Quiko -­- Idli Maker Container (8 Idlis) Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Easy to use, easy to clean! I bought this to use with a packet idli mix from MTR, and they came out great! Perfect if everyone in your household doesn't eat Indian breakfast, because it is simple enough to be worth making for just one person (though you will have leftovers, they re-heat well).

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Idli dont turn out Well / Light / Soft and fluffy. They come out flat from top.

I think the base should be more deep to hold more water for steaming.

Reviews of Napoleon Terrace Se325 Propane Gas Grill On Cart

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Previously spent $1000 on a grill that rusted through in 3 years (with a cover). Just recently purchsed this Napoleon model and very pleased. Small footprint but enough cooking surface for 12 burgers. Was not looking for a grill the length of my patio!Heats extremely quickly with the two burners and smaller space. Heats to 800 degrees for quick searing. Wheels better than other models.Only complaint had to do with assembly. Plenty of bolts but inexplicably no nuts. No reference to nuts in the assembly instuctions. No nuts in the plastic packaging material. Weird. Had to go to Home Depot to get nuts to complete assembly. But very pleased with unit. Cover fits securely as well. Easy to recommend.

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I have really enjoyed my Napoleon Grill. Very well built and sturdy and has a "closed" back, which a lot of smaller size grills don't. I previously had a Weber Genesis Stainless Steel Grill. Thought it was the last grill I would purchase. However, I found it was too large for 2 people or even for a small dinner party. Also, the 3 burners on the Weber were front to back, which I never got used to or liked. Weber has updated the Genesis to have the burners left to right now, and I am sure more people will like it that way. But, my Napoleon is just the right size, and amazingly, I do not burn food on it like It constantly did on my Weber. It is still large enough to grill 8 or so steaks, so plenty big for me. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the grates, while very heavy duty, are "rough", so trying to oil them tears up the pre-oiled package cloths and oiled paper towels also tear. I thought it would have smoother grates. However, the rough grates give a great char to meat much better than the Weber. All-in-all, I am very happy with it. The only thing I would change, besides the rough grates, is the ignitors. I would have preferred electronic ignitors vs. the rotary style, as I have read the electronic ones last longer, but I have not had any trouble with the rotary ones yet.

Reviews of Magefesa Provence Blue Gloss Enamel On Steel 7 Inch, 9 Inch & 11

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List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $58.04
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

Orderd these to replace some aluminum based non-stick ones that were wearing out. I've converted all my fry and sauce pans to stainless steel they wear better and you don't have to worry about the aluminum leaching into your food while you cook. So far they work very well no sign of non-stick coating loss, and the heat transfer is excellent. They also have a nice sturdy feel to them. They are an excellent buy for the price highly recommended.

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Earth Pan II Hard Anodized Nonstick Skillet Review

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $27.01
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

I've been using this pan for cooking eggs every morning for several weeks now. It's working well, but to keep it that way, I plan to

cook only eggs in it and use the minimum amount of heat needed. Sometimes it does stick a little but comes loose with a little push. I do use "better butter" (part butter and part canola)and try to spread a thin coat also a bit up the sides sometimes by using a pastry brush. There seems to be no pan that maintains a perfect non-stick ability. This pan is heavy which does make it function better. I bought it because of the resaonable price, because the non-stick surface is supposed to be more eco-friendly, and because of the Farberware name.

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bought it as I did not want to buy teflon.it was difficult to clean from the start -it didn't feel like non stick. I used it to make omelet, and heat some indian tortillas---the gray surface turned brown --with 2-3 uses and now 1 mth later the pan is completely black. It was a total waste of money. I never put it in the dishawsher. I don;t want cookware to last forever but this didn't last even a wk .. would never recommend to buy it .

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The pan works well in the beginning. After a week of use, eggs start to stick to the pan. Called the company. They said it is manufacturing defect. We sent in the pan for replacement. We'll see how the replacement works.Earth Pan II by Farberware Hard Anodized 12-Inch Skillet

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I wanted an Earthpan because I heard great reviews of them in Consumer Reports. I am a pretty serious home chef and was willing to pay an inordinate amount of money for a non-stick pan that cooked well and cleaned easily. So I was pleasantly suprised to see this was reasonably priced. This pan cooks well but the pan is not easy to clean at all. I have had to use steel wool to get this pan clean. That's sucks. I mean I had to get out all kinds of elbow grease to clean this pan and I was upset by that.

