****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I'd been using hard-anodized aluminum pans for years but was never satisfied with them. Food would stick no matter how hard I tried to season them. Finally, when the anodized finish on them began to wear away, I decided it was time for a change. I did not want to use a non-stick pan because of concerns about posible toxic properties of teflon. What I wanted was a good quality pan that would not stick and would last for years.I did a lot of research on different types (stanless steel, aluminum, cast iron, etc) and different brands (Calphalon, All-Clad, Cuisinart, etc). Based on my research and product reviews the De Buyer Mineral Steel pan seemed intriguing. It's made of iron and is supposedly eco-friendly. And compared to other higher end pans the price was quite reasonable so, even if the pan wasn't that great, it wouldn't be a major investment.I purchased a single 10 inch De Buyer fry pan. I was really excited when it arrived after just a couple days. I seasoned it (by the way, check the review by adx442 for an excellent method for seasoning. It can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3NKFHCDJWZXBP/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R3NKFHCDJWZXBP ) and was ready with my first experiment, sauteed chicken breasts.I was absolutely shocked at what a difference this pan made! I didn't need a spatula to flip the chicken; I could turn them with a fork. Not only that, but they developed a delicious brown crust that I never achieved with my old pans.And the next experiment? Scrambled eggs. I slid them into a hot pan with a little butter, waited, and stirred them with a spatula - no sticking! And clean up was easy. Just swish the pan with a sponge with hot water (no soap, of course), dry, coat with some crisco, and the pan's ready for its next use.After I'd used this pan for a couple weeks, it developed a lovely patina. I was so pleased that I went ahead and ordered the three piece set of De Buyer Mineral Frying Pans.I've been using my De Buyer Mineral Pans for a couple month now and am very happy. (My Calphalon pans, in the mean time, are accumulating dust!) The surfaces are consistently non-stick and, unlike mentioned by another reviewer, there is no surface pitting. The only minor complaints I have are that - the pans, especially the largest one, are rather heavy. Transferring food from the larger pan to a dish can be challenging - the interior dimensions are smaller than expected, Pans from other manufacturers with similar external diameters have larger surface areas. So please take this into account.Overall, I am extremely pleased with my de Buyer pans and I expect that I will never need to purchase another pan again!
