Anolon Ultra Clad Stainless Steel 12" Covered Deep Skillet

Heavy yes, cooks evenly yes, pricey yes, quality very good, clean up easy, would I purchase again? Absolutely!Amazon has not let me down in over 2 years including a easy return policy.

Short review but honest.

I was looking for months at cookware.Been to many stores (W&S, Sur La Table, etc).I knew I wanted fully clad cookware.My options came down to All Clad, Henkels, and some others.However, what I really needed was just a deep skillet, and I could find only 2, a Caphalon non-stick, and this Anolon.I chose the Anolon because it was clad stainless steel.

One thing I really like about this pan is the handle.Very comfortable curve and silicone grip. The domed top also is convenient.

However, the black ribbon on the outside, while kinda cool looking, I think Anolon just put it there to save money on the stainless steel.

The pan was not as heavy as I thought it would be, at least compared to a similarly sized/spec'd All Clad pan.What this tells me is that the aluminum core is very thin.Which is obvious if you compare it to an actual All Clad pan.The All Clad (I'm talking Stainless or LTD) is much thicker and heftier.Now, all this could be rendered moot if the performance was great.....

The performance is not great. For starters, after the VERY FIRST time I used it, there were burn marks on the bottom.I have one of those glass cook tops and I set it to medium, and when I was cleaning the pan, I noticed several burn marks on the bottom.Continuing, after searing some steaks, and washing the pan, it left an outline of the steaks.I scrubbed as much as I could, but it wouldn't go away.However, since then, and cooking many other things, either the outline went away, or there were so many other outlines that it is just one hazy mess.Lastly, heat retention is not great.Just yesterday, I was searing some small hunks of beef to make a pasta sauce.The hunks were about 1 inch cubes, or so.The first couple sizzled when I put them on, but as I put more on, they stopped sizzling.The meat was room temp.None of the pieces were seared very well.They browned, but I couldn't get that crusty sear I was going for.Plus, when I was making the sauce, the sides didn't seem very hot.I was able to see my sauce bubbling, but only at the center.Maybe my expectations were too high.I was expecting to see the entire pan bubbling because of heat radiating from the sides.

Overall, while the shape is exactly what I am looking for, I would not recommend this pan to anyone.If you want the same shape (a hybrid of a skillet and saute pan) and you want stainless, this is really your only option.However (I've used the word a lot in this review) if you don't need that particular shape, look somewhere else.I bought a small saucepan from Henkels, and that also has a great handle, and is much thicker, clad, stainless, and performs well.For the price (about 80% as much as an All Clad 12" saute, but more expensive than a Henkels 12" saute) you lose performance.However, the All Clads are made in the USA, and the Henkels are made in China.You pay for made in USA, though (and I hate, Hate, HATE the All Clad handles).If you want to really splurge, go for some Vikings or Demeyers.

Out of all the options, I think Henkels gives you the best value for your money, if you are looking for clad, stainless cookware.

Buy Anolon Ultra Clad Stainless Steel 12" Covered Deep Skillet Now