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My Earth Pan Hard Anodized Nonstick 10 inch skillet was a big disappointment. Because I have had many non-stick fry pans over the years and I realize that their life span is short even though we follow all the directions, I thought that this product seemed more durable and more able to fit my needs. I followed all the many directions for use (including ones we weren't warned about because we have a Corning stove top) but it was purchased August 18 online from Amazon, and here it is May 18, 2011 and a cast iron skillet compares favorably to it (and would have been much cheaper).

Best Le Creuset Oven Mitt Deals

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List Price: $23.00
Sale Price: $18.21
Today's Bonus: 21% Off

Beautiful Oven Mitt, nicest I'll have ever had ...if I keep it. Don't oven mitts come in pair?! I was so surprised (and, frankly, pissed off) when this one gorgeous orange oven mitt, all bright and comfortable and snuggly, showed up ... all ... by ... itself. Grrrr.

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I wasn't sure it would be long enough when I ordered this mitt. But it turned out it was long enough to protect my forearm. Also nice and thick. Highly recommend!

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Unable to find a blue oven mitt Made in the USA, I went for Made in Europe. Very chic to have a French oven mitt, and priced accordingly.

Thus, I was extremely disappointed to see on a label hidden well within the oven mitt "Made in China"!

Le Creuset shame on you.

Cheap Norpro KRONA 3 Quart Vented Pot with Straining Lid

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List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $49.30
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

This isn't a great pot, but for the price, it isn't horrible, either. On the good side, it has nice handles on the sides and lid. It has a good thick heavy bottom that heats evenly. On the bad, the lid does not fit well, there are large gaps between it and the sides of the pot, and the supposed "straining" feature is rudimentary at best. If you are looking for an everyday "beat-it-up and not worry about it" pot, then this one is for you.

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I already have a pot with the same straining system. It's so incredibly convenient I can't imagine buying a pot without it now. That's why I got this one recently. However, the lid for this pot doesn't fit as well as the other one, which limits the usefulness of the straining system because of that little gap at the edges. (I wonder how well the Oneida pot system fits.) Overall, it's still a great pot for the price with very cool features.

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One thing that isn't noted in the product information is that the pot is MADE IN CHINA. Had I known I would not have purchased it, and will not purchase any further cookware by NORPRO USA.

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In all these years, I never got such junk from Amazon. It was not damaged in shipping to me. The inner box was all torn up. The pot was dented. No damage to outer box. I'll never order cookware from Amazon again. Do brick and mortar store would have put such junk on their shelf. To Amazon's credit, they did replace it. So, I finally got my pot after 3 weeks of hassle. I'll go to the local kitchen store next time.

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Gift for my mother in law. She loves the pot!

Discount All-Clad Stainless 6-Quart Stockpot

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Both the 6 and 8 quart stockpots are must haves for your All Clad cookware collection. The 6 is great for sauce, a pound of lasagna or rigatoni, soup or stew and the 8 quart is a must have for my favorite meatballs that I cook in my sauce with sausage and steak. At first I didn't think I would need both but now that I do I can imagine doing all the Italian cooking that I do with out them. I can get my sauce and meatballs cooking in the 8 quart and start boiling lasagna noodles in the 6 quart. I love them both.

These pans are made very well, heat evenly, are very easy to clean and are designed to last. All Clad cookware is one of the most expensive lines around and it is worth every penny, it really is lifetime cookware (backed by a lifetime warranty). This pan is a definite must have. Very, very highly recommended! A+++!...

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Nothing tastes better on a blustery winter's day than a steaming bowl of homemade soup or stew. And, nothing is better to prepare it in than this All-Clad Stockpot.

It seems that a stockpot is one kitchen item that never wears out, so I'd been making do with what we had. But, when I was fortunate enough to be gifted with this stockpot from All-Clad I couldn't believe the difference!

It has a thick conductive base that spreads the heat evenly, not just where the burner might hit it. And, it has solid stainless steel walls that keep the heat in. The lid fits snugly, and it simmers away for hours emitting the most delicious aromas.

The brushed exterior gives it a great look, and it is made to conform to All-Clad's estimable high standards. Soup's on!

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I got this pot to replace an old 5 quart teflon lined aluminum pot of similar shape but with plastic handles, which kept it from the oven without extraordinary measures. The old pot simply did not heat up very quickly or evenly and it's dark interior made it more difficult to see what was going on with braises or pasta cooking.

So, I was often lugging out my 8 quart Le Creuset dutch oven when the smaller lighter pot would be the perfect size, but for the plastic handles.

I have used it a few times since receiving it, and it meets every expectation, even outperforming a similarly sized 5 quart Calphalon pan which was my old favorite when I bunked with a gas range.

