

I wrote Magefesause a couple of time but never got a response. I did call Magefesa USA customer service and they said the triple pressures "must be a misprint." Why it is on this site, Walmart's, Kohl's, Best Buy and others is then a mystery. As far as the more important pressure question she said that this cooker cooked at a max of 1 Bar (about 15 PSI) but could not explain why the pot and the manuals list the lower 0.8 bar (80 kgs/cm2). I do like the PC but I'm going to return this one and buy the less discounted one off the Magefesa site in the hopes that I just got an older model. Sadly, if that cooker is also stamped .8 bar, I'll return that one too. Too much confusion when I can get a Presto, Fagor or Kuhn Rikon and know that I'm at the right pressure.

Best Deals for Magefesa Mageplus Stainless Steel 6.5 Quart Super Fast Pressure

I don't know anyone who's ever used a pressure cooker but anything that'll make me hot, cooked food fast is right up my alley. I felt guilty running the slow cooker for 20 HOURS just to make pork roast so looked around and found pressure cookers, then did the research and found this Magefesa one of the best. And it's Spanish too so I'm happy. It cooks artichokes in 5 mins! How cool is that? I don't get home from work until 11pm and one night I actually made beef stew (which I wanted badly) in 20 mins. and it only took that long because I kept forgetting to add things and had to keep cooling it down and then restarting the heat thing; it was delicious, stew meat was tender even. I made barbecued ribs this past weekend in about 15 mins. which include running them under the broiler to brown (so they sort of looked like they'd been done on a barbecue which we don't have). And it's stainless, my favorite stuff to cook in. Construction is perfect, vents and valves work beautifully. So far, haven't burned anything so the pot cleans up real fast.

The instruction manual that came with it was in Spanish and I wish I had learned at least how to read Spanish but I never have. But I'm resourceful so went online to the Magefesa website and printout out the manual in English--doesn't have the recipes the Spanish one has in the back but at least I know what to do and what not to do with my cooker. The safety features work really well (scare the cats when they blast). I think this is the best invention since fire. The only improvement I can imagine is one of these that provided magic food so we wouldn't have to shop first, or clean and prepare the food; we'd just have to tell the pot what we felt like eating and it would magically produce it.

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I've been using my magafesa for 12 years. Its great, the steamer that comes along is good quality. Customer service at Magafesa USA has been excellent. I have had other pressure cookers, but this has triple safety redundancy and made of quality materials. Never had a problems with it, other than myself messing up the pressure valve. Magafesa had me ship the lid back to them and they fixed it for free and I had it back within the week.

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Originally I wrote>

Despite some of the negative reviews here, of which at least a couple are false, I consider this to be a very fine product. The manual is in English and other languages as well. High pressure is 15psi and medium pressure is 8psi. It's a simple device and it is easy to correct any problems (if any arise), because the handle disassembles. This Magefesa is an excellent alternative to other pricier high-end pressure cookers.

Now>

Update... At the time I bought this pc I paid only $78. The current price is around $135. It isn't such a great deal anymore so I lower the rating from 5 stars to 3.

Airbake Ultra by T-fal Insulated Mega Cookie Sheet Dishwasher Safe Review

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List Price: $13.49
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We make a lot of cookies. Consequently, the comments, about these cookie sheets, have been interesting. For the record, we do not own any stock in AirBake or any related company and just added 7 more AirBake insulated cookie sheets to our stash, although we didn't buy them here.

We've read the negative, as well as the positive, comments. Each is correct and each is wrong, to a different extent. Everyone seems to be missing the same points. A cookie sheet is a cooking vessel, just like any pot or pan.

You would not, for example, complain about a double boiler, because it wasn't good for making fried eggs; nor would you complain about a cast iron frying pan, because it wasn't good for making soup. The point is that different types of cooking vessels are made, for different purposes, just as different types of cookie sheets are made, for different types of cookies.

Let's see if we can examine at least some of the problems, then try to shed some light on some of the possible cause(s), maybe even suggest some solution(s).

Those who like crisp, firm cookies, such as ginger snaps, sugar cookies or short breads, should not be using insulated pans. For them, the best cookie sheet is the uninsulated one, since it crisps better.

