T-fal Ultimate Hard Anodized Nonstick Fry Pan 12 Inch Oven Safe 400F Cookware, Pots and Pans, Dishwasher Safe Grey

I think T-fal makes the best non-stick surfaces. They will maintain their non-stick properties for a long time – IF you use them how they were meant to be used. If you use them to sautée delicate foods like veggies, fish and eggs under medium heat, the performance can't be beat. There's really no need to ever put them in a dishwasher, either, because they clean up so quickly.However, these T-fal pans really don't hold up under heavy, every-day, all-purpose use. That's not what they were made for. The coating is top notch, but the overall construction is not heavy duty. Get yourself a good, heavy aluminum, stainless steel, or cast iron skillet if you want a scorching hot sear, or want to make pan sauces, or skillet fry something.It might be worth doing a comparison between this pan (the Ultimate Hard Anodized) and the popular Professional Total Nonstick T-fal E93808 Professional Total Nonstick Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator Fry Pan, 12.5 Inch, Black, since I've owned both, now, and some might be considering one or the other.I originally bought the Professional based on the Cooks Illustrated recommendation (as many others have), and it's a great pan. So great that my wife simply couldn't resist using it as an every-day pan, so it's lifespan was shortened. One feature of the Pro pan is that it's stainless steel clad on the bottom, so it will work with induction stove tops. It's not a thick cladding, though. While the company touts this as "anti-warp protection," I found that this construction actually makes it MORE prone to warping. First, unlike more expensive 2-ply or multi-ply pans, this one just features a fairly thin stainless steel "disk" mated to a fairly thin aluminum body. The different metals expand and contract at different rates under the same conditions. Since the aluminum is not sandwiched between stainless steel, the pan is more likely to warp. And that's what happened – just enough that it did not sit flat on our ceramic cooktop anymore. It's probably not as much of a problem with a gas burner or a coiled electric top, though, as it conducts heat fairly evenly and easily.So when it came time to replace this pan after the non-stick surface wore out, I decided to go with this hard anodized aluminum version. It was a good decision. since it is made with one, very heat-conductive metal, and is a little more heavy duty (although just as light as the Pro version since it's all aluminum). It's still straight and flat, even though it's gotten overheated a couple of times (we have one runaway burner that we have to keep an eye on, sometimes!)Not that the construction is slightly different. Both skillets have the same non-stick surface and the same oven-safe handle, but the shape is a little different. This one is a 12" skillet and the Pro is 12.5". However, I found that this measurement is based on the lip of the skillet, and the Pro version is more flared-out on the sides, where this skillet has more straight, up-and-down sides. In fact, despite a smaller diameter at the lip, I've found the Anodized skillet has slightly more cooking surface than the Pro version. While the flared sides might be a little more omelette-friendly, I haven't had any problems sliding anything out of the pan. In fact, if you are stir-frying anything, I have found that the straighter sides are better for holding things inside the skillet.All in all, I would recommend this anodized aluminum pan over the Pro version – unless you have an induction cooktop. Then the Pro version is your only choice.

Everyone needs at least one large nonstick skillet. They are excellent for preparing the kinds of food that don't require extreme temperatures but that tend to stick badly to metal surfaces. Most of the brands that I have used over the years show signs of wear rather quickly, but T Fal skillets have always impressed me with their durability. After a couple of months of heavy use, I am finding this 12 inch T Fal to be the best nonstick skillet that I have used.Temperatures are evenly distributed across the surface, it is easy to handle because of its weight and design, and I find that it performs well across a wide range of temperatures. Best of all, it does what we all expect of nonstick cookware: it does not retain bits of the cooked food and comes clean with very light scrubbing pressure.

Works like a charm! What a pleasure to use after dealing with my formerly non-stick pan!

This is a good, non-stick pan for the money. I've owned 3. I use it 3-4 times weekly, and put it in the dishwasher every time. The non-stick properties last about 18 months. When it starts to stick, I throw is away an buy another. Easy peezy.

I use it on an induction cooktop and it heats evenly, provides nice browning and it's non-stick. But it doesn't stay in one plane, it easily slides on a cooktop.

I am no chef or cook. I only cook eggs in this pan in the morning, and I have been looking the world over for a decent well made nonstick pan. I bought those green ones you see on tv and they require prepping like wiping oil on the inside and then cooking them until they reach a certain temp. I returned it immediately. Another brand I looked at were the stone pans you see on tv. Mixed reviews there (I did not purchase the stone pans because they were expensive and the reviewers stated that returning these pans were difficult).The T-Fal Ultimate Hard Anodized pan is solid and well made. It is about 10 inches on the inner dimension even though is it is advertized as 12 inch. This pan is huge however, and holds a lot of eggs.This pan is truly nonstick. I mean I do not put any butter or spray Pam or silicone spray inside the pan and my eggs always slip right out onto the plate. They are easy to clean. I now do not use butter, oil, or Pam when I cook my eggs. I love this pan. I wished my entire set was T-Fal. I have stainless.UPDATE: 8/13/13I wanted to alert consumers something I learned about T-Fal. Make sure you get the brand made in France and not the cheaper model made is Asia. The quality difference is significant but so is the price. So if you are out shopping for these pans and notice the same name and apparent model but significant price differential, check the back of pan and the good ones say made in France. I also purchased the Wok made in France it is simply a beast and awesome for cooking Tyson chicken strips and vegetables! Love T-Fal (with one caveat) Made in France!

I already had a small (regular size) frying pan, but wanted a bigger size. This fits the bill, both in price and in size. Good quality, too.

3 years later and the pan still going strong. I use is several times a week and cook everything in it from bacon to burgers to fried cabbage and much more. It's lost some of its non-stick features but that's due to me breaking the rules of not cooking on high gas heat. It still cleans easily regardless of the non-stick being depleted a bit. I also use cast skillets which are well seasoned so they are also easily cleaned and I can't decide which is better. I also have used metal spatulas and have not ruined the finish doing so. I bought the smaller version several months ago so I'm set on my cookware...for now.