Oh my goodness, I love this thing. I've had it for about three months now, and it has been wonderful. I go out of my way to treat it properly -- I always hand wash it and only use bamboo/silicone/plastic utensils, so the interior is pretty much the same as when it was delivered. I really haven't had any issue with turning the burner up to high (electric range with old-school spiral raised metal elements) to boil water quickly, but maybe that reduces overall lifespan, so I kind of feel guilty about it. On the other hand, my kids are hungry... This pan has the slickest teflon-type surface I've ever used, comparable to the ceramic-coated nonstick frying pans I got at Target nine months ago. Week-old dried, cooked-on food of any kind slides right off with a little soapy water and a plastic scraper or Dobie sponge (Scotch-Brite Cleaning Pads Dobie (6-Pack) ), with almost no effort at all -- it's absolutely amazing. I learned to cook using my mom's old aluminum pans, and cleaning them afterwards was a nightmare, especially if anything had burned. Later I got into cast iron, but it requires seasoning and very special care, especially cleaning. I still love my cast iron Dutch oven for making pot roast, but the thing practically weighs as much as I do, and isn't terribly convenient for making a quick round of mac and cheese on a busy weeknight. I've used (usually cheap) teflon pots and pans for years, from a number of manufacturers, but they generally weren't terribly "non-sticky" to begin with, invariably got scratched, and eventually lost their non-stick utility completely. This pan is different. Pre-lubrication just isn't necessary, unless you want it for taste or whatever. I've actually made fried eggs in it (it is a bit deep for flipping) with no butter at all, and simply cleaned up with a few swipes from a paper towel. Cleanup after making (real) gravy takes a minute, tops. Dried on rice pilaf comes right off. Definitely worth it! Aside from the possibility of reduced fat cooking and super-easy cleanup, food actually cooks evenly and well. The bottom and sides are much thicker than I expected and it has a surprisingly solid heft, giving stability on a tilted burner but not weighing so much that a 10 year old junior cook can't safely carry a full pan of cooked pasta from stove to sink. Heat transfers very evenly, as you can see when boiling water -- the bubbles just before a full boil are formed evenly across the bottom from edge to center, not just in a narrow ring or in certain spots. The water also seems to boil pretty quickly. There is one minor flaw -- the handle on the lid. The metal part below the knob is hollow, so if you look up through the bottom of the lid you can see a little enclosed space. While I don't wash the pan itself in the dishwasher because of the harsh detergent, I do sometimes wash the lid in there, and every time it fills up with water so I have to loosen the attaching screw to empty and dry it out. It would be much better if this metal piece was more slender and solid, eliminating this otherwise useless void. Overall, this pan is a solid, well-made, even-heating, super non-stick wonder that cleans very easily and is my go-to workhorse when cooking.
