Review: Anolon Advanced Hard Anodized Nonstick 12-Inch Covered Ultimate Pan

Anolon Advanced Hard Anodized Nonstick 12-Inch Covered Ultimate Pan

In buying this pan, I expected it to last me a while since it was a little on the expensive side for starting out.  This is just one pan and it was around $55 when I purchased it.  I took the plunge however, because it was difficult to find another hard-anodized pan at this size for the price.

I used this as my main pan to cook a variety of things while I was in an apartment off-campus.  It was large enough to make several portions.  I could stir-fry, make fried rice, and toss together pastas with ease.

The pan itself was heavy, which is good.  A thin pan may not heat evenly enough and a thicker one may not either.  It was just the right thickness and the solid base was perfect for cooking on an electric range (fits the largest coil).  I chose this one because it is hard-anodized nonstick as opposed to stainless.  Stainless gives great sears but are a little harder to clean when things stick.

I used this pan daily for two years before the food started to stick and there was rust starting to develop from scratches to the inside.  I attribute this to my own fault for letting my housemates borrow the pan and they didn't take care of it the same way as I did.

As with any nonstick pan, you can easily scratch the coating if you use metal utensils or even plastic spatulas.  I always used bamboo wood spatulas to handle my cooking.  In washing the pan, you cannot use an abrasive sponge, such as a wire one, if there is food stuck to it.  You either soak it to wait until the bits lift off or boil water in the pan to ease the bits off.  I always use mild soap and warm water with the soft side of a sponge to wash my pans.

Overall, this pan served me well!