This is an incredibly uselfu size and shape, and worth the cost if you cook a lot.

Highly recommended.

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We use the 6-qt pot for everything. In fact I wish I had gotten it before anything else. If I were starting out equipping a kitchen from scratch again, I would start here instead of the 12" frying pan I got first. It keeps the mess in the pot better than a frying pan. This can fry a steak, brown it perfectly, then go into the oven to finish. Perfect for braises. Perfect for soup from scratch. A couple times we challenged it's capacity but I like its low walls, so maybe we'll get the 8-qt next. Lighter than a Dutch oven, cooks evenly, browns without burning. It's the pot that's always on the stove.

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This is a very useful pot for just about anything pasta soup frying spinach and other leafy vegetables stewing I never put it away it's always on my stove top.

Discount Kaiser Bakeware Crystal 9-Inch Springform Pan

Customer Ratings:

I really enjoy using this pan. The sides are non-stick and fit well with the glass bottom. I don't need to transfer my baked good to another plate for serving you can cut on the glass without damaging it (okay it is glass so you have to use common sense...). I've gone through a number of cheaper springform pans. They've all gone to the trash.

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spring foam mechanism is great and doesn't scratch itself (i'v bought another brand that had the spring foam mechanism scratching the side of the ring, i returned that one)

no leakage

easy to use :)

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This pan is well made and I like the glass bottom

though I don't see any benefit to it.

I'd have spent my money on a pan that doesn't leak.

Review of Ceramic Marble Coated Cast Aluminium Non Stick Fry Pan 30cm(12

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I loved this pan. When I went back to Amazon to buy another one, I saw a review by someone stating there was a warning about Phthalates AND Lead. That did not make much sense to me knowing it was made in Korea where people have gotten highly educated about and sensitive to toxins. But, I wasn't going to risk my family's health. Too bad, I thought, as it really is one of the best pans I have ever used. Then, I found and bought a set of Instant Lead Tests (by Lead Check) sold by Amazon and tested the pan I had at home. The result: NO LEAD. As to Phthalates (DEHP), I don't know how to test for it, but I don't see how DEHP, a primary plasticizer for PVC, would be on the cooking surface meant for high temperature operation. Maybe the handle tested positive for it? Given the type of hard material used for the handle, I don't think it is a high risk area, if any. So, guess what, I am buying another ceramic marble coated pan!

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I'm always being distracted by numerous things when I cook and as a result have walked away after or before cooking with flame still burning under the pan, ruining every pan I've ever used. This last time,.. after preparing breakfast, I emptied my bacon & eggs from this Ceramic Marble coated pan, heard the phone ring in my computer room where I took my breakfast to eat, and answer the phone. After finishing my breakfast and phone call,(a good 25 minutes), there was a burning smell. I ran back through the smoke filled house to remove the pan from the stove. I thought,..Oh No!,..another new pan ruined!

After abusing the pan on medium high (3/4) for at least 25 minutes,..I was shocked to see it clean up so easily with just a damp paper towel, and even though there was an 8" area in the center of the pan that was slightly darker than the rest,..it STILL retains it's excellent non-stick properties.

You could spend a whole lot more and still not get something comparable to this very affordable high quality pan.

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I have used this pan for a couple of months now and decided to order 2 more, smaller one for myself and 1 for my sister. Will probably purchase more for my family!

They feel solid, and are exactly as described.

I still find that I need to use a little oil or pam spray, but that is fine. These are good quality pans at a great price

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I realized after a few uses that the pan looks just like the "stone line" pans being sold on TV. I assumed the pan would be heavy since it's got a marble coating but it's surprising light. I cook all types of food on it, and am very impressed with the performance. It cooks evenly, does not require oil or spray, but I add some for flavor. Made eggs sunny side up with two drips of grapeseed oil, added cheese and when the edges curled up, I was able to slide the eggs from the pan onto the plate, no utensils! Cleanup is as easy as rinsing with warm soapy water and a paper towel. Buy it before the price goes up, it's the only pan you'll need.

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My husband never forgave me for throwing away his favorite non-stick pan. In searching for a safer alternative to teflon, we came across this pan, which seemed like a safer option. Sadly, upon receipt, we noticed the following disclaimer on the product packaging: "State of California Prop. 65 WARNING This product contains DEHP, a Phthalate Chemical, Lead and other Chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects and other reproductive harm." Use at your own risk. I'll be returning mine.

