Aeternum Bialetti Saute Pan, 10-1/4-Inch
Review by Tony : Excellent surface, no peeling, few minor flaws.

I purchased the 8-inch pan specifically with cooking eggs and light sautéing in mind, and overall, I've been very happy in the three or so months that I've had it. I use an electric stove (coil-type), and typically either wooden or silicone cookware for stirring and flipping.

Compared to other non-stick options, this surface is outstanding. I've never had sticking issues, even using a bare pan as I frequently do for eggs. When sautéing with oil, the pan is good at developing a nice brown on veggies and meats, and coupled with the super easy cleanup, it's a winner.

So, as a cooking tool, it's excellent. From a product design view, it's lacking in a couple minor areas.

The red powdercoat is attractive, but the color on the underside becomes dark and dull from the burners, and some scratches have developed. The handle is comfortable, but I've always preferred handles riveted onto my pans, and this one seems about as fragile as many other spot-welded or screw-mounted handles. The nonstick coating seems to be the biggest issue that people have found with the series. First, traditional nonstick teflon coatings have a tendency to peel off in strips and are easily scratched. This pan defeats that problem very well. However, the coating itself is prone to nicking, either from utensils being tapped on the edges, or from being shuffled around in a cabinet full of other cookware. These nicks are all minuscule, and do not affect its cooking abilities, primarily found around the rim. I consider it all normal wear and tear, and for an inexpensive nonstick pan, it has held up remarkably well. If you're finicky about perfect, shiny, beautiful cookware, well... you probably shouldn't be in the kitchen in the first place. It's a cooking tool, and it works very well.

And to address some of the complaints I've seen in other reviews...

> The handle is made from rubber. Not silicone. It is not heat-proof. Keep your flame down (it's aluminum, it spreads heat quickly and efficiently), and you'll be fine. This is a common-sense thing.
> The aluminum visible through small nicks in the coating is not harmful to your health. Aluminum has been made into cookware for decades. Again, common-sense.

Conclusion: An excellent pan, just be prepared for it to show some signs of use. Will not peel and get in your food like traditional teflon.

Aeternum Bialetti Saute Pan, 10-1/4-Inch
Review by Ethan Stock "onohoku" : LOVE this pan!

We have lots of fancy chef-grade pans, and wanted to get something nonstick but not Teflon, due to both the health and durability issues of Teflon. We do a lot of cooking and had high expectations. I was frankly doubtful that anything costing $40 could possibly be great. Call me a snob - but with some pans costing hundreds of dollars, maybe you know what I mean. A New York Times article on a different non-Teflon, non-stick pan led me to this one when the other was completely sold out, and I couldn't be happier. It is quality construction, has a thick bottom that distributes heat well, and the ceramic coating is miraculous. You really can dry-cook sticky food and it falls right off. We continue to use oil (maybe less) and cook more or less as we did, but for all the things you want a nonstick pan for, this one is *great*. So far there are zero drawbacks, and the laughably cheap price just makes it even more of a win. Several reviews mention chips, nicks, and other cosmetic issues. Our pan did have one tiny nick (a few millimeters long) on the rim through the white coating, but it wasn't anything that affected function nor anything that wouldn't likely show up after a few months of use. It's seemed to be durable so far, two months in. Highly recommended!

Aeternum Bialetti Saute Pan, 10-1/4-Inch
Review by riverside : great pan

pro:
truly non-stick,
easy to clean,
food gets crispy and brown. great for Pot Stickers.
heat quicker than SS pans

con:
a bit shallow for stir fry
has nicks on edge when arrived
we had it for just 2 weeks, and outside shows scratches already.

Aeternum Bialetti Saute Pan, 10-1/4-Inch
Review by Joseph Turner : I'm in love with this saute pan

This is the greatest most convenient saute pan I've ever used by far. It cooks completely evenly and has a very solid feel to it. The insulated handle never gets warm. Nothing ever sticks to the surface, making clean up an absolute breeze. It doesn't have any of the chemical coatings whose safety has been called into question either, simply a ceramic nanotechnology--which I would call almost magical. All the starchy foods that were sticking to my other pans--potatoes, tofu, etcetera--get a brown crust but never stick. I rarely write reviews but this is the most useful piece of cookware that I own and I'm so pleased that I bought it after seeing a mention of it in my local paper.

Aeternum Bialetti Saute Pan, 10-1/4-Inch
Review by George W Eckles : Precision instrument and healthy.

This skillett's non-stick surface is silicone based so no potential carcinogins. It heats and cooks evenly, has a wonderful padded handle, is simple to clean, and is priced right.