Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Medium Dome Cover
Review by attorney "amy in the oc" : Great Price for a Great Pan! You really can use this everyday for everything!

Let me start off by saying that my main cookware set is the Anolon Titanium set that cost $399 when we got it in 2003. I love these pans because they are heavy-duty, nonstick because of the titanium, and dishwasher safe because of the titanium. Well, I wanted to add an "everyday" sort of pan to my collection because the Anolon set is VERY heavy and takes up lots of space, so I wanted something a little ligher weight for easier handling, but still large enough to cook for larger dinner parties AND easy to clean. So we looked at 12" pans and skillets and we decided on this one, the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Non-Stick Hard Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Cover.

For what you get in this set...the 12" pan and the covered lid...you cannot beat the price for the quality. For one, it uses a "quantanium" coating for its nonstick base...this is basically a nonstick coating reinforced with titanium, so it can withstand higher temps (oven safe to 500 degrees) and is scratch resistent. I don't use metal utensils anyway, so I can't attest to this...but it has been great so far!

The nonstick is great...makes clean up easy, which is very important to me as free time is very scarce in this household! I haven't thrown the pan into the dishwasher, but the lid gets tossed in and it's been fine. The pan itself cleans so easily that just a soapy nonabrasive sponge is all it takes to get the pan to brand new condition.

The pan also heats up very evenly. I cooked sauteed chicken in the pan and every single piece was evenly cooked. The pieces on the edges of the pan was just as cooked as the ones in the middle of pan. Makes for great cooking when you don't have to fuss about repositioning the food every few minutes for even heat distribution!

I also love the short handles because I always bump into the longer skillet handles when I'm cooking up a storm and I don't bump into this pan. I can also use this on the back burners too because of the short handles. You just can't "toss" your food like you can with a skillet. Use a towel or oven mitt when you touch the handles or the lid because they do get hot...but that's fine with me anyway because I don't like getting hot grease splattered on my hands anyway!

Overall, I am very impressed with this pan, and at a fraction of the price of similar items and nowhere near the cost of my Anolon Titanium set, it's a bargain!

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Medium Dome Cover
Review by Serena Reed : Great Pan!

This has got to be the best pan that I have ever bought. I love the fact that it is versatile and large enough to fit a whole family meal in. I have had mine for six months now and it is as good as the day that I bought it. I have used it to cook a variety of meals and never had a problem. The dome cover is excellent. It makes viewing and covering the food extra easy. The only time that I do not use it is if I am frying something that cannot have the extra moisture. Then I use the Progressive International Deluxe Splatter Screen It fits perfectly and makes even fried foods easy. I like both of them so much that I recently bought them as gifts for my dad. I haven't used it in the oven yet, but I look forward to it. Basically if you want an all purpose pan that can handle it all, then this is the pan for you.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Medium Dome Cover
Review by Suz : Love this pan!

This pan is a fantastic deal. It is the most "nonstick" pan I've ever seen. Food literally rolls around on it like marbles in a bowl. Even burnt eggs and cheese literally fall right off if you turn the pan upside down. I wasn't sure how I'd like the little handles instead of the longer ones--love them too! No big gangly handles to get in my way, don't have to worry about leaving them sticking out for the kids to hit as they run by, and so much easier to store. I love the clear lid too. Nice to see my food happily simmering away without having to lift the lid.Two minor complaints: the capacity is a little smaller than the 12" pan I bought it to replace. I had already given my old pan away when I realized this new one would never fit enough spaghetti and meat sauce for my family of five. So I wasn't too thrilled about having to buy yet another pan. And, food does collect around the edges where the rivets hold the handles on and is not quite as easy to get off as on the nonstick surface.As far as care, as I already mentioned, cleaning is a breeze. I wouldn't even think of putting it in the dishwasher and running the risk of lessening its oh-so-perfect nonstick qualities. Besides, wipe it out with a used paper towel or napkin then swish a little hot soapy water around, how hard is that? And I've never used metal utensils on it for the same reason. But as far as storage, I just throw it under the range with all the other pots and pans, and so far it's always emerged unscathed.I love this pan so much I bought one for my best friend. And next time I need a pan, I will certainly look at the Cuisinart Chef's Classic line first.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Medium Dome Cover
Review by Sweet Life : We love it!