DeBuyer Mineral B Element Iron Frypan, Round Reviews

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List Price: $60.00
Sale Price: $59.95
Today's Bonus: $0.05 Off

First off: If you cannot lift heavy pans, don't get these. Instead, I'd opt for high-quality stainless. And if possible a stainless/copper.

With that said, these are truly a lifetime investment item if they are taken care of. Once it's seasoned, you cannot cook a better pan-fried steak. One of the best pans I've used thus far, and I've owned a restaurant.

There are a few suggestions for seasoning. The company's seasoning method is fine, but it's more ideal for a restaurant environment where the pan is being used multiple times a day...thereby creating a very quick seasoning layer from cooking alone. I have found though that cooking at home is different, and the maturation can take much longer. So, I want to share with you what I do to achieve the best and most successful seasoning of my Debuyer iron pans without the sticky residue or uneven seasoning. I'm certainly not the authority on seasoning, but I hope this helps.

What you will need: Water, 3 potatoes washed well, flax seed oil (organic), sponge, and a spare dry towel(s). *FYI: I use Barlean's Organic Flaxseed Oil. There are other brands you can find in your local Whole Foods or organic markets.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Once you receive your pan, place on burner and fill nearly to the brim (leaving about 1/2" from the top) with water.

2. Next, add peels from approximately 3 potatoes. Make sure the potato is washed really well so that you don't get dirt form around the edge of the water. Let boil for 15-20 minutes. You'll notice the water beginning to darken after about 10 minutes, which is normal. This step helps remove the beeswax that is added before shipment more effectively.

3. Pour out the water. You may notice a black line where the water level was, that's also normal. Use a sponge to lightly scrub the pan under hot running water, focusing on the sides and around the rivets. You are just finishing off the beeswax that was left over after boiling. BTW: If you have dark spots from the potato peels at the bottom of your pan, no worries...it's normal and not necessary to remove completely. Towel dry and return to burner.

4. Turn your burner to high heat, and then place approx 2 tsp. of flax oil in the center of your pan while it's cool. Make sure to turn on your exhaust fan if you have one.

5. Rub a very, very thin layer of the oil around the entire inside of the pan with a towel. Make sure to soak up any excess oil. This is vitally important, because too much oil will ruin the seasoning process. Heat until it smokes oh so slightly.

*Since the timing is so different from one stove to the next, I suggest you allow it to smoke slightly only as a visual to know that it has reached a hot enough temperature.

*Do not leave your pan on the burner without watching it carefully. Again, allowing the oil to smoke a lot is not a good thing and can ruin the seasoning.

You will notice it darkening almost immediately once the oil becomes hot to a dark caramel color, but not yet black.

6. Allow to cool.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 until your pan is nearly black (about 5-7 layers). Finally, begin cooking!

Your first batch of food should be a meat as this will speed up the maturing process. After a while of maturation, there is a possibility that the seasoning will begin to flake off around the edges of your pan. This is normal if you heat your pan to extremely hot temperature often. If this happens, don't panic. Just take a non abrasive sponge under hot water and lightly scrub off the small bits of loosened seasoning. Then, return to the burner and add a few layers of seasoning to keep any rust from forming. This should only happen around the edges of your pan after some prolonged use, however.

IRON AND HEAT:

Remember that iron continues to rise in temperature, thus you can easily burn your food. You will need to get to know your pan in order to find out when to adjust the heat. Ex: If you are wanting to bring it up to a high temperature, turn your fire or heat source to about a MED-HIGH. Once it reaches that temperature, it's wise to drop the heat down to MED about a minute or two after the food has been added so that it doesn't over cook.

Regardless of what I'm cooking, I almost never set my heat to HIGH. It just doesn't drop in temperature fast enough before burning something.

Also, if you add anything cold to your pan it will be stuck initially. You should wait a minute or two until it forms a nice "crust" in which it can be easily removed or flipped. However, once the seasoning is matured, sticking should not be an issue.

FIRST BATCH OF EGGS:

Eggs are a great example of what can happen if you remove or flip your food too early before it has had a chance to form a "crust", and if you set your heat too high they will burn super fast. So, you definitely want to follow the above tips during the maturing process when cooking eggs. Otherwise, you'll end up with a mess. So again, I highly suggest cooking at a very low temperature for eggs, as they will burn or dry out very quickly in iron pans regardless of maturation.

CLEANING AND COOKING UTENSILS:

Wait for several batches of food before you use a metal spatula. If you notice small scratches in your layer of seasoning after cooking from your cooking utensils...don't worry. It will darken over rather quickly and should not cause any issues. Flax oil seasoning isn't real soft, but it isn't indestructible either. So, just be graceful initially.

