Hex-Clad, anyone?

[Robin Garr]

I'd swear there have been discussions here about Hex-Clad before. I've always demurred because of the price, but they're having a pretty big Black Friday sale right now, and I'm tempted.
https://hexclad.com/pages/black-friday-sale

Can any of you testify as to quality, use, durability?

[Jenise]

A lot of it may depend on your cooking style. Christina (who hasn't been here in ages) and I each bought a skillet about the same time. Her husband, who did a lot of cooking on an induction burner, LOVED it. Instantly his favorite pan. Me? On gas? Not so much. Though mine's a frying pan it doesn't like being fried in very much. The shiny stainless rim turns black and requires the constant attention of a Brillo pad. Brand new they're pretty hot looking but mine hasn't looked like that since about Day Two. They otherwise work as advertised, but for me the value wasn't there and I was not tempted to buy another.

I've only tried one Hexclad and I prefer Allclad given that I have a gas range and it seems to stand up well. The Hxclad seemed a tad clunky in comparison, but if the pricing is advantageous I expect that it might serve you well.

I recently saw a television commercial for Hex-Clad with several cheffy cameos. Crazy. I wonder how much that cost them?

[Robin Garr]

Thanks, all! They sure look pretty ...

We only have one (10" I think) but it's my favorite pan (and I cook on gas). Requires a little adjustment as it retains heat, more like a cast iron than say an Allclad. But heats up faster than cast iron. Probably has discolored a bit, but I don't care about that.

actually not really discolored (I wrote original reply from office).
But I think pan choice is funny, people often seem to disagree,

One of my favorite skillets is an inexpensive 10" T-Fal used over gas that I purchased at Big Lots many years ago. It's still slippery, and eggs just slide out. Expensive isn't necessarily better. I have two rules that keep my Teflon slippery:

1. I never, never use spray oil.
2. No metal ever touches my skillet.

I just used it today to fry some spent sourdough starter in EVOO. Like a small pancake. On top, I put on slices of a scallion, a little salt, and sprinkled it with za'atar. Interesting and not bad.

[Jenise]

actually not really discolored (I wrote original reply from office).
But I think pan choice is funny, people often seem to disagree,

It also depends on what you were using before you got the Hexclad. Mine's very discolored. I doubt I could ever get it looking even halfway like new.

actually not really discolored (I wrote original reply from office).
But I think pan choice is funny, people often seem to disagree,

It also depends on what you were using before you got the Hexclad. Mine's very discolored. I doubt I could ever get it looking even halfway like new.

All I care about is the inside. I don't know how people can keep the outside of their cookware looking like new. After a short while, I don't even try.

[Robin Garr]

All I care about is the inside. I don't know how people can keep the outside of their cookware looking like new. After a short while, I don't even try.

Makes sense to me, Larry!

[Jenise]

Larry, I don't either. Like sheet pans. Mine are all brown, and I like them that way. I consider them 'seasoned'!

All my pans are now HexClad. Excellent job sautéing, oven safe,reliable and easy to clean.
Never seen any discoloration.

[Jenise]

Mark, although it's a pain to do it on this site, I might have to take a picture of mine and post it for you. Looks like hell.

I made an executive decision about 5-6 years ago to never buy another Teflon-based non-stick pan because of the huge environmental impact of PFAS precursor molecules. Instead, I've been using Calphalon ceramic frying pans (the only use I have for non-stick surfaces anyway). Despite what I read on the Internet, I've been able to get 3-4 years out of them with almost daily use. They are also oven safe up to 450 F, which is fine for me.

I made an executive decision about 5-6 years ago to never buy another Teflon-based non-stick pan because of the huge environmental impact of PFAS precursor molecules. Instead, I've been using Calphalon ceramic frying pans (the only use I have for non-stick surfaces anyway). Despite what I read on the Internet, I've been able to get 3-4 years out of them with almost daily use. They are also oven safe up to 450 F, which is fine for me.

I get more than 3-4 years out of a Calphalon pan!

I made an executive decision about 5-6 years ago to never buy another Teflon-based non-stick pan because of the huge environmental impact of PFAS precursor molecules. Instead, I've been using Calphalon ceramic frying pans (the only use I have for non-stick surfaces anyway). Despite what I read on the Internet, I've been able to get 3-4 years out of them with almost daily use. They are also oven safe up to 450 F, which is fine for me.

I get more than 3-4 years out of a Calphalon pan!

You probably don't live with a wife and son who seem incapable of internalizing the idea that you don't use metal utensils on non-stick surfaces (don't get me started on their treatment of our knives).

Ouch!