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Some things you buy because they’re cute even if they’re not practical or durable. Novelty tchotchkes for seasonal decor, fancy but uncomfortable shoes, white clothing you “save” for non-eating occasions for fear of spilling on them — okay, maybe that last one’s just me. Cookware, though, shouldn’t be one of them. Even when I’m not developing or testing recipes professionally as my day job, I cook too much and too often to be bogged down by warped pans, dinky pots, and high-maintenance pieces that require a regular subscription for Barkeepers Friend (looking at you, stainless steel!)
That’s why I go for the efficiency and convenience of nonstick cookware — usually. Inexpensive nonstick-treated pans come with their own host of problems, from more chemicals than I’d want to short-lived performance when the coating flakes off all too quickly to permanently stained interiors and exteriors.
What’s so great about the KitchenAid Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick Sauté Pan?
But as soon as I saw the perfect Pistachio shade and read the list of features that showed that the beauty was also a beast, I had to give it a try. Since then, it’s become my favorite pan and lives permanently on my stovetop both for its frequency of use and its sheer good looks. Because although it looks like a novelty pan, it performs like a premium one, prioritizing quick, even heating for home cooks who are with me in the feeling that waiting for a pan to preheat is actual agony.
A practical workhouse, it gives me everything I love about cooking with traditional multi-ply hard anodized cookware and for less than you’d think, as it’s part of KitchenAid’s entry-level, more affordable collection.
What features make the KitchenAid Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick Sauté Pan stand out?
I’ll start from the bottom up. First, its metallic forged aluminum base gives me the fast heat conduction that’s super important for the quick sautés, sears, stir-fries, and pan-fries that I do often, and the level of patience I have (none) to suffer through a long preheat. This pan sparks right up on my regular residential gas stove, ready to go in no time.
The exposed metal, thick reinforced bottom also offers tremendous warp resistance. Anyone who’s ever had a cheap pan pucker up on them will agree that there are few things more annoying than a pan that rocks back and forth. It’s the worst, because then no matter how well it’s supposed to distribute heat, it just isn’t gonna since there isn’t even contact with the burner. And don’t even get me started on if you’re using a flat-topped electric stove with no hope of flickering flames to make up the difference.
Also, it’s huge. The five-quart capacity (that’s 20 whole cups!) and generously high rims make it perfect for large dishes and enormous quantities of spinach. Finally, a pan that justifies my five-pound bulk bags!
Does the interior of the KitchenAid Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick Sauté Pan stain?
I was at first nervous to blight the beautiful PFAS-, BPA-, lead-, and cadmium-free ceramic coated Milkshake interior — a creamy vanilla — and was delighted to find that scalds slide straight off with no scrubbing at all.
The high-heat silicone polyester exterior coating is incredibly resistant to drip stains and sticky spots, too. I tend to pour food out of my pans, wok-style, so in past cookware tests, I’ve tried pans that start out one color and quickly take on brown trails from sauce spills within one use. This is not that. Nothing clings to its exterior at ALL. I’ve accidentally brushed it against a big bowl of rice, and even that comes right off.
While it’s critically important that the practical features impressed me, it was the color that initially made me swoon. Therefore, I’m delighted to report this major marquee point: the colors of this pan remain true and unstained even after months of regular use.
One last point on the color (can you tell how much I love it?) is that it matches my kitchen décor perfectly — I have a sparkly frosted glass backsplash and hints of glassy aqua in my quartzite counters, and the mere presence of this pan in my kitchen helps those accents pop. More importantly though, it helps me remember the big joy that little details can bring.
Buy: KitchenAid Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick Sauté Pan with Lid, 5 Quart, $69.99
Su-Jit Lin
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