Those who prefer chewy, gooey or cake-like cookies, such as chewy oatmeal, fruit-based or fruit-filled cookies or similar items, should be using the insulated cookie sheets. The insulated sheets create a cookie which is evenly browned, top and bottom, definitely best for thicker cookies.

Those who like a darker bottom, on their cookies or pastry, should be using cookie sheets with darker colors (insulated or non-insulated, non-stick coated or otherwise). Remember, the darker the pan, the darker will be the bottoms of the cookies or pastry, relative to the tops.

Those who like their cookies with lighter colored bottoms should be using cookie sheets with bright, shiny, light-colored surfaces, insulated or otherwise.

If your cookies are spreading too thinly, the fault is not the cookie sheet but the recipe. Cookies, which use only butter or oil, as the fat, will spread much faster, because oil starts as a liquid and butter melts at a much lower temperature, thereby giving up its water content, much sooner. Crisco or other vegetable shortening melt at a much higher temperature, thereby holding moisture longer. That, in turn, allows the cookies to rise, higher, moister and for a longer time.

So, if you like thin cookies, use butter or oil as your only fat. If you like thicker cookies, use only vegetable shortening. If you want something between the two, use a mix of vegetable shortening and butter/oil.

Those who say their cookies are burned and/or sticking, because they used butter, to lubricate the cookie sheets, are correct. The problem is the butter, not the cookie sheet. Cookies are baked at high temperatures, 400'F not being unusual. The milk solids, in the butter, burn, at much lower temperatures than that. If the milk solids burn, that will, also, cause the cookies to stick and burn. The solution is to grease the cookie sheets with a vegetable shortening (such as Crisco) or a neutral-flavored oil (even the spray oils work fine), such as canola, safflower or sunflower, which will not burn, at those temperatures. That applies, even if your only fat, in the cookies, is butter or oil. In fact, if you're making peanut butter cookies, try using peanut oil, as the lubricant, which will impart a more robust peanut taste to the finished cookies.

No matter what you else do or what recipe you use, you must lubricate these and all other cookie sheets, properly, to avoid sticking. We use the bright, shiny versions, without the so-called non-stick coatings. Scratching isn't a problem, because there's nothing to scratch. We've found that only "non-stick" cookie sheets, of anybody's brand, easily scratch.

Also, if you use insulated cookie sheets, do not allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet. The insulation holds the heat, causing the cookies to continue cooking, often over-cooking, if they're left on the sheet. Transfer them to a wire rack, as soon as possible. Then, cool the cookie sheets, before reusing them. Adding cold dough, to a hot cookie sheet, is not good for the cookies. You can quickly cool insulated cookie sheets, by running the back side under cold water or spraying the back side, with your kitchen sink spray attachment.

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I've owned this pan for about 8 years. Mine was warped and worn out. I ordered 2 of these new pans through Amazaon to replace my worn down old one. The new ones arrived packaged well and unblemished. They have a dimple design on the bottom which is a improvement over the old design. I've used mine several times since Christmas and they yield superb results. I always line my cookie sheets with parchment paper. This will greatly extend the life of the pan and ensure no accidental sticking. They are a large size that fits and fills both oven racks perfectly. No more wasted space in the oven with undersized cookie sheets! You'll save time baking on these pans that offer so much space. Always be sure to stand them at a angle when dying (one corner pointing directly down) so all the water from hand washing drains out thoroughly. They will not fit in the dishwasher, but it's easy and more gentle to hand wash them anyways. Be sure not to sit anything heavy on the pans or they will warp due to the weight. I hope you love using your cookie sheet as much as I do!

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The airbake works very well, there aren't any hot spots and cookies turn out great. The size is perfect, and shortens the time baking. The items were packaged well with no damage upon delivery.

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Another point of view on Airbake baking sheets...

I do a TON of Christmas cookie baking for 'treat trays'. After trying my first Airbake sheet, I built my supply up to eight of them! Here are some things to consider:

*They work best on cookies with high shortening or butter content. Peanut butter, choco chip, Russian teacakes, all come out perfectly on these pans. DO NOT GREASE THE PANS. The pans do not handle biscuits (for example) well.

*You may have to increase the baking time (don't increase temp with a conventional oven)slightly when using Airbake.

