Customer Reviews

Cuisinart SF22-17 Nonstick Stainless 7-Inch Skillet

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

For the last 25 years, I have always bought cheap fry pans and just replaced them. They would always warp and the finish would eventually wear off and they would be no good. Finally I decided to break down and buy some good stuff. First I read the reviews in the Consumer Reports. The thing that got me sold on getting a Cuisinart frypan was the fact that:1) it was rated as the top frypan after much testing to see how the nonstick surface would last under repeated abuse, 2) it was one of the only ones that could go in the dishwasher and 3)it wasn't as heavy as some of the other expensive cookware. I wasn't real crazy about paying the big price but Amazon was running such a good deal on it in November (...) so I bought a bunch of open stock Cuisinart pieces. I have been using my frypan for about a month now and love it! Here's the bad news - I left it on the burner one day while cooking a grill cheese sandwhich and forgot about it. Next thing I knew my whole kitchen was smoking and so was the pan. I ended up having to throw the pan away because it wrecked the inside but I was amazed that it didn't warp at all! The good news is, I had bought two 7" pans so I still had one left and then Amazon was kind enough to replace the other one for me. Amazon has the best customer service I have ever dealt with! I am very happy with my other Cuisinart pieces as well. The only thing that I would change about them would be shorter handles. They are kind of long but they do stay very cool to the touch as advertised. If you want some good quality,non-stick cookware that you don't have to wash by hand,and that doesn't weigh a ton, wait for a good deal at Amazon. Not that many places carry Cuisinart cookware, and of the ones that do,I found Amazon to have the best prices when I bought them in November.

Cuisinart makes some fabulous products. We've been using a set of Cuisinart Everyday Stainless cookware for over two years and love it. Recently we purchased 9 1/2", 8" and 7" stainless steel non stick skillets. The first two skillets performed as expected but surprisingly, the 7" did not. When empty or near it, the 7" skillet exhibited a dangerous tendency to tip off the burner element of our gas cooktop and rest on it's handle. In fact, it would barely remain upright when placed on the counter top.

A closer look and the problem became obvious; the handle is the same length as the other skillets' handles which is disproportionate to this 7" in diameter pan; