Paula Deen Signature Porcelain Nonstick 8-Inch and 10-Inch Skillet Twin Pack, Butter Speckle

Looks Great, Nice Heft, But One Inconvenience!
My favorite frying pans are good old cast-iron, and I compared a cast-iron pan with the larger 10" Paula Deen. In each, I made an egg for an egg sandwich, meaning the egg needed to be flipped. Then I fried a frozen hamburger patty. Third, I made scrambled cheesy eggs (so the eggs had to be "stirred"). My comparisons:

LOOKS:
***** Paula Deen. These pans are simply gorgeous. I have the Blueberry Speckle, and it's a very pretty blue porcelain with a black non-stick interior.
**** Cast Iron. Even when it's new, there's nothing gorgeous about cast iron. Heft is its middle name.

HANDLES:
***** Paula Deen. The rubber-ized handle matches the blue exterior. It is non-slip and comfortable to hold. And, it doesn't get hot. You do have to be more careful that the handle doesn't wander over a heat source, though, as it would be damaged. The handle is solidly riveted to the pan with two rivets. It could come loose eventually or with banging around, but it isn't...

Hazardous to Ceramic or Glass Cooktops
If you have a ceramic or glass stovetop, be sure to read the "Special Instructions For Ceramic/Glass Stovetops" included in the booklet that comes with these pans. In a nutshell, these pans may damage your smooth cooktop. The instructions say "We recommend the use of flat-bottomed stainless steel or hard-anodized exterior cookware on ceramic/glass cooktops." (In other words, NOT these pans.) "Overheating or allowing porcelain enameled or silicone polyester cookware to boil dry can result in the fusing of the cookware to your ceramic/glass stovetop requiring replacement of the stovetop."

In researching further on the web, I've found reviews from people who do use them on ceramic stoves, but they are very careful to keep the bottoms dry, and also very careful to make sure they never boil over or splash. It sounds as if the pans would be okay on a glass or ceramic cooktop if you are very careful, but anyone can have a moment of inattention. Do you want to take the chance...

If only they did not contain teflon...
These skillets are good-looking, easy to use, easy care and require minimal oil or spray when sauteing. They are perfect for a two person meal or side dish or omelette. The blueberry porcelain is pretty and, according to the extensive care instructions, should not be washed in the dishwasher. The handles are well-balanced, the pans are lightweight, and they nest nicely in the cupboard...

BUT...they are coated with Dupont Teflon that releases toxins if exposed to high temperatures. Dupont disputes the danger by stating any condition such as headache or chills or backache or or danger to birds is "reversible." Also, the toxins are only released at extremely high temperatures that are not normally used when cooking. Apparently the EPA has given companies using this coating until 2015 to phase out their use. Unfortunately these skillets will last much longer than that.

So, I wish I could say they were perfect in every way because, except for their coating, they are...

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