*Never ever ever put the pans in your sink to wash. If they get water in them, the air compartment is destroyed. I usually wash mine (they clean up in a flash with rarely a need to use a scrubber) with just a dishcloth in the 'empty' sink compartment. To get them cooled off in a hurry (yes, I run out even with eight of them), just dry them off and stick them in the freezer for a few minutes.

*Mine have some scratches on them from use and stacking. It doesn't affect their performance at all.

*I just got a convection oven, and don't know how they'll perform in there (I chickened out & used the conventional bake on my first baking effort). I sent an email to Wearever, and within an hour got a reply: 'Our Airbake products are safe to use in a convection oven. However, you may find that you will need to adjust the cooking temperature by increasing it 10-25 degrees depending on what you are cooking.'

Treat the baking sheets with care, and you may find they're the FIRST sheets you reach for. Oh, and I won't make cakes or brownies in anything BUT my (5) airbake cake pans they're sooooooooo much more moist!

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This is an awesome pan! I bake a lot around the holidays, especially, and I love that I can typically bake a minimum of 18 cookies on these huge pans. They are big, but they fit perfectly fine in my standard 30" oven range. Even though this is not non-stick, it's a great pan and I highly recommend it for any/all bakers out there. (I also have this pan in nonstick, but it doesn't appear to be available on Amazon any longer.)

Buy Berndes SignoCast Classic 7-Quart oven

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I have had my Berndes Dutch Oven since 1995 and I wouldn't know what to do without it. I use it for everything, from making Spaghetti Sauce to home-made jam. Never have I burned any types of sauce and cleanup is a cinch. You can't forget that they honor their Lifetime warranty. All you do is send the pot back with a $10 shipping and handling fee and a new one is in the mail.

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My parents got one as a Christmas present, and the first time they used it, the lid shattered in the oven afer 20 minutes. Our UK supplier, ICTC, say that Berndes don't insure the lids, only the pan. They also say it would ONLY explode if the screw in the top was overtightened, and went on to imply that this could only have happened after it left the factory. No consideration that it might have been faulty, and basically implying "they're fine, you must have broken it". Poor customer service on a potentially dangerous product.

Reviews of Scanpan Classic Cookware Sets

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Please see some of the other negative reviews. These blister/peeling bubbles happened within one to two years of normal use to all but two of the pans we bought. And we bought them based on the so called "lifetime" warrenty. Here is what happened. We packed up the blistered pans and paid $17 shipping to have them replaced, following the directions exactly from their website. Only to have the box returned unopened with a return shipping charge of $17! They did not even accept the delivery!! Do NOT purchase these pans, find another brand. What a waste of good money.

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Based on my experience after after six months of use, ScanPan is probably the biggest rip-off in cookware there is. Yes, I was thrilled about the performance the first two months, which fulfilled the claims made by the manufacturer. However, I started to notice the pots' "nonstick" properties became useless after cooking in liquid, such as boiling pasta or soups, and was a huge struggle to make macaroni and cheese in. The food would NOT stop sticking! The only somewhat useful pieces were the frying pans,which retained the nonstick properties (because of cooking in oil?) Also, all the pans and pots took too long to heat up compared to other pots and pans. I had to start buying stainless steel pot to boil my eggs in and will eventually have to replace all my pots.

For about $500 per set, I expected these to perform much better. Pots not being able to last after five times cooking in liquid is just too big of a flaw. I seriously got burned!

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We were excited about this set, but after a year, every piece but the pans started to bubble, and there was black stuff in our food as the bubbles popped. Next, the material in the pans wore off, exposing the metal beneath. The smaller pots not only bubbled, but at the usual "waterline" for the soups and sauces, the material simply flaked off. How much of this material have we consumed? I cannot recommend Scanpan. Even if you strictly adhere to each and every caution, the non-stick material eventually deteriorates.

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One of these 5-star reviews could easily have been mine about five years ago. I was over the top about them at first, but am feeling a bit different about SCANPAN these days, and I'm also in the process of replacing my entire collection for which I paid more than I care to admit.

