I have owned this for about two weeks and have used it almost everyday.Not only can you use it as you would any other skillet -I have used it to make baked potatoes; "baked" frozen entrees, and have found recipes for cakes, coffee cakes and even pizza.Can't wait to try all these new ideas.The kitchen doesn't get heated up in the summer, thus keeping the air conditioning from working hard.Some things take a little experimenting, but it all seems to work out in the end.Frozen products need to be watched the first time to make sure they are totally cooked.My only suggestion to West Bend would be to offer a grid to fit in the skillet.Great product -great price!!
I bought this skillet because of the size (not too big for just two of us), the high walls, and the glass cover.The two positive reviews influenced my decision, though I did notice that the larger version of this same skillet had more negative reviews.
I'm calling Amazon today and returning the skillet.The primary purpose was for frying, however, the temperature doesn't get hot enough of stay hot enough to fry.The temperature dial goes up to 400.I wanted to make donuts, which call for a temperature of 375 degrees.When the light when off I put the donuts in, fried them golden brown, drained them, and taste tested them.They tasted like oil.From the instructions on the donut mix I found out that tasting like oil meant the oil wasn't hot enough, and therefore the crust on the donut wasn't formed quickly, and the donut gets oil soggy.I got out my handy candy thermometer and took the temperature of the oil. It was not hot enough, so I turned the dial to 400, hoping it would reach 375.The light came on and the oil heated up to 360, and the light went out.In another minute the light came on and the oil went up to 364, and the light went out. This cycle repeated, and the oil reached a high temperature of 369, but then dropped down to 361.That was as hot as I could get it.I verified the temp readings with a digital thermometer, still below 370 when set at 400 (the max).Can't fry donuts, so going back.
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I have an old electric skillet that belonged to my mom, but it's stuck deep in storage and I needed a skillet in a pinch.It was easier to buy one than to go foraging through dozens of dusty boxes.
I wish I'd spent the time to go foraging.This is NOTHING like the 40-year-old electric skillet my mom used while we were growing up.
Con: The skillet has the poorest heat distribution I have EVER seen.Any food sitting directly on the heating element will cook much faster than food elsewhere in the skillet.Hence, it will stick and burn. (That was NEVER the case with my mom's old steel skillet.) I tried scrambling eggs in this skillet and before the eggs away from the heating coil could even begin cooking, the ones on the heating coil were turning brown.Same thing went for pancakes and potato cakes.I even tried hamburger helper in this skillet only to have to babysit it to constantly stir it to keep it from sticking.
Con: The simmer setting is a joke.Again, food sticks where the heating coil is.
Pro: Incredibly easy to clean.
Pro: Nice lid, decent construction.The skillet itself is lightweight, but doesn't feel flimsy.
Would I buy it again? No.I'll use it for light duty until it dies.I know it won't last 40 years, that's for sure.And I know with the poor heat distribution that cooking the pot roast my mom always made in her electric skillet is out of the question.
Overall grade: DI would not recommend this.
Read Best Reviews of West Bend 72212 Electric Extra-Deep Square 12-Inch Nonstick Skillet Here
I find this skillet to be somewhat disappointing in that it is difficult to control the temperature evenly. Also, the depth of the skillet is a little inconvenient and unnecessary for most dishes.
I would not buy this again.
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When trying to find a frypan on Amazon, the 12-inch by 12-inch selection was VERY limited.Unfortunately, I chose the West Bend 72212.What a disappointment!
The FIRST thing I noticed was that when the oil was poured into the frypan . . . it ran down into a pool in the center of the frypan instead of spreading evenly across the bottom.
The SECOND thing that happened, after only four uses, was that the frypan woggled and I discovered that one of the inserted rubber feet had fallen out . . . never to be found ANYWHERE!
The THIRD and final strike concerns the temperature control.Whomever designed the control should lose their job. For example:the temperature numbers are all in a row 300 350 400 around the perimeter, with NO slashes between them.You had to GUESS where you were in a specific 50 degree range.MOST controls have a slash between numbers to separate them and to denote the temperature range, or to indicate the mid-ranges of 325, or 375 degrees.
Then there was deciding exactly where you actually were on the control.It was a mad guess because the indicator light is ROUND and not 'arrow' shaped with a point to determine the relationship to the numbers on the dial.
The control was so wonkie that no matter WHAT temperature you selected it turned off for no reason, so you had to constantly raise the temp to keep the food frying.Example:I finished frying the bacon and in order to cook the potatoes I had to keep increasing the temperature.I ended up turning it up to 400 degrees to finish browning them.After removing the potatoes, the light when out.THEN after dropping FIVE cold eggs into the frypan for scrambling,the light took FOREVER to re-light, indicating it was trying to get up to temperature.What the heck???
So . . . this frypan is going to the dump because it's not worth the effort to box it up, take it to the post office, pay the freight and to deal with the hassle of shipping it back, without all four rubber feet.I certainly couldn't, in good conscience, give it to someone else with its many problems.
If I could, I would give this frypan a MINUS 5 stars!
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The pan is just what I was looking for to replace my old one whose coating was starting to chip.Its good in the oven up to 400 degrees so you can sear those filet mignons on the stovetop then finish cooking in the oven.