If stubborn food is stuck to your pan after cooking; add HOT water, bring to a boil for no more than a minute, scrub with a wooden utensil, dispose of the liquid, rinse and then towel dry. Afterwards you'll need to place a light layer of oil in your pan and heat the pan just before it smokes. OR, you should be able to use a non-abrasive sponge under hot running water to clean up any stubborn messes without any worries. However, it's not a good idea to boil water often as it will slow the maturing process.

Additionally, one tip suggests to place course salt in the pan to sanitize it. However, this can scratch your surface rather quickly if it's the beginning stages of your seasoning, so use that tip cautiously.

BTW: You'll know when your pan has matured when hardly anything sticks to the pan, and you don't have to clean it with anything other than a paper towel after cooking.

***Always remember to oil your pan after each use, regardless***

You can repeat one layer of seasoning after each batch of food in the first month or so, or intermittently. This will ensure a nonstick surface that is sure to last through just about anything. The more you use your pan, the more the non-stick surface becomes. Your pan should be broke in within a three months, depending on use.

~ If you noticed that there is a large area of what looks like a "smudge" after seasoning, then you added too much oil OR allowed it to get too hot. That's okay..if your first attempt failed, you can start the process over by scrubbing with a scouring pad and removing the layers of seasoning. Then proceeding to repeat the step using much less oil.

~ If your pan is really sticky after seasoning, you have added too much oil, the pan didn't get hot enough, or you need to repeat the process. You may have a slight stickiness after seasoning is finished, but that's fine. It's the thick residue you don't want.

***Do not bake your pan using this oil during the initial seasoning process, unless you know exactly how to do it. It can be used in the oven for cooking once you have finished your seasoning however.

Using any other oil or lard to season your pan will/can cause a thick residue because the burning point is lower for one, which is why I strongly suggest not using any other oil. The seasoning will be much "softer" with other oils, and does not work for me in the least bit, nor will it for you I don't believe. The surface becomes much less even and there are simply too many issues with other oils that I don't want to get into here.

And lastly, do not switch out oils during your seasoning process as some tips may suggest, it's not necessary when you use flax-seed oil especially. You have to take into consideration that each oil will have a different burning point, or smoking point, therefore mixing the oils is not a good idea...period.

So, bottom line is that I do not find seasoning by baking is a good idea unless you are experienced in doing it. For most that aren't, it ends up leaving residue because too much oil was added, which is awful to have on your pan. It will scrape off too easily causing a mess! This can cause a lot of frustration and wasted time. I really want people to have the easiest experience and not be discouraged, thereby switching to non-stick inferior pans for sake of ease ;0)

I really hope this helps you. Good luck, and happy cooking!

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Over the years I have a collection of All-Clad Stainless Tri-Ply, Calphalon nonstick, plus a cast iron pizza pan, so I am quite familiar with the strength and weakness of each type of material.

The stainless tri-ply sears well, has pretty good heat conductivity, can be nonstick if you use good technique(dry and warm up certain type of food before cooking, and use enough oil), but it's a pain to clean.

You are probably familiar with nonstick like Caphalon. They work pretty well, don't sear as well as tri-ply stainless, but is easy to clean. They wear out after a few years and you have to replace them. To me, they have no soul. I mostly used mine for eggs.

I used the cast iron pizza pan for steak, hamburger, and frittata. It's well season and nonstick. The one big draw back is that it weight a ton.

I heard good thing about DeBuyer iron cookware so I ordered a DeBuyer 24cm bluesteel crepe pan as it's inexpensive to try out. It's fantastic: eggs slide off it, and cleaning is just rising with warm water and wiping dry with a towel. So I decided to get the 12.6-Inch frypan to use as my general everyday pan. So far I have cooked steak, stir fry, and seared fish with it. I would say that it combines the best features of all the cooking surfaces I have used so far: it's nonstick, sears better than tri-ply stainless perhaps as well as my cast iron, and weight a lot less than cast iron would have been, and it's easy to clean up. Most of the time to clean it I just rinse it with warm water. If I cook fish or steak I would use boiling water to rinse it, and on occasions I would use a slightly soaped sponge on it. Then I would dry it, and when I am not too lazy I would put a couple drop of cooking oil in it and wipe it with a paper towel. The clean up is much faster than with my stainless cookwares.

But best of all, the steak comes out fantastic, the fish seared nicely, and the side is just tall enough to not get in the way yet provide enough volume to use as a really nice stir fry pan. If you cook for 4 people, this is the perfect size.

