You need this pan I think.
Every once in awhile I’ll mention a completely random product on Facebook or IG stories or wherever, and be completely stunned by the influx of questions about it. Yesterday, that completely random product was my frying pan.
And so, by popular demand, here is a post about my frying pan.
(It’s actually amazing.)
My dad has recently gotten into cooking – I bought him a month of Blue Apron as a gift awhile back, and it apparently kicked off this latent desire to saute All The Things – and lately he’s been rhapsodizing about his new frying pan, going on and on (and on) about how it completely revolutionized the way he cooks. When I visited my parents a couple of weeks ago, I tried it out myself, and: oh.
Consider me revolutionized.
Then my parents surprised me with one for my birthday (aw!), and now it is my favorite thing in my kitchen. Nobody else is allowed to touch my pan: it is mine to cook with, mine to clean, and mine to lovingly polish while singing it lullabies.
Let me explain why I love this pan so much, because I’m aware that this sounds like a slightly excessive emotional response to a piece of metal. First, it has a copper core, so it’s super-conductive and heats quickly and evenly, but it also has a nonstick surface, so it’s really easy to cook with (and really easy to clean – a swipe with a paper towel and a quick rinse in warm soapy water is all you need to do). Nonstick surfaces mean you can cook with very little oil, so there are health benefits there, and the stainless steel handles stay cool enough that you don’t even need to use potholders to pick it up. Oh and it has an edge that’s angled to make pouring as drip-free as possible.
There are some cons, of course. First, it’s expensive. (Cheaper than Le Creuset, but that’s not saying much.) Also, not everyone thinks that it’s worth it to pay for a pot with a copper core if it has a nonstick surface, since pans with nonstick surfaces tend not to last as long as, say, cast-iron pans. It’s not great for dishes where you want some reserved fond after searing, because the fond doesn’t really stick to the pan for later scraping-up purposes. And finally, you have to treat them nicely – they technically can go in the dishwasher, but really shouldn’t, and you have to use plastic or wood implements on them (no metal). But for me, the degree to which this particular pan makes the cooking process more pleasurable and the cleanup process less miserable vastly outweighs the fact that I have to baby it a bit.
Summary: If you’re a casual chef, you will love this because of how easy it makes your life, and will likely use it for absolutely everything. If you’re more serious about cooking, this won’t be the only pan you use, but I guarantee it will be the pan you use the most.
(…Did I mention it’s beautiful?)
Grade: A-
