I have been looking for a good non-stick skillet. I've used non-stick skillets from All-Clad and Calphalon but they all had one problem: peeling of the non-stick layer. I saw an unused All-Clad skillet from their new line at Williams-Sonoma and it had scratches on the non-stick surface.
I found what I was looking for! This fry pan is excellent! It is made in Switzerland. It is big. The outside diameter is 13" and the bottom is almost 9 3/4". It requires a large burner. I have a Miele electric cooktop which has a burner large enough for this skillet. I have tried it over a smaller burner and it worked as well. The food browned evenly over the surface of the skillet. The cleaning is easy. I only have a small issue with the lid. The lid assembly was easy. However, during washing water gets into the steam vent and then it comes out after the lid is dried. It takes few drying sweeps to avoid water streaks on the lid.
Overall, I am very pleased with this skillet. I am looking forward to getting more skillets from Swiss Diamond.
Update. May 2009. Zero stars.
Like its predecessors from All-Clad and Calphalon, this skillet stopped being non-stick after about a year. It wasn't abused in any way: no metal utensils and no prolonged cooking of foods other than pancakes and fish. Yet, the center of the skillet began to darken first, than the rest of the skillet has darkened. I used baking soda (suggested by All-Clad website). It did remove some brown residue but the skillet is completely not non-stick, everything sticks to it even more.
I am happy with a non-stick skillet from Circulon infinite line. I bought an 11" skillet at Macy's for $20 as a product promotion item. The best non-stick that I have is from LeCreuset. Unfortunately, the largest one LeCreuset made was 9" in diameter.
I found one of these locally at just below Amazon price, and bought it to try out.Now that I have used it for several months, I highly recommend it even at full list price, and am saving up to purchase a complete set to replace my other worn out pots and pans.
First things first:
This is one of the best nonstick surfaces I have ever used.Messes clean up better than from Teflon coated pans, even after sitting and getting cold and hard.I have never had to use more effort than simply wiping off with a kitchen sponge and some warm soapy water.
Unlike other surfaces, this one holds food in place until you are ready to move it.Things don't slide around, so they can properly sear and brown.This is also handy for things like fried eggs.I fried an egg just today and it came out perfect.With a little bacon grease for flavor, the surface gave the egg white just enough tension that the cooking egg held together into a nice 4 inch circle instead of spreading thin all over the place.I have suffered a lot of frustration with other cooking surfaces over this.
Heat transfer is incredible.When you put food on this pan after preheating, it sears up and browns immediately.I'd say it equals cast iron in this respect, with the added bonus of being nonstick.
Heat distribution and retention is also very good.Not quite as good as cast iron here, but then nothing else ever will be -and even though the pan is heavy, it is still considerably lighter than my 12 inch cast iron.
About the only caution I would have is that, despite the manufacturer's hype, the surface is NOT 100% resistant to whatever you throw at it.I did a controlled test on a part of the skillet that will never see food, and you CAN put a nice scratch in the diamond-coat with a strong stainless steel tool.So be sure to stick to wood and synthetics, not steel.However, to be fair, it IS tougher than any Teflon surface I have tried, and about equal to some of the fancier anodized finishes.
The handle is good and solid, but you may want to grab it and test it yourself in the store before you buy it all depends on each individual's hands.The helper handle could be improved, however.Because the helper is integrated with the cooking surface, it heats up.You need to use mitts to use the helper.Seriously.That surface will scar you for life if you grab it while hot.Always treat it like it is hot cast iron, because it will burn you the same way.
Some people will complain the handle isn't riveted into place.Those people need to embrace the 21st century.The handle is very secure without rivets.Unless you plan on using this pan as some sort of bludgeoning weapon on a regular basis, the lack of rivets poses no problem.Moreover, the rivetless design ensures that the entire interior surface of the skillet is smooth and uniformly nonstick.I personally have always found the rivets in other "nonstick" pans to be the surface area where food always manages to get stuck.No rivets for me, please.
The lid is decent but it is just a lid.Nothing too fancy.It is a good grade of glass with a vent-lid handle.When you close the vent, it holds steam very well.With the vent open, you get a pretty decent evaporation rate, so you can quickly reduce liquids by retaining heat by letting moisture escape.
Like I said, I want to buy a complete set.Highly recommended.
Buy Swiss Diamond Cast-Aluminum Nonstick 12-1/2-Inch Fry Pan Now
I recieved the 12 1/2", it comes with a lid!! I used it to make panfry dumplings. I have tried Ultrex, non stick and Revere stainless, neither with good results. Both didn't come close to Swiss Diamond. Little pricey, but I will never have to buy another non stick pan again, this one has a limited lifetime warranty. Limited to the fact I don't cook commercially or abuse the pan. Even heating, even on burner that is not as large as pan,great browning and nothing sticks. Highly recommend!!
Read Best Reviews of Swiss Diamond Cast-Aluminum Nonstick 12-1/2-Inch Fry Pan Here
I have three of the fry pans now.Started out with the small 8" fry pan, and was so pleased with it I purchased a good 6 months or so following.My third was the 12" fryer.My fourth was the actual replacement of my 8" pan.The surface on these pans seem to last just around a year.I had no problem with getting my first one replaced with a new one, so the customer service was wonderful.I actually thought we may have been at fault for the first pans surface wearing out, but after babying around this 12" pan for a year it has done the same thing.I will attempt to get this newer pan replaced again, and will not purchase any more of these overpriced pans.I will buy a cheaper nonstick pan, and continue to use my stainless steel cookware.
Want Swiss Diamond Cast-Aluminum Nonstick 12-1/2-Inch Fry Pan Discount?
Sometimes customer reviews can steer you wrong.I relied on a review below praising this pan's handle and have found it to be far less solid than implied.This is a heavy pan and, when filled with food, a lot of torque is exerted on the handle.I have had to retighten mine several times in the first year of service and find that it never feels 100% secure.It's less of a problem with the smaller fry pans from Swiss Diamond, but all in all I don't think I would choose a non-riveted pan again and especially not at the premium price of this one!
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For the first few months I owned this pan, it earned five stars. The heat distribution is even, the nonstick surface is great...the only difficulty was cleaning the crannies where the grill lines meet the pan surface, but even that was a pleasure because I was always full of perfectly cooked chicken or steak. I bought the 11" square griddle, too, and it's great.
