Customer Reviews

Cuisinart CSK-150 1500-Watt Nonstick Oval Electric Skillet

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I was a little nervous when I bought this skillet, since at the time there were no product reviews on it, but I was desperate, and since I had had good luck with other Cuisinart products, I took the chance. Am I glad I did! We were just beginning a major kitchen remodel, which meant that for at least two months I would have to improvise cooking facilities for 5 adults and a grandchild. This skillet has been a real workhorse for me, and a genuine lifesaver (and budget-saver) during the remodel. Its cost was no more than 2 dinners for my family at a moderate-cost restaurant, and I saved that much the first week by cooking those dinners at home in this skillet instead. Its large capacity makes it extremely versatile. I've used it to fry chicken, make one-pan dinners, cook bacon and eggs, frozen blintzes, pot roast, stir-fry meals, you name it. It makes a beautiful risotto, and I've even used it to cook corn on the cob and boil potatoes. Everything came out exactly as I'd hoped, or better. I am especially happy with the Cuisinart's solid, sturdy base that won't let the skillet tip over and endanger the cook (or the curious grandchild). I also love the sturdy nonstick surface, which after two months of frequent use is still like new, in contrast to some nonstick pans I've had where the coating scratches or wore off so quickly that by the 3rd or 4th use the food had to be chipped out. The temperature control responds very quickly, too. You can certainly buy a cheaper electric skillet, but if you use it frequently, a cheap pan will be trash in a short time and you may not be happy with the way it performs in that short lifetime. This Cuisinart is worth every penny, and I expect to be using mine for a long, long time.

I have owned this electric skillet for several months. This is my first electric skillet. I know, shocking, after 25 years of marriage! I love this skillet, and can not believe I did not purchase one sooner. I have done eggs with cheese, fajita's, sausage, etc. Nothing has stuck! The meat browns nicely, the eggs don't stick, everything cooks evenly and as it should.

Best of all, clean up is a breeze! I know the instructions say you can put it in the dishwasher, but I haven't even been tempted. A little dish soap, a little water and a swish with a dishcloth, rinse and dry and the clean up is done!

I wouldn't trade it.

*Update: I have now had this skillet for about 1 year. It still cooks great and cleans as easy as it did new. non-stick finish has been very durable, and the unite heats up nicely. It is nice and large so you can cook up a large amount of food at one time. This is nice when you are cooking for several people. When it is just me and my husband, I can cook the sausage and pancakes at the same time, then I only have one cleanup!

I do at times wish the cooking surface was more level. It seems to be a little lower around the edges. I assume that is on purpose to allow grease to drain.

I have only had my Cuisinart Electric Skillet for approx. two weeks, but have used it almost every day since receiving it! I love it! Very easy to clean, nothing sticks to it. I have fried chicken twice in it, and it did a wonderful job of it. The chicken fried evenly and got very brown and crusty but no burning. I have fried pork chops in it, and it was the same, cooked perfectly. I have found it fries bacon much better and more evenly than trying to do it on my stove and so much easier to clean up because it doesn't spatter as badly as cooking in a more shallow skillet. Plus, my stove top is smooth glass and frying on it is always messy and causes the grease to burn onto it and then has to be cleaned with special glasstop cleanser, so I don't make a mess on my stove when I use the skillet. I cooked hamburgers in it yesterday and they were delicious, browned on the outside but juicy inside. The best I have cooked in a long time. I cannot praise this skillet enough! I have been searching for a 16-in. electric skillet for the past year but every one that I would find listed on Amazon (which is the same selection, or even better selection) than I would find in a local department store, and as I always read customer reviews before I buy (I feel this is the best way to find out about any product before actually buying and using it, from people who have it and have used it) they all had some bad features, either in the design or workmanship, and in the case of Rival, not good customer service. So I stayed away from every brand that I read about for the 16 in. elec. skillets. Then, just recently, I was checking out the food network website and noticed this oval shaped one by Cuisinart that they offered, and though the price was the same as on amazon, I went with amazon because of the free shipping. I was also hoping that amazon would have a few customer reviews for me to read so I could see how others either liked or disliked the skillet, but alas, there were none! I guess it is too new yet to have many customer reviews. Though it is not quite the 16 inches that I was looking for, the 15"X12" size has proven to be just as good, it easily holds a whole chicken without crowding. The one inch differenc wasn't enough to stop me from buying it. I knew Cuisinart was a very good brand, so I trusted the name, and took a chance and I am so happy that I did. It is pure joy to cook in this skillet. I haven't even put it away since I have had it, as I use it almost every day, I just keep it sitting on the end of my counter in the kitchen, where I use it. The only criticism I could offer is the shortness of the cord, but I have found this is true with every electric skillet that I have looked at, and was true with my old one that I gave my daughter when I purchased this one. It seems you can't wear electric skillets out, as I had that one for about 25 years! But back to the short cord. I think it is a safety feature so that you won't get caught in the electric cord and pull the skillet off the counter or table and cause burns to yourself or damage the skillet. And thankfully, the cord is just long enough to reach the outlet on the down-side of my counter top without having to use an extension. If I used it close to a wall with a wall socket, it would reach even better. But since I don't have a lot of counter space and the counter top range takes up so much of my space, it is more convenient for me to have it at the end of the counter top. And it is worth every penny of the hundred dollar price! I highly recommend it.

