In the most recent Costco coupon book, a T-Fal jumbo nonstick covered fry/sauce pan was listed as discounted about $6. This brought the price down to $18, not too shabby for a 5.5 qt. 12" diameter utensil with what seems to be a very durable ("Titanium") nonstick coating, as well as silicone rubber insulted handles and a well made glass lid.
Additionally there's a red circle in the middle of the cooking surface that indicates when the proper heat for sautéing has been reached. Pretty slick, no pun intended.
Heretofore I've been using the covered fry/sauce pan from a ceramic coated Green Pan set. Like many others, and corroborated from some internet research, the ceramic coating has lost its non-stickiness, to the point where even bacon sticks to it. So I was ready for a change. The Titanium teflon surface on the T-Fal appears to be quite durable, good up to 500F as well as resistant to metal utensils, albeit of the blunt variety.
In my use so far, I'm quite happy with this pan. The price was right, the size is right, and the quality seems to be up to par. I've been using it for stir-frying, with plenty of room for veggies, as well as also for the aforementioned bacon, LOL. I suppose I will also use it to heat up tortillas and cook steaks. In fact I like it so much I went out and got a second one as a spare, just in case.
One drawback to the Jumbo Cooker is that it's not induction ready. However since I don't have an induction cooktop this is not an issue. In fact, if I spot a T-Fal small/medium omelet pan with the same coating, I'm planning on getting that, as well. For boiling/steaming, the remaining pots from the Green Pan set will do OK, since they are unlikely to result in food sticking and are still relatively easy to clean.
One clue I had that this was going to be a good pan was that when I ventured into Costco on the first day of the sale, a Costco employee mentioned that they were flying off the stack. Sure enough, and most of the buyers appeared to be Asian, who tend to know a thing or two about what makes a good stir fryer.
A minor grump might be that the cooking surface appears to be slightly convex, at least when cold. I'm not sure as yet if it flattens out with heat. Sort of a reverse wok arrangement. But it's not really a problem, since the heavy gauge aluminum appears to distribute heat very evenly. Also, since I use a gas cooktop with sealed burners, the large diameter of this pan tends to make the most efficient use of the flame as it "blooms". I've used other fry pans in the past where after some years of use results in them having a sag in the middle. So perhaps the slight convex profile will lengthen the usable life of the pan?
Additionally there's a red circle in the middle of the cooking surface that indicates when the proper heat for sautéing has been reached. Pretty slick, no pun intended.
Heretofore I've been using the covered fry/sauce pan from a ceramic coated Green Pan set. Like many others, and corroborated from some internet research, the ceramic coating has lost its non-stickiness, to the point where even bacon sticks to it. So I was ready for a change. The Titanium teflon surface on the T-Fal appears to be quite durable, good up to 500F as well as resistant to metal utensils, albeit of the blunt variety.
In my use so far, I'm quite happy with this pan. The price was right, the size is right, and the quality seems to be up to par. I've been using it for stir-frying, with plenty of room for veggies, as well as also for the aforementioned bacon, LOL. I suppose I will also use it to heat up tortillas and cook steaks. In fact I like it so much I went out and got a second one as a spare, just in case.
One drawback to the Jumbo Cooker is that it's not induction ready. However since I don't have an induction cooktop this is not an issue. In fact, if I spot a T-Fal small/medium omelet pan with the same coating, I'm planning on getting that, as well. For boiling/steaming, the remaining pots from the Green Pan set will do OK, since they are unlikely to result in food sticking and are still relatively easy to clean.
One clue I had that this was going to be a good pan was that when I ventured into Costco on the first day of the sale, a Costco employee mentioned that they were flying off the stack. Sure enough, and most of the buyers appeared to be Asian, who tend to know a thing or two about what makes a good stir fryer.
A minor grump might be that the cooking surface appears to be slightly convex, at least when cold. I'm not sure as yet if it flattens out with heat. Sort of a reverse wok arrangement. But it's not really a problem, since the heavy gauge aluminum appears to distribute heat very evenly. Also, since I use a gas cooktop with sealed burners, the large diameter of this pan tends to make the most efficient use of the flame as it "blooms". I've used other fry pans in the past where after some years of use results in them having a sag in the middle. So perhaps the slight convex profile will lengthen the usable life of the pan?