I said jokingly to my 5-year old daughter that some day this will be hers as she watch me season it the day it arrived. The truth is this thing will last forever and will be hers some day. There is a satisfaction of owing something that will last for generation and is a pleasure to use. I am now a DeBuyer convert (there may be other brands that make iron cookware that are just as good). I bought a 11.8-Inch crepe pan for omeletes and frittata.

Best Deals for DeBuyer Mineral B Element Iron Frypan, Round

I already use the pre-Bee 10" Mineral fry pan de Buyer Mineral Pan, Fry Pan: 10" which is absolutely great. In the terms of the old hot-rod axiom, "if some is good, more is better, and too much is just right," so I bought this 14" monster. I'm going to have to order a larger "universal" fry pan lid since my old one is too small. I love the little honey bee stamped into the bottom of the pan and the honey-colored dot in the handle. Perfection is all in the details, right? I watched the instructions on U-tube, and even though DeBuyer no longer recommends it, I boiled a bunch of potato peelings for a very long time, and then some peanut oil for a less than very long time. Slick as glass and ready to cook now, but not until a few more family members drop by. This pan is BIG. It doesn't show up in all of the advertising photos, but mine actually has a U-shaped handle on the side opposite the long, flat handle for a two-handed grip to make it easier to remove the pan from the range. The 10" is great for my wife and me, and I expect no less from the 14" version when we have to cook for more than two. I can do scrambled eggs in the 10" with less residue left behind than with my previous "non-stick" pans. It almost doesn't need cleaning. Bacon tends to stick a bit, due to the suger content in the curing process I suspect, so I have to wipe down the pan really well with paper towels after the bacon is done, before I toss in the egg mixture. I love these fry pans. Teflon, get thee behind me!

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I've had the 10" and the 14" pans for about 6 months now, and they are developing a great patina. Nothing sticks, and I mean NOTHING. As long as you maintain them with a thin coat of oil, they are the slickest pans I have ever used, and that includes high dollar All Clad. One of the secrets to maintaining the non-stick surface is to heat the pan to temp before adding any oil, and to never wash them out with soap. If you've made a sauce that has stripped all the oil from the surface, just use a paper towel to wipe the pan down with a bit of neutral oil like peanut or grapeseed before you put it away.

These pans maintain heat so well, and so evenly, that it takes a bit of adjusting to cook well in them. If you normally cook something on medium-high heat, these pans over medium heat will do the job better than regular pans. I have not yet had any need to crank a burner to high with my mineral pans, and I get the best sear I have ever seen on chicken, beef, fish skin, and vegetables.

Be aware that the cooking surface of these pans run small. The measurement is from rim to rim, and the sides flare significantly. If I could only buy one of these, I would probably go with the 12" pan. The wax coating is hard to get off, as another reviewer mentioned. I simmered hot water in the pans several times, working away at it with fine steel wool (no soap) in between simmers. If you have some sticking initially, it will likely be because there is a little wax left on the surface. It will work itself off, won't hurt your food, and once it is gone, you'll have the best and only pan you will need for the rest of your life, and probably your children's lives too. I'll never waste my money on a coated non-stick pan again.

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I've used the 10" Mineral B pan for almost a week and have to say that it has lived up to my expectations.

Thoughts on weight and design:

This pan is much heavier than a similar-sized stainless steel pan and everyone I've handed it to has been surprised at the weight. However, after using it a while, it just starts to feel normal. The weight helps the pan stay fixed on the burner when you are stirring and the long, steep-angled handle actually helps in allowing you to lift the pan off the burner and let it kind of hang in your hand instead of trying to lift it up off the burner with your wrist. The steep angle of the handle also makes it possible to not have to turn handles out of the way when you have a range full of other pans. The handle rises up and over other pans where you can get to it easily.

Thoughts on performance:

After seasoning the pan (see my thoughts below on this) I fried some bacon and sauted some mushrooms. It worked as expected with no sticking to speak of. I then fried an egg over easy and except for one tiny bit that stuck at first, the egg slid around like it was on ice. Over the next few days I fried some pork chops, browned chicken thighs and then cooked them in the oven. I cooked some hash browns and scrambled eggs next. I was afraid that the scrambled eggs were sticking but after gently stirring them they always released from the pan. So far I'm very happy with the performance of this pan and its non-stick properties.

Thoughts on seasoning:

I made some mistakes in seasoning and would do things differently now.

