T-fal Specialty Nonstick Handy Pot with Glass Lid 3 Quart Oven Safe 350F Cookware, Pots and Pans, Dishwasher Safe Black

Oh my goodness, I love this thing. I've had it for about three months now, and it has been wonderful. I go out of my way to treat it properly -- I always hand wash it and only use bamboo/silicone/plastic utensils, so the interior is pretty much the same as when it was delivered. I really haven't had any issue with turning the burner up to high (electric range with old-school spiral raised metal elements) to boil water quickly, but maybe that reduces overall lifespan, so I kind of feel guilty about it. On the other hand, my kids are hungry...This pan has the slickest teflon-type surface I've ever used, comparable to the ceramic-coated nonstick frying pans I got at Target nine months ago. Week-old dried, cooked-on food of any kind slides right off with a little soapy water and a plastic scraper or Dobie sponge (Scotch-Brite Cleaning Pads Dobie (6-Pack)), with almost no effort at all -- it's absolutely amazing. I learned to cook using my mom's old aluminum pans, and cleaning them afterwards was a nightmare, especially if anything had burned. Later I got into cast iron, but it requires seasoning and very special care, especially cleaning. I still love my cast iron Dutch oven for making pot roast, but the thing practically weighs as much as I do, and isn't terribly convenient for making a quick round of mac and cheese on a busy weeknight. I've used (usually cheap) teflon pots and pans for years, from a number of manufacturers, but they generally weren't terribly "non-sticky" to begin with, invariably got scratched, and eventually lost their non-stick utility completely. This pan is different. Pre-lubrication just isn't necessary, unless you want it for taste or whatever. I've actually made fried eggs in it (it is a bit deep for flipping) with no butter at all, and simply cleaned up with a few swipes from a paper towel. Cleanup after making (real) gravy takes a minute, tops. Dried on rice pilaf comes right off. Definitely worth it!Aside from the possibility of reduced fat cooking and super-easy cleanup, food actually cooks evenly and well. The bottom and sides are much thicker than I expected and it has a surprisingly solid heft, giving stability on a tilted burner but not weighing so much that a 10 year old junior cook can't safely carry a full pan of cooked pasta from stove to sink. Heat transfers very evenly, as you can see when boiling water -- the bubbles just before a full boil are formed evenly across the bottom from edge to center, not just in a narrow ring or in certain spots. The water also seems to boil pretty quickly.There is one minor flaw -- the handle on the lid. The metal part below the knob is hollow, so if you look up through the bottom of the lid you can see a little enclosed space. While I don't wash the pan itself in the dishwasher because of the harsh detergent, I do sometimes wash the lid in there, and every time it fills up with water so I have to loosen the attaching screw to empty and dry it out. It would be much better if this metal piece was more slender and solid, eliminating this otherwise useless void.Overall, this pan is a solid, well-made, even-heating, super non-stick wonder that cleans very easily and is my go-to workhorse when cooking.

I was rather surprised, having specifically searched for a dishwasher-safe nonstick pan, to find that the labeling on this one actually recommends handwashing instead. If cleaned in the dishwasher, it advises you to reseason it every 10 washes (and honestly, who keeps count of how many times they've washed their pans?) I'm finding myself handwashing it just to be sure to protect it adequately, though I may occasionally put it in the dishwasher for convenience. I probably would have ordered a different pan had I realized I'd still end up handwashing.That said, though, it's otherwise an excellent pan. I've had no problems with anything sticking, and the steam vent in the glass lid is a very nice touch. If I were to redesign it I'd probably make it a little broader to counterbalance the height, because it's fairly tall and narrow, but it works well for most general-purpose tasks.Update, May 16, 2013: Sure enough, over time my dedication to handwashing the pan has waned, so it almost always goes in the dishwasher now. The pan seems to be handling it just fine, however. The silvery brightness of the bottom of the pan is tarnished from the dishwasher, but even though I'm sure I haven't remembered to re-season it nearly as often as recommended, the nonstick coating on the inside seems completely unaffected. I use my saucepan for utility, not decoration, so the tarnishing/discoloration really doesn't bother me. Increasing my rating to 5 stars instead of 4, since the pan does appear to be completely dishwasher-safe despite the 'seasoning' information provided.Update, August 1, 2014: After well more than a year of being routinely washed in the dishwasher on a nearly-daily basis and never being re-seasoned during that year and a half, the pan is still showing absolutely no signs of wear except for the aforementioned tarnishing on the bottom. It's the most nonstick pan we own and we use it for everything, sometimes multiple times per day. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if this one ever wears out, not that it shows any signs of doing so!Update: November 20, 2015: After 3 years of heavy, heavy, heavy use (nearly every day, frequently more than once per day, and a minimum of 1000+ trips through the dishwasher), the nonstick coating has started to peel away from the top edge of the pan. The coating on the bottom of the pan has still not worn away, or even been scratched, despite people occasionally having used metal utensils in it; it's peeling away from one top edge, like a sticker separating from the surface it was sticking to. I can see how thick and heavy the nonstick surface is, and it doesn't surprise me now that it lasted so well.I expect I'll order a replacement, because I really love this pan. Even with a 3-year life cycle, at $6 per year it's been totally worth the investment.