I have seen the ads on TV saying just how good this thing is so, when I found one at a local Walgreen's, I bought it.I used it a couple of times and, as of today, I tossed it in the recycler because it is useless.
OK, the good news is that it cooks well and I never had a problem with food sticking BUT to keep it from sticking you HAVE to apply some cooking spray to both pans before you start to heat them.
The bad news is just about everything else.First and foremost--it leaks.When you try to flip the pan over if there is anything that is even slightly liquid inside it will leak out the joint between the pans.It could be egg white or batter, if it is still liquid it will leak.Second, and something that the commercials never mention, you cook in the lower pan while the upper pan is still upright.You close the upper pan and flip the thing over.Now you have to wait while the (used to be) upper pan heats up and begins to cook.Also, in the commercial they show a woman blowing on a pancake to make it slide out of the pan and it is nowhere near that easy.While the food doesn't stick badly, it often has to be gently nudged to make it slide out.This needs to be re-engineered so that the edges of the pans overlap rather than just meeting.That would help stop the leaking.The heating of the second pan is something we would just have to live with.Do I recommend it?Absolutely not!
I bought this hoping that it would be good at making eggs over easy.Unfortunately, it's not so good.The non-stick just doesn't work and the eggs end up stuck to the upper lid of the pan.Even after i seasoned it like the instructions say.Eggs definitely don't slip around the pan as in the commercial.Well it's only $20.i'll try it using cooking spray.
UPDATE:
Having used it for a few weeks now, I've figured a few things out.First, I have to use cooking spray.Without question.And I need to spray it on while the pan is cold.Spraying it on when hot just makes a mess.Second.I need to flip the pan and pre-heat the top before putting anything in it.Third, I think this pan will completely fail when the hinge fails.It's made with very small rivets.They don't look like they will stand up to a lot of use or abuse.So I think there is a life expectancy that I have to look forward to.
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I followed their seasoning instructions and tried to fry some eggs. I had to use a spatula and they still stuck to both sides.
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I was very excited when I bought this, but upon getting it home I realized it had to be seasoned just like any cast iron skillet. When did nonstick surfaces need to be seasoned? It was also cheaply built. Upon cleaning after seasoning it, the rivets on one handle popped loose and the handle was floppy after one cleaning.
When I finally did test it out by cooking eggs, upon flipping it over, not only did the eggs stick to the top I now had a real mess as i had eggs on top and on bottom. I grabbed a plastic spatula to slide the remaining egg into my old cast iron skillet and had to actually scrape to get the egg from the orgreenic pan. They were not burned they were just stuck to it as they would have been to a non greased iron pan. I finished cooking the mess in my properly seasoned cast iron skilled, to which they did not stick, and tossed the Orgreenic pan in the trash.
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This was an awful experience from the ordering process to my attempt to cancel.When ordering, either online or by phone, I was asked for credit card information before I was even given a final price.I did order online and after completing my order, was informed to "allow 3 to 6 weeks for delivery".Since I was not willing to wait that long to get the product, I tried to cancel so I could purchase the item at a local store.I was told by customer service that the order took 48 hours to show up on their system and I should call back in a day or two.When I called back two days later, I was told that the product had already shipped and I would need to reject it when it was delivered.Tracking the item online is impossible.
I did purchase the Flip Jack Pan a a local store and am very sorry that I did.I seasoned the pan as instructed and it ended up gooey, like when you use a spray oil on a non-stick pan.And, after seasoning, as other reviewers said, eggs stuck to the pan.I much prefer a similar product called Green Pan (it is grey in color) which I have used for many months with great satisfaction.
The last crepe pan I bought before this one was the Calphalon Commercial nonstick crepe pan. A great pan but it stopped being nonstick after only 1 1/2 years. With all the controversy surrounding nonstick coatings I decided to go old fashioned and buy the classic blue steel crepe pan by De Buyer. Now after quite a few crepe batches I can say that this is the best type of crepe pan and it'll probably last you a lifetime. It heats up really well and cooks crepes at a low heat setting on my ceramic cooktop. It should be treated like cast iron but is much lighter and has a really smooth surface (unlike my cast iron round griddle) which is ideal for delicate crepes. It does need to be seasoned and its nonstickability improves after each use. Some caveats I discovered: follow the manufacturer's directions for seasoning; use only plastic or wood utensils (it can actually take metal, but metal can actually scratch your seasoning so you'll have reseason); never use soap or put in the dishwasher; and never scour the pan with anything stronger than the pads used for nonstick coatings. After cooking, I just rinse in hot water wiping with a sponge or a dobie pad, dry, heat on the stove on medium low heat, add a little oil, then wipe the pan with a paper towel and let it cool before putting the pan away. The clean-up is only one extra step but the pan is worth it. Don't worry if it discolors; it's just part of its patina and indicates the pan is developing its nonstick surface. I find that it does a superior job cooking crepes, pancakes, naan, eggs, etc. Its temperature response is better than the Calphalon and the price is right too!