We love this new addition to our kitchen. We use it all the time for all kinds of things. We can barely believe how easy it is to clean - it even fits in our sink, unlike pans with long handles. It works great for roasting fresh vegetables then adding cheese and toasted pine nuts. It's also the perfect size for quesadillas. Great for eggs and any kind of sauteeing. Other than things that require boiling in water, we could probably do fine with just this pan in our kitchen.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Medium Dome Cover
Review by A. Stender : Having the right pan for the job

Talk about potato woes. Mine were sticking to the pan, ripping, smooshing against my spatula. I tried home fries on the stovetop, roasted potatoes in the oven. Nothing worked and I was getting so frustrated.I got this pan yesterday and had to use it right away, for supper. I cut red new potatoes in half and tossed them with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. I poured the potatoes into the pan and put them into the oven at 380 F. After 30 minutes I went to turn them and when I pulled the pan out, the potatoes SLID around the pan. So beautiful to see. After another 30 minutes, they were done- brown, crisp along the edges, perfectly cooked.I guess it's all about having the right pan for what you're doing. This pan turned my terrible potatoes into perfection.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Medium Dome Cover
Review by Jolly Gourmand : Many 'pros' but a couple 'cons'...

I would say the pan is a little lighter than the Calaphon 'Commercial' everyday pan (with no non-stick surface). However, remarkably, the 'Chef's Classic' claims to be oven safe up to 500 degrees while the Calphalon maxes out at 450 degrees. (Amazon's in-house brand, the Pinzon, only promises a paltry 350 degrees.)The glass lid could only charitably be described as 'medium dome' and is not as high as its stainless steel counterpart.To reviewers concerned about cleaning...no anodized aluminum pan should ever be placed in the dishwasher. If the exterior of the pan becomes spattered with cooked on food, I would say the use of a paste of baking soda or 'Barkeeper's Friend' might help. It does help that the pan will fit flat in a standard sink for easy cleanup with mild dish detergent and warm water. One key is to dry the pan immediately after washing.With its titanium-reinforced, non-stick surface, metal utensils may be used; however, since the surface is truely non-stick, why take the chance of gouges?The cast steel, Cuisinart embossed handles are smaller than those on other 'Chef's Classic' pans, but should not present a problem as long as the cook does not overfill the pan.All-in-all, this remains an amazing 'buy' at less than $25.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Medium Dome Cover
Review by Alaskan/Californian "TwoAlaskans" : Great value!

You can't beat the price on this pan. Got mine for $24.95 plus free delivery and am very pleased with its quality and performance. Food truly doesn't stick and the lid is a nice weight. Also, pan is sort of mid-weight and I like this lighter weight for everyday use. Works well on my ceramic cooktop. Will weigh in later if the coating doesn't last as long as I expect.

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-Inch Everyday Pan with Medium Dome Cover
Review by J. Robinson "A Hopeless Romantic" : A favorite pan

Wow, Where do I start? The Price! For (...) a non-stick anodized 12 pan! What a deal. many have spent 3 time as much or more. The quality?Amazing! I enjoy the weight of the pan, not too heavy. It heats up well with no cold spots. I use it to sautee, stir fry, omletts , grilled sandwiches, I always coat the pan with a little oil. (A force of habit)nothing to do with the quaility of the pan. I enjoy cooking with it clean up is a breeze. I like the handles, my cooking space is small and didn't want handles that stood out. It comes with a glass lid. Very nice. Buy this you won't regret it. Makes a great gift for someone just starting out. Oh and I forgot the pan works just fine in the oven.It's March 2008 and I still love this pan! It's March 2010 and the pan has starting sticking. Broiled salmon in it and it had to be pryed off. Oh well. Still love this pan. Oh well back to shopping list you must go. I am getting another one.