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You’ve probably owned a few nonstick pans in your day, and whether you bought them from a pyramid scheme multi-level-marketing operation masquerading as a “neighborhood cookware party” or that Southern gentleman on a late-night infomercial finally convinced you to hit “add to cart,” there’s one thing nonstick pans have in common: They’re really, really convenient. You might have seen the egg test once or twice, too, in which someone slides a frying egg around on a nonstick pan to showcase its… nonstick-ness. While that’s great for commercials, I don’t find myself doing that fried-egg dance routine in real life very often. What I do find myself doing on the regular, however, is reaching for my tried-and-true 12″ ceramic nonstick pan from Zwilling.
Right off the bat, the color is gorgeous. There’s something about pastel blues in the kitchen that makes your space feel clean and calm. And, if you’re like me and hate doing dishes, a solid nonstick pan — particularly this one from Zwilling that’s 20 percent off right now — is the piece of cookware you’ve been yearning for. Since the nonstick coating (actually) works, all that’s left to do post-cooking is rinse the pan with soap and water and wipe it dry. Aka, no more scraping off burnt-on bits and trying to peel off a layer of scrambled eggs while your coworkers wonder when you’re going to log onto the Zoom meeting.
A common misconception about nonstick pans is that you can’t get a good sear with them — that you need to use cast iron or stainless steel in order to achieve the ideal level of crust on proteins. My Zwilling has proven that idea wrong. I get a great sear and perfect browning on a bunch of different kinds of meats and veggies and have no problem deglazing the pan afterwards (using rubber utensils, of course!). I cook breakfast every day in this single pan, too. I just throw in some bacon, cook it down, collect the fat in a mason jar (do this, please, bacon fat is gold), wipe out the pan with a paper towel, toss in some eggs while the bacon drains, and voila. No mess and no fuss — the only thing I have to worry about is the email I’m going to get from my doctor when he reads that I’ve been eating bacon every day.
The construction is also something to write home about. With a thick, aluminum core, this pan heats up fast and particularly evenly, and the flared rim makes pouring sauces or liquids (or bacon fat!) easy. Plus — although the looped handle almost never gets too hot to hold when cooking on the stovetop — the design makes it super easy to grip, even while wearing oven mitts. Oh yeah, this sucker is also oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and the glass lid is good in the oven up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
The other thing I love about this pan? It’s built to last — and although technically dishwasher safe, I wash mine by hand since the nonstick coating makes cleanup super easy and quick. “I’ve had a set of this cookware for three years now, and I have had zero issues with it,” one reviewer writes. “It looks and performs just as it did when new.” Same, dude.
If you’re on the prowl for a new piece of MVP-level cookware that you can snag for a steal, pick up this roomy, 12″ ceramic nonstick pan from Zwilling — you won’t be disappointed.
Buy: 12″ Zwilling Spirit Stainless Ceramic Fry Pan, $94.99 (normally $119)