I followed the de Buyer video on youtube which recommended boiling potato peels. I don't think I put enough water in the pan and I boiled while I was cooking other things and let a lot of the water boil off which left a dark residue in the pan. I would recommend putting at least an inch of water in and only boiling for the 15 minutes that the video recommends. This process really darkened the water in the pan which I didn't expect. Some research suggested that this potato peel boiling is used to pull off the beeswax coating de Buyer applies and any other foreign particles and metal bits from the surface of the pan so that might be why the water turns so black.

I couldn't rinse of the black residue so I had to use some Barkeeper's Friend to scrub it off then rinsed it in really hot water. I don't know if this is normal but after boiling the peels and cleaning I did, the surface of the pan was getting dark splotches on it.

I then dried and oiled it with bacon grease and put it upside down in a 400 degree oven per adx442's review for 30 minutes. About half way through I peeked at it and could see that the oil had run and left streaks. I tried wiping them off but they had set. They did not feel sticky though, luckily, so I went ahead and seasoned a second time with coconut oil and put in the oven again for 30 more minutes. After this process the oil took on a reddish brown color and was rather streaked. I was worried that I might have to strip this and start over but after use I've had no sticking problems. I would do some things differently though. After doing some more research I've decided that as little oil as I had on the pan it was still too much and that allowed it to streak. Next time I would wipe the whole pan in oil after warming the pan and then really wipe it down taking off most of what I put on. There is still a very thin layer there that you really can't see with your eyes or feel.

After cooking the meats I deglazed the pan and I'm afraid I removed a lot of the seasoning I had built up because it stripped off the reddish brown coating and took it back to the steel color. I decided that I should not have deglazed the pans so early in the life of the seasoning. Perhaps later on once a good base is formed this would not be a problem but it may be best to just use a stainless pans for meats when I want to use the fond.

Thoughts on cleaning:

At first I ran hot water in the pan and scrubbed it with a plastic bristle brush but again I think I was rubbing off my seasoning. Since then I've only wiped the pan out with a paper towel and some salt when some sticky spots appeared. Hot water and brush will probably be ok once a deep seasoning is established and only when necessary.

Conclusion:

Overall I'm very happy with the pan and carbon steel pans in general. I just bought two multiclad stainless frying pans a month or two ago and slightly regret not being aware of carbon steel pans before that purchase, however stainless steel still has its uses so they won't go to waste. I will however be replacing the non-stick pans I have been using for eggs with this de Buyer pan. While carbon steel is heavy and has a slightly more involved maintenance process, I'm very happy with it and plan to buy more pans in the future.

Best Fagor 8 Piece Tri-Ply Cookware Set Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $250.00
Sale Price: $199.95
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

I got this set of cookware free along with a Fagor cooktop. I figured it wouldn't be as good as All-Clad or Cephalon but that it should service for a couple of years.

The induction cooktop is perfectly fine quite good actually. The cookware, not so much. We've never had a pan fall apart in a single day. After using exactly once, under normal care, two pieces started rusting! So much for stainless steel. For the other pieces that haven't started rusting yet, cleaning is shockingly more difficult compared to All-Clad or frankly every single other make of cookware we've used. And even after washing shortly after use, water stains require intense scrubbing to remove again contrasting with our non-Fagor cookware.

On top of that, the glass lids are difficult to fully clean where they connect to their edges.

On the plus side, the handles stay cool, the aesthetics are good, and the steamer is well-designed.

I've only had one set, but if this instance is indicative of how most instances were manufactured (in China), it's not worth wasting your time even for free.

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I like the fast even heat distribution that the tri-ply core offers. Not to mention the stay-cool handles.

The HMI is excellent and the sizes just right. And the set has all the pieces; stock/pasta pot, skillet, a good size steamer basket and 2 saucepans, the smaller one doubles as a fryer too. The glass lids are heavy enough and vented for simmering. Now, if only I knew a cleaner that performs just as well, I'd be set.

Best Deals for Fagor 8 Piece Tri-Ply Cookware Set

My wife is pleased with set of cookware. She has used many brands of cookware and prefers Fagor.

I will polish skillet with abrasive to reduce sticking of eggs.

Large handles help wife lift heavy skillet.

Honest reviews on Fagor 8 Piece Tri-Ply Cookware Set

We are enjoying our stainless steel set; it's good quality and the sense of safety knowing we aren't ingesting toxic aluminum, etc. I like the glass lids!

Once again, my Amazon Prime Membership pays off in shipping through out the year, especially with the cost of gas and the fact we have to make a 3 hr round trip to shop.

I have the Fagor pressure cooker as well (previously purchased at Macy's) which is really heavy duty (not included in this set); has a saucepan as well as a kettle that goes with it for varying types of foods and amounts, and no more danger of having to clean beans off my ceiling!