Reading through the Amazon reviews (back then in March 2004) and reviews elsewhere, I was convinced I would be investing in the best cookware on the planet, and it would serve me the rest of my days with its lifetime warranty. At first it performed well, despite the limited size assortment of sauce pans in the titanium Classic line ... the largest being the 3-quart size, which is barely big enough to boil enough spuds for two servings of mashed potatoes. But the pans distributed the heat very well, and food didn't stick to the nonstick surface.

Though I knew I could, I never put them in the dishwasher and, as is my style, I took very good care of the cookware. Living alone, I would describe my use of the cookware as "light" ... I was the only one who ever cooked on them. Even with the surface rated tough enough for metal utensils, I never used anything but nylon or wooden spatulas, spoons, etc. I also never used PAM on the surface. I pampered this cookware.

The covered sauté pan that I used most often was the first to show signs of discoloration on the cooking surface, along with a mass of little bubbles. Some of the bubbles lost their tops, others didn't. This started within 12-15 months of being new. Slowly this worsened and the cooking surface took on an unsightly dull gold/orange hue. Though disappointing I could have lived with discoloration, but within two years food was starting to stick to the surface. REALLY STICK.

A few pieces in the collection still look like new, but only because they're used less frequently/rarely. The two pots I've used the most are not as discolored as the sauté pan, but are bubbled, spotted and scuffed/nicked. The sauté pan is now officially "toast," and I tossed it out today. I'd consider sending the pans back for warranty replacement if it was an isolated defect, but it isn't, clearly all the pots/pans are headed in the same direction ... south. The so-called titanium nonstick surface simply doesn't last. Caveat emptor.

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As others have written, my expensive ScamPans lost their non-stick properties after about a year. I didn't get the bubbles, but the surface discoloured and now is totally "sticky". I still use them occasionally, but I use a little oil when I cook in them. They are a nice weight, but a terrible waste of money if you expect them to retain their non-stick properties.

Kinetic Kitchen Basics Series Stainless Steel Open Fry Pan 12010 Reviews

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This turned out to be a swell pan. It's nice and heavy and it cleans like a breeze. I needed a good utility pan for sauteing and other general use and this was a good choice. Also, the price was very reasonable...

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I'm always a little hesitant about products like this. Low price, not many reviews (at the time), a not so clear picture (to me anyway), and a brand I've never heard of. I'm glad I made the jump and bought this pan. It's high quality and looks good. The bottom of the pan rounds off to the sides in such a way that Amazon's picture made it hard for me to tell how deep the pan was. I didn't measure but I'm happy to say the pan is deeper than I expected (maybe 1-1/2" to 2"). I would definitely recommend this pan.

EDIT 12/12/12:

We've now had this pan for over two and a half years and use it almost daily. The handle hasn't loosened at all and the pan still cleans up great. I love being able to take something more abrasive to the pan than I could on a non-stick surface. Just a basic, great, pan doing its job day in and day out.

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Bought this for my daughter and she absolutely loves it. It is great quality and dealing with Amazon is so easy and quick. So easy to track items. Will continue to use them.

Honest reviews on Kinetic Kitchen Basics Series Stainless Steel Open Fry Pan 12010

I think it's a nice pan.

It's not my first stainless steel pan. I seasoned it every time I use it. This pan do the job well, however...

1. outside rim always have some weird spots that seems always stick with something. I always carefully clean it with non-scratch pads and well seasoned the area. Sometimes, after cooking, I can find the same spots has something stuck on it and very hard to remove... So, -1 star. The rest of area is very good. nothing stick after you soak inside water during cleaning.

2. it's not really this item's fault, it's the problem of the stainless steel: It never burn my steak like my Enamaled Cast Iron or Teflon pans. no point is taken from this tho...

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While searching I found quite a few stainless steel pans had a machined cooking surface, for reasons I can't fathom. This one is polished. I was searching for a 10" covered stainless steel fry pan but decided I didn't want to pay that much, so I gave this a try. All I have to do is to spray this with Pam or another non-stick spray, and it works flawlessly. None of the food I've cooked sticks to this pan.

I do have to scrub the pan with a scrubber sponge after cooking meat on it; my dishwasher doesn't get it completely clean, though it is about 30 years old. Yours may do better. But it's not hard to clean. I'm satisfied with this pan, but eventually I'll probably get one with a cover.