I second this recommendation (and also, I love Freakin’ Reviews).
After being suckered into buying too many non-stick pans that never stayed that way for long, I was leery about getting another one but the Granite Rock has exceeded all of my expectations. It’s light enough to maneuver and pick up, is really nonstick, and quite easy to clean. I paid about $27 on Amazon during a deal, and bought the 12" square (purchased glass lid separately). Have had it over a year, still looks brand new. Not a teflon coating, so it won’t peel and leave black flecks. Doesn’t get as hot as some other pans, but it’s as non-stick as ever and actually it does a good sear.
I do tend to baby it a bit by hand washing, and only use silicone utensils.
How are your pans failing? Are they the Bulbhead pans?
I can’t say I use mine daily but often enough that it lives on the range. It got used at least every day this week since I heated up and browned a frozen chicken patty for lunch for following day.
The business side remains perfect, as seen in my photo from a few months ago. I seldom wash it, perhaps every 10-15 uses. Otherwise, a quick wipe with a paper napkin is good enough. The red exterior is a bit grungy but I haven’t made any real effort to clean it up. I’d guess a little Barkeeper’s Friend, copper wool and elbow grease would clean it up.
Seems like we had a thread about this recently and I’m going to say again that I have been super happy with my Kitchen-Aid brand pans I bought at Kohl’s about 10 or so years ago. Wouldn’t dream of using metal utensils on them. I baby them but the non-stick finish is as good now as the day I bought them. Mine are skillets, so didn’t come with lids but I bought some universal fit ones from Target. Sauce pans come with lids, learned that in the last thread.
Found an interesting Youtube channel “Freakin Reviews”. He does reviews of “As Seen on TV” products and does a number of non-stick pan reviews.
Copper Top (by Bubblehead!)
The Granite Rock Pan
Blue Diamond Pan HexClad Pan
Bottom line is:
all the pans functionally deteriorate after regular use, usually to the point that within a few months or less they’re only still non-stick by using butter or oil.
Longevity seems to be directly related to how much you “baby” them, e.g.: never cook above a medium heat, only wash it with soap and a paper towel, re-season them periodically etc.
Performance for all is very similar but he gives a slight edge to the Granite Rock. Least favourite is the HexClad, mostly because it’s so expensive.
My take away (after killing my lunch time watching these) is I’ll keep buying cheap, disposable after 2 years, T-Fals for now.
BTW - One of the things that’s funny is when he points out how the instructions that come with the pan are often very different than the TV ads: use oil vs don’t use oil, never use metal utensils vs use metal etc.
I’ll “plus one” the recommendation for commercial grade stuff from the restaurant supply. My go-to pan is a 10" nonstick from Webstaurantstore. Nine bucks, so when it eventually goes from nonstick to allstick, it’s not a hit to the budget to replace.
Yeah. It looks OK, with no obvious scratches. I seasoned it again when it started getting bad - canola oil in the oven for about 30 minutes. I fried burgers over medium heat, and it made a mess I needed a plastic scrubber to remove. I seasoned it again, this time on the stove, but for health reasons I’m not eating normally right now, so I won’t be testing it for awhile.
Ooh. That’s an interesting website. Wonder how bad their shipping is. I’d really like a SS pan to replace the one that went missing after a move, in addition to another nonstick.
This one checks off all your requirements except induction-capable. I bought it after using other Calphalon non-stick pots and pans for years. It’s far more substantial and heavy than my previous Calphalon pans, which were aluminum and not oven-safe. Although I don’t generally use metal utensils, the listing says you can use them with this one, and I believe it. The non-stick coating seems much tougher than any I’ve ever owned before.
I’ve had it since February, use it several times a week, and love it. I paid about $70 (with lid; it’s listed at $75 now), and expect to be using it for years to come. I’ve been using much less substantial Calphalon pans for at least seven years with no flaking or other problems.
With the COVID, I have been cooking at home much more a lot of which includes breakfast with eggs. Yesterday I replaced the frying pan as well as the small pot that I use to make rice. I got both of the original items as wedding presents in 1993. The were very nice Caphalon products.
My local Target has a big cookware section but it was nearly as sparse as the toilet paper aisle was last month. I ended up getting a Caphalon pot and a Cuisinart frying pan. I made eggs with the new pan today and basically I was an idiot to not replace the old ones many years ago. The cooking was easier, the heat distribution was better and the clean up was absurdly easier.
This was the thread that nudged me to do it so thank you all. Sometimes my frugality gets the better of me. I’m a wealthy man I can afford a fucking $39 replacement pan.
For a long time – after I had bought my first set – I thought it was Calaphon. Some years ago, I looked more closely and saw it was the much less euphonious Calphalon, and wondered, When did they change the name of my cookware?
I ran across some videos on Youtube making claims that stainless steel pans can be made non-stick with seasoning, like a cast-iron pan. Anyone have any experience with this?
I’ve gone three ways with these needs. One is just a lodge cast iron griddle, basically the 10" pan but with tiny sides.
Two is a deBuyer crepe pan. Carbon steel, low sides, lighter than the cast iron.
Three is a two burner flat top from Chef King. 10 gauge carbon steel. Good for doing a bunch of pancakes at once.
They are all nonstick enough to do eggs with just a dash of butter, and all tough enough to leave to my grandkids, if I wind up having any. Teflon pans are essentially disposable, particularly if you intend to use metal utensils.