Reviews of Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Quart Chef's Casserole with Lid

Customer Ratings:

I currently own about 7 pieces of Calphalon cookware. I have been very pleased with the quality, and I try to pick up additional ones whenever I can. I was happy when I saw an Amazon offer for a Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Quart Chef's Casserole with Lid set for $60, down from $190. The few customer reviews were mostly favorable so I ordered one.

I did note some issues people were having with the Calphalon Commercial Hard Anodized 12-Quart Stockpot with Lid. To summarize it was noted that the pot was not made in America, was flimsy and thin in construction, and the finish quality was substandard. Being that I had already ordered, I waited to see what would arrive.

I opened the Amazon box and took out the plain white box whose only markings were "Made in China." Nowhere did it even say Calphalon, so this was an object never intended for normal retail sale (at a Macy's etc.). The pot was indeed flimsy with comically puny handles. I scratched at the surface with my fingernail and appeared to slightly mar the surface. I then walked to my computer, clicked return, and printed out the return authorization.

I think what disturbs me the most is if Calphalon is calling this piece of junk commercial quality, how can I possibly order one of their products unless I can physically touch it before I commit? Claiming a 68% savings on the price of this pot is ludicrous. This is more like one of those infomercials that packages 50 cents worth of plastic and says it's a $20 value. This flimsy pot would be expensive at $20. Calphalon may very well have lost me as a customer.

I grabbed my caliper and took a couple of quick measurements of the thickness of several of my Calphalon pieces.

My truly professional fry pan: 0.19" (4.8mm)

Calphalon Contemporary pan: 0.179" (4.4mm)

Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Quart Chef's Casserole: 0.10" (2.5mm)

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This is a great pot if you know what you are getting. First of all, Calphalon's Commercial Hard Anodized line is NOT non-stick in the traditional sense, they make other lines that are, but this one is not. That said, if you follow the instructions, it does things a non-stick pot/pan can't do and cleans up very easily. It's especially good at searing and creating flavor in deglazing. At this point though I use this pot mainly for things like stews or chili. It does make a great pot roast too if that's your goal. I took one star off because it's not the same really heavy gauge as most of the other pots and pans I have from their Commercial Hard Anodized line. It's still a good pot, but noticeably lighter gauge. None of the this line is dishwasher safe either, if that's an issue for you.

Best Deals for Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Quart Chef's Casserole with Lid

I bought this to work as a dutch oven. I've made soups and roasts in it so far.

The sides of the pot are a bit thin for my tastes, although the bottom is comfortably thick. There are no hot spots on the bottom at all. Cleanup is a snap since it's hard anodized. Since it's not teflon, you can make pan sauces from the fond.

It's not cast iron, so it won't substitute for your Lodge or La Creuset. On the other hand, it doesn't weigh 15lbs either.

All in all, a very good pan for the money ($ on sale). I recommend it.

Honest reviews on Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Quart Chef's Casserole with Lid

I love this pan. Very durable and it is very lightweight comparativly to its size. It cleans fairly easily, but it is not dishwasher safe. I think it is a fantastic product.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Calphalon Commercial Hard-Anodized 7-Quart Chef's Casserole with Lid

The pot is lightweight and definitely not Commercial grade as indicated in the description. There are only two good things about the pot as far as I'm concerned: the domed lid and the size. Over-all, I'd rate it poor quality and I would never have made the purchase if I'd touched it. If you're a serious cook -don't buy it.

Cheap Le Creust Stoneare 20-Ounce Mini Bean Pot, Cherry

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this little pot to serve hotdog chili from for our family cookouts. It is just the right size and works very well for sitting on the grill (or side burner). It holds about 2 1/2 cups when filled!

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I have several pieces of the Le Creuset pieces. I love all of them. I bought this to use as a sugar bowl. I wanted it to match my other Le Creuset canisters and crocks. The regular sugar bowl is prety small so I thought this was really pretty and could be used as that. I ordered two of them. One for honey and one for sugar. (The Le Creuset Honey pot is yellow and I didn't want one that didn't match my other items).They look nice on my counter. They arrived quicker than I expected.

Best Deals for Le Creust Stoneare 20-Ounce Mini Bean Pot, Cherry

20-ounces as stated, which is smaller than the style and design would make you believe. The quality is great as is the finish.

Honest reviews on Le Creust Stoneare 20-Ounce Mini Bean Pot, Cherry

Great for individual soups as well as beans love it! Can microwave to re-heat. No worries re BPA and it's cute.