Le Creuset non-stick frying pan pulls its weight in the kitchen (CY-WO)
Written: Apr 04 '04 (Updated Apr 04 '04)
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Pros: Attractive, even cooking temperature, cleaning can be easy
Cons: Heavy, slow to heat up, difficult for procrastinators to clean
The Bottom Line: This is an excellent pan for someone who cooks lots of omelettes, stir-fries or sautees. This is a big improvement aluminum for anyone with the strength to lift it.
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| msmarques's Full Review: Le Creuset Frying Pans |
I grew up knowing the true value of Le Creuset pieces. My mother has the 11" frying pan, as well as a pot that she uses for stews and pot roast. I loved that frying pan, as the even distribution of heat through the heavy metal means that the food cooks evenly, without burning in "hot spots" (that typically arise on other less expensive pans).
When a local department store was going out of business, I finally had an opportunity to acquire my own Le Creuset frying pan. I chose a 16" non-stick with blue enamel exterior.
Serving in Style
Le Creuset is attractive. Choose an enamel color that you like, as you may want to expand your collection with the same color. Although you might not bring your frying pan to the dinner table, you can serve a casserole, stew, or rice dish directly from one of the pots. They look as attractive as any simple serving dish. And retain heat better!
Cooking with Ease
Le Creuset is cast iron, with an enamel outer finish. The heavy pot is slower to conduct heat than aluminum or copper. This means that it is slower to heat up, but heats up evenly.
No more omelettes that are burnt in one area, while barely set in another.
It also means that it is slow to cool down. This can be good when you want to keep foods warm. But can be a problem when a recipe calls for brining something to a boil, and then simering. I generally get around this by turning the heat down further than is required (or removing the pan from the burner), briefly, until it cools sufficiently, and then putting the pan back on sufficient heat.
My 16" is too large for omelettes, except for a large group. But it works great for stir-fry and sautee dishes. Le Creuset makes pans available in a number of sizes, and you can get a 9" or 11" if that better fits your needs.
My only problem is that this large pan is too large for standard pot covers, and did not come with a pot cover. There is a large shallow casserole with a glass lid, which I think would fit. But I don't really need the pot... which makes it silly to buy for just the lid (especially at Le Creuset prices). Instead, when I'm supposed to cover the pan with a lid, I use aluminum foil instead.
One other detail when cooking to keep in mind: like other non-stick pans, you are not supposed to use metal utensils on the pan. You can buy utensils meant for non-stickware with rubber ends. I have both a large spoon and spatula.
Cleaning a Mixed Blessing
If you clean your Le Creuset immediately (within a few hours of cooking) it is amazingly easy to clean. Just rinsing with water can clean off most of the mess, and it is quite fast to clean off the rest.
If, however, you leave the pan until the next meal or next day, it will be difficult to clean. According to the cleaning instructions, you are not supposed to use anything abrasive on the cleaning surface (no steel wool, rough sponges, dishwasher). This leaves soft sponges and nylon scrubbers. The best approach is to either not let it sit around too long, or barring that, soak while doing the rest of the dishes.
Also, because the pan is very heavy, it can be difficult to clean. Unlike light-weight pans, it takes considerable wrist strength to lift and turn this pan with one hand, when scrubbing with the other.
Other
This review was written for Captain D's "Challenge Yourself" Write Off. For more info and other reviews in that write-off, see:
http://www.epinions.com/content_3850084484
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 60
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Epinions.com ID:
msmarques
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Member: Michele Marques
Location: Toronto, Canada
Reviews written: 27
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
I love books, movies, and languages.
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