Pottella Deep Square 9.5” Nonstick Copper Pan Chef 5 Piece Set Frying Basket, Steamer Tray with Bonus World Cuisine Cookbook

This one pan only cost $10 less than a 15 piece nonstick set of cookware I bought 2 years ago and it is well worth it. That doesn't even count a Fry Daddy deep fryer I bought last December that I would have skipped if I'd run across this sooner.I've had this less than a week but I've used it about 8 times so far. I've recently decided to stock up on some precooked meals by cooking and freezing various recipes. Some recipes I've cooked on top of the stove and some I've baked. This pan is so versatile I'm quickly finding that I'm not going to need to use my other pans nearly as often.I doubt I'll be using the Fry Daddy either. I don't do a lot of deep frying but when I have an occassional craving for potato chips or french fries I'd prefer to make them at home using fresh potatos and fresh olive oil. I'd bought the Fry Daddy because I didn't have any other pan that I could use as a "deep fryer". Nothing against the Fry Daddy, and it has some benefits (portable) but it has some quirks (could not adjust temperature, could not tell if the power was on, no basket, very limited quantity of food could be cooked at one time).I bought this copper pan primarily for cooking in the oven. The other nonstick pans I own could also be used in the oven but they had a manufacturer recommened maximum temperature of 350F before there was a risk of the nonstick handles melting. Since this copper pan came with a fry basket I decided to try it out by making some potato chips and it worked well. My one (and only) complaint is in regards to the basket's handle. Although having a folding handle makes it eaiser to store the basket inside the pot when not in use and folding it is a requirement in order to use the basket to steam food inside the pot, there should be a way to lock the handle in its open position when using it for frying.I used to own a pot with an insert for steaming food but lost it in a move several years ago. Since I live in a small apartment I didn't replace it because it was one more "specialy" piece of cookware that I didn't use daily and took up too much space. Plus, it was aluminum and it was a pain to clean when I cooked anything besides water for steaming in it. This multi-use pan gives me a way to steam vegetables again without taking up extra space.Like a few others have done, I have tested it's "non-stick" ability and it's passed every test I could throw at it. That included some very sticky peanut butter/marshmallow,chocolate fudge and a homemade BBQ sauce that I left on the stove a bit too long. Neither one exactly slid out of the pan but clean up was fast and easy.Unlike some pans I own this seems to do a much better job at distributing heat through the bottom of the pan which cuts down on hot spots that tend to burn or cook faster than others.As others have pointed out, this does not feel like a cheaply made pan. It has two handles so it works well on top of the stove as well as in the oven. Also, when deep frying the potato chips I was surprised the handle on the basket never got hot.As far as the cookbook, its an okay addition but it's not particularly useful and I think it could have been skipped given there are several thousand recipes available on the internet.Overall, this pan is well designed, very versatile (if you need a pan that can deep fry, pan fry, steam, bake, or cook meals on the stove), easy to clean, and is a great addition if you have limited space.

I had never heard about this type of pan before, but saw an ad for it in the Belk flyer. Hmmm, I REALLY didn't need ANOTHER pan, but I needed something that was deep enough for the occasional fried items. I'm a die hard cast iron fry pan fan for taste, but the clean up just isn't worth it. I found this on Amazon, with an awesome price so what the heck, I'd give it a try. OH..MY..GOODNESS!!! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this pan so much, that I'm looking to buy different sizes now. I've made a chicken stir fry, French fries in the basket, and pan grilled turkey burgers. Every dish came out PERFECT with minimal oil (except the fries of course), and the pan WIPED CLEAN! Honestly, if I could replace EVERY pan & pot in my kitchen with this stuff I would. My only 'be wary' tip is, this pan is kind of small, NOT TINY, but if you have a large family, you might want to consider this (I just cook for 3, but even 4 would be fine). Oh and I have a gas stove, so it's not just for those weird flat electric stoves. Tomorrow I'm planning on fried wings, YUM! Okay, maybe there IS another bad thing...I never used to fry stuff, but with this AWESOME pan, I actually WANT to...uh oh

Well constructed, lightweight, cleans easily. I haven’t used the frying basket yet but I really like this pan. I really like the depth for “one pot meals”.

I like everything about this Potella piece of handy dandy cookware. Obviously, you need to remember that the handle will get hot when used in the oven. Ditto - remember not to crank the heat up too high - READ THE DIRECTIONS! RE the cookbook - well, it's incomplete, but cooking is a most creative adventure and you can always research online for the missing details of the dish's preparation. It ain't exactly rocket science, but it's an awesome pan.Great on the stove top for soups, stews, stir frying, sauteing - it works as a deep fryer just fine.In the oven, it's great for making casseroles, roasts, etc.I haven't bothered to do the fryer basket clips - not sure I can find them, having moved four times since this time last year, but I'm not concerned. I don't eat a lot of fried food and if push comes to shove, I'll improvise something!Love love love my Potella!

Love this pan as it can be used for so many kinds of meals. I'm happy I chose the deep pan because you can use it for Chile, for cooking cabbage, for fring hamburgers or 4 pork chops or pancakes.... you can put it in the oven to make a roast.... you can deep fry with the included basket.... so many possibilities. The cook book, however is an afterthought.... has nothing to do with the pan itself and could be eliminated. My only suggestion would be for the manufacturer to include a user manual to advise if the pan needs to be "seasoned" or if there are any cleaning suggestions.