Anolon Nouvelle Copper Hard Anodized Nonstick Fry Pan Set - 8 & 10 Inch Skillets, Gray | Professional Cookware for Sautéing, Frying & Everyday Cooking

NOTE - Although the size says twin pack. I purchased the 12" skillet.Update: I owned this pan for well over a year before I did the unthinkable. I forgot to turn off the heat under it. By the time I noticed it, the Teflon was irreparably damaged, beginning to bubble. Until then, the pan had performed flawlessly and was in mint condition. I replaced it with an Ozeri pan, and have been not been thrilled. First, it crowns every time I heat it, even over med-low heat, forcing any oil, liquid or slippery or round food like meatballs to the outer edges. That never, ever happened with my Anolon pan. It's not as even heating, either. Finally, it's waffle design is not great and the ceramic needs scrubbing frequently. I'll be replacing it with another of these very soon, I'm afraid.I've only had my 12" nonstick skillet for a month, I have had the 2 qt. saucepan for about 6 months. The DuPont Autograph II finish is about as good as it gets in PTFE nonstick finishes. It is exceptionally durable, releases easily and holds up well with reasonable precautions. I cook on a GE induction range and have tried many nonstick pans, both aluminum and clad. I finally decided not to spend another dime on an aluminum pan until I found one with almost universal "excellent" reviews for induction performance. Those of you with induction cooktops know the problem. Many aluminum pans have induction bases, but with so little magnetic steel that they're next to worthless and will barely simmer water. Well, this Meyer pan is the bomb. Check the reviews and you'll see what I mean.I own several other skillets (all of them clad stainless) that have more vertical walls, commonly called "French Skillets" and this was a welcome addition. Not only does it provide a large nonstick surface, but I like the more Lyonnaise slope to the walls. If you're looking to maximize floor space, you need to be aware that the steep slant in the walls means it has less floor space then most other frypans.While we're talking about pan size, let me mention that my NordicWare 12" steel lid (http://smile.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Restaurant12-Brushed-Stainless-Steel/dp/B000K18GCS/ref=cm_cr-mr-title) fits several pans perfectly, this one among them. The others are my Joyce Chen 12" Classic stir fry pan (http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AQSWMA/ref=cm_cr_asin_lnk) and the Calphalon Tri-Ply 12" frypan (almost perfect). I no longer have the stir fry pan and Calphalon frypan (they've gone to other homes), but the lid continues to surprise me.As for the pan construction, it doesn't get any better for the price. You'd have to pay a LOT more to get similar performance from another pan. The base is very thick, and married to the thick aluminum pan, provides exceptionally even heat. This über-thick base means the pan is going to heat much more slowly than other pans, on any kind of cooktop (gas, electric or induction), but the payoff comes when you realize that the heat is spread evenly across the entire surface. Once heated the pan responds quickly on my GE induction range. Using medium heat or lower, scorching is not something I worry about with this pan.Another plus to this construction is that warping is not something you need to be concerned with. Disk-bottom pans tend to be more warp-resistant than solid aluminum or clad stainless pans, and again, the thickness of this one makes it extra warp-resistant.My nonstick pans routinely last 5+ years, using the following techniques:1. No heat over medium, ever. Not even when pre-heating. Wait for the pan, don't rush it. Besides, waiting gives the heat more time to spread across the pan. Better for your pan and better for your food. I won't tell anyone if you turn up the heat a bit while trying to boil water or bring the contents of the pan to a boil, but this should only be for short periods, and you shouldn't routinely cook at med-high heat. It will damage the finish and shorten the life of your pan. Guaranteed.2. ALWAYS use fat when cooking, even a tiny amount. Don't even think about dry-frying foods. To use the tiniest amount of fat, wipe it on with a paper towel or use a silicone pastry brush to spread a few drops of oil around.3. NEVER use commercial spray oils. Ever. If you really want to spray, use a Misto or other home sprayer.4. No metal utensils, EVER. I don't care what DuPont and Meyer say, just don't do it. Sooner or later they'll scratch the pan. And please, don't put it in a sink full of soapy water, because it's certain someone will drop a fork or knife into the sink and scratch the pan. I leave it on the stove until I'm ready to wash it, just to make sure no family members put utensils into it as it sits next to the sink. Add some water to the pan and let it soak if you want to, although I can't see why you'd need to.5. No dishwasher. Again, EVER. The high heat of a dishwasher, coupled with the strength of today's detergents, is not kind to nonstick finishes. And honestly? It's nonstick, do you really NEED to put it in the dishwasher to clean it? Of course not.And lastly, when it does begin to lose it's nonstick ability, as all pans eventually do, there's a simple way to restore them. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Gently scrub the pan using the paste and blue nonstick-safe scrub pad or a paper towel. Wash with dish soap and dry it. If the pan isn't as good as new, do it again. Provided the pan isn't unduly scratched up or heat damaged, this will restore the nonstick finish.After my good experiences with the 5 1/2 quart pot in the same series, I decided to give this set a try. Man, am I glad I did!These two pans are replacements for Calphalon cookware of similar size. While the Calphalon pans were okay, they were starting to show wear after a couple of years, and the handles were starting to come loose. They also had the nasty habit of developing very hot handles if the cooking took more than about ten minutes. These are issues which the Anolons just plain don't have. Byebye, Calphalon.The larger pan is just right for pancakes, bacon, pork chops, and stir-fries for two. The size and shape are also great for omelets. The quality of the non-stick surface is excellent; even after months of sometimes-rough use, the surface remains as slick as ever. I need only give the pan a shake and a cooking pancake comes loose, and the shape is just right for guiding cooking food into showy Emeril-like flips and folds. ProTip: if you've ever seen someone flipping a pancake with just a toss, the shape of the pan has a lot to do with whether they earn applause or need a mop; a well-designed pan guides the food back into the center of the pan and makes the whole process easy. If you own these, try it! Be bold! Just don't tell your easily-impressed guests that the pan is doing most of the work. Repeat after me: "Oh, it just becomes second nature after a few years."The smaller pan is great for eggs, small amounts of sauces, and making side dishes. Like its big brother, the handles stay very cool, and the heat-spreading is so good that you can use the smaller burners on your electric stove cranked up to 10 without worrying about scorching your food.Like the rest of this series, the rivet-heads that attach the handle are very tight, and are flush against the sides of the skillets. This makes cleaning much easier, without any grunge building up around the rivets (which seems to be unavoidable with raised rivet heads). As mentioned in my review of the 5 1/2 quart pot, they fit so well you have to look hard to even notice them. If you ever encounter these skillets in a store, pick up their floor model and give it a good firm shake. Not a hint of wobble or flex. I can also vouch for the toughness of the nonstick lining; it will hold up to smooth-edged metal spoons without any wear whatsoever. I wouldn't use sharp-edged metal spatulas, but that's also true of stainless cookware. Save the metal spatulas for cast iron and cookie sheets.A Scotch-Brite type sponge, a little water, and no matter what atrocity I've committed in the pan comes clean. No need for these pans to ever see the inside of a dishwasher, but if they do, they're not going to be harmed by trivialities like harsh soap or flying silverware.Complaints? None. I do wish my set had included lids, but for the price that's not going to happen. This is a bargain, and is going to the top of my list for reasonably-priced gifts to give to my friends who are home chefs. I also doubt I'll need to replace them for many, many years, if ever. I might never have to buy a skillet again.I was fed up with my ( admittedly ) old "non-stick" pans being anything but so splashed out on these ( quite) expensive pans. They are excellent. Only slight disappointment is that I cant put them in the dishwasher which I confess I hadn't appreciated when I ordered them but perhaps you can't put any non-stick product in one..who knows. Anyway they are very easy to clean with a dish cloth. No rubbing requiredExtremely even heat. Very non-stick. The fancy copper bit works, getting heat around the corners of the base pad where most pans like this have a cold ring.Look after it -- no abrasives, only use soft foam pads (not plastic scourers) that are advertised for non-stick. If they're not enough to get crud off, boil water/vinegar in it.Amazing quality pansArrived without original packaging and with a poorly photocopied instruction sheet so was worried but product seemed high end. Felt heavy ie sturdy but premium 20cm frypans all seem to have a balance problem as handle heavy so sometimes tricky to keep it from tipping over when heating oil in it (cheapie Teflon frypan never seemed to have this issue). Liked handle design otherwise and the flat rivets but patch of non stick coating started coming off after only two weeks - I only hand wash non stick cookware - so returned it. Amazon returns simple. ended up buying a cuisinart from local store.This frying pan has consistent even heating throughout the entire bottom of pan. It requires no oil or butter and food does not stick to the non-stick surface. It is a breeze to clean. It works extremely well on an induction stove which in itself, is total heat control. I highly recommend this product!