May 09
Until hard-anodized aluminum came along, professional chefs scoffed at the very notion of nonstick cookware. Once they gave it a try, whole new culinary worlds opened up. How else can you whip up a scrambled eggs with cheese concoction and not leave half of it stuck to the pan? Meanwhile, the rest of us looked on wistfully and sighed at the high price, not to mention the fact that you can’t just throw it in the dishwasher or look to the future and use it on an induction cooktop.
Infinite Circulon changed all that, especially with this 10-inch and 12-inch pair of open skillets. They’re everything you expect from Circulon 2, like a nonstick surface that’s really nonstick plus the ability to cook on ANY kind of stove, including induction. The hollow stainless steel handles really do stay cool on the stove while upping the in-the-oven temperature to a whopping 500 degrees F. When you’re done, it can go right into the dishwasher, though I have yet to cook anything requiring that kind of heavy-duty cleaning.
For a Lenten Friday dinner, we made whole wheat Fettuccine Marinara finished Bolognese-style, cooking and stirring the firm pasta in a couple cups of sauce until tender in the 12-inch skillet. Marinara sauce is hardly a challenge and it washed right out. On to a tougher challenge!
I made a couple fried egg and cold cut sandwiches the following Saturday, first frying the meat in the ungreased 12-incher, followed by the eggs without adding any grease or oil. Perfection! The eggs picked up a little of the browned bits left from frying the meat and that added some flavor. A quick hand-wash cleaned up with minimal effort.
As another reviewer points out, the manufacturer warns against using cooking spray, but it’s OK to add a touch of oil for flavor. I oven fried a few strips of bacon and while the bacon drained on a layer of paper towels I poured off all of the grease, leaving behind a thin coating. I dumped in a double batch of Jiffy corn muffin mix and put it back into the oven for about 25 minutes. The result: a skillet Johnnycake that slipped right out and onto the cutting board. There’s definitely an ooey-gooey pineapple upside-down cake in this skillet’s future.
With its low price and cook-anywhere versatility, Infinite Circulon really is investment-quality cookware. When this pair of skillets is on sale, it’s all that and a steal.
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May 9th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Until hard-anodized aluminum came along, professional chefs scoffed at the very notion of nonstick cookware. Once they gave it a try, whole new culinary worlds opened up. How else can you whip up a scrambled eggs with cheese concoction and not leave half of it stuck to the pan? Meanwhile, the rest of us looked on wistfully and sighed at the high price, not to mention the fact that you can’t just throw it in the dishwasher or look to the future and use it on an induction cooktop.
Infinite Circulon changed all that, especially with this 10-inch and 12-inch pair of open skillets. They’re everything you expect from Circulon 2, like a nonstick surface that’s really nonstick plus the ability to cook on ANY kind of stove, including induction. The hollow stainless steel handles really do stay cool on the stove while upping the in-the-oven temperature to a whopping 500 degrees F. When you’re done, it can go right into the dishwasher, though I have yet to cook anything requiring that kind of heavy-duty cleaning.
For a Lenten Friday dinner, we made whole wheat Fettuccine Marinara finished Bolognese-style, cooking and stirring the firm pasta in a couple cups of sauce until tender in the 12-inch skillet. Marinara sauce is hardly a challenge and it washed right out. On to a tougher challenge!
I made a couple fried egg and cold cut sandwiches the following Saturday, first frying the meat in the ungreased 12-incher, followed by the eggs without adding any grease or oil. Perfection! The eggs picked up a little of the browned bits left from frying the meat and that added some flavor. A quick hand-wash cleaned up with minimal effort.
As another reviewer points out, the manufacturer warns against using cooking spray, but it’s OK to add a touch of oil for flavor. I oven fried a few strips of bacon and while the bacon drained on a layer of paper towels I poured off all of the grease, leaving behind a thin coating. I dumped in a double batch of Jiffy corn muffin mix and put it back into the oven for about 25 minutes. The result: a skillet Johnnycake that slipped right out and onto the cutting board. There’s definitely an ooey-gooey pineapple upside-down cake in this skillet’s future.
With its low price and cook-anywhere versatility, Infinite Circulon really is investment-quality cookware. When this pair of skillets is on sale, it’s all that and a steal.
May 10th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
These heavy, beautiful pans are everything they’re advertised to be. An incredible value at this price. The Circulon Infinite series has the most effective and durable non-stick surface I’ve ever used, and they can go in the dishwasher. I expect to be using these daily for many, many years. Wish they made a 14″ skillet in the Infinite series! I’m buying more of these sets to give to as gifts.
May 11th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
We decided on the Cirulon Infinite cookware after looking at a lot of other brands. The quality and versatility makes this affordable (a relative term, I know) line of cookware a great value. After 6 months of heavy use, we are more than pleased with the durability and performance.
* Very Thick Bottoms – Allows for even heating of cooking surface
* Great Nonstick Surface – Really nonstick, no issues at all – DO NOT use nonstick sprays or “heavy oils” as these will ruin the nonstick properties (read the instructions)!
* Requires Less Oils – We were able to cut way back on the amount of cooking oils we use
* Durable
* Oven Safe
* Dishwasher Safe
*Important* Follow the manufactures instructions and you will have great results.
Highly Recommended!