I picked this out as a gift based on all of the positive reviews. The first unit arrived and looked OK at a glance. Upon closer inspection, I found some scratches on the exterior and weird spots in the non-stick surface. When I flipped the unit over, I found all of the model information is imprinted into the metal surface; including a serial number. That serial number had been covered up with a black mark and a second serial number has been printed below in black type. I confirmed with Cuisinart customer service that this indicates that the unit has been refurbished.
My order was for a NEW unit from amazon.com (not a marketplace seller). Amazon customer service quickly created a new order for another unit at no charge to me and provided me with postage to return the refurb unit. I was assured that the replacement unit would be new. A week later, the replacement arrived and it also has 2 serial numbers and even worse defects in the non-stick coating (rough spots). I am now returning for a refund. Buyer beware. Check your serial number!

During my 30 plus years of marriage, I have owned at least 5 electric skillets. When the last one broke, I decided to do some research and bought the Cuisinart 150. I was skeptical about the oval shape since all my others were rectanglar and I felt that those extra corners meant more room. However, the shape does not matter. In fact, since most foods are rounded, the oval is better. The Cuisinart 150 cooks evenly, there are no hot coil spots on my foods. It preheats quickly and cooks very quickly also. it also lies level on my counter which for some odd reason the others never did. I don't think I have ever been so happy with a kitchen appliance before. I use my skillet at least once a week, for chicken, eggplant or veal cutlets, as well as for beef stroganoff or other all-in-one-pan meals. I would give this product a perfect 10. It is worth the higher price because it is so well-built and does such a great job.

We have a large family and we use our electric skillet a lot. In the past we have purchased the cheaper versions from Wal-mart. They don't heat evenly, and we were constantly replacing them because the cheap plastic legs or handles would break. The Cuisinart CSK-150 1500-Watt Nonstick Oval Electric Skillet is AWESOME!! The cooking area is huge (we can cook 6 pancakes at a time easily) and the cooking surface heats up evenly. It is very heavy, so it doesn't scoot around on the counter. Nice metal handles an base. Glass lid is also very sturdy with a steam vent. It is very beautiful and functional. Because of the quality of the construction, I believe it will last our family for many years. I have not previously recommended any item online before, but I highly recommend this item!

This skillet is a great buy. Quick, uniform heat as proven by identical pancakes throughout the cooking area. A truly non-stick cooking surface. Machine washable and submersible in water (except for the temparature controller).

It is on the large side which provides a nice cooking surface but makes the machine washable mostly impractical unless you want to devote most of the top rack to it. But it cleans up in the sink in a snap so this isn't really an issue.

The recipe booklet it comes with is even useful with a range of dishes from breakfast to dinner, simple to fancy.

Having just moved to an electric range after 10 years of cooking on gas, I couldn't stand the lack of heat control of the electric range and was looking for something better to cook on. With quick, well controlled heat and a large cook surface, this definitely fit the bill and exceeded my expectations.

Have not had it long so I'm unsure how well the non-stick surface holds up.

Happy cooking,
Marc

I have been cooking for 30+ years and this is the best electric skillet I have every had. The see thru cover is great!! It is just my husband and I now - so it could of been a little smaller but works great when the kids come home!!

Even though all 3 of its handles heat up during use to where some form of hand protection is required just to lift its lid (a design defect that could easily have been avoided) & even though its delicate non-stick cooking surface requires those specially coated tools & means you can't cut anything up in the pan, I give this piece of kitchen hardware full marks for its overall utility, sizable cooking surface, thermal sensitivity, and handsome appearance. Of course I've had it for only a month & used it only a few times, so it's possible that it won't last as well as the 47-year-old Sunbeam it replaced. But I'm happy with it so far.

It's now July, 2010, 5 years after the above comments, and I can now say for sure that it won't last 47 years. I've not had the temperature regulation problems some other users have experienced. The unit has been fully reliable in all of its mechanical functions. Its habit of "spitting" liquid out under its lid onto the kitchen counter, even if set only to simmer, is annoying. But what sounds its death knell is the deterioration of its non-stick surface. Knowing how sensitive such surfaces are, I've been meticulous in avoiding the use of any utensils that could scar it, or even rub it the wrong way. Always hand-washed it with gentle detergents so as to make sure than no chemical action could cause the coating to degrade. Still, after 5 years, the surface is clearly wearing out. I'm not savvy enough to know if this particular synthetic can be "renewed" in any acceptable way, but I suspect that I'll be in the market for a new electric skillet soon. Whether this product is an example of "planned obsolescence" I'm also in no position to say, but I am seriously disappointed that a cooker that cooked so well for 5 years should have to be abandoned just because its non-stick surface gave out.

I too use my Electric Fry Pan almost every night. I bought this one and it looks nice, easy to clean BUT as the other reviewer said after about 6 months the heating element goes haywire. No matter what you do it cooks at the highest temperature and it smokes. If you only use it once in a while fine. I sent it back, they sent me a new one and in 5 months same problem. It states dishwasher safe, I do not even use the dishwasher clean by hand to avoid water on the plug in and still same problem. While it looks nice it is only good for occasional use and only will last about 5-6 months, then even setting it on warm cooks full blast. Everything burns. I am still looking for a great skillet, but looks like no one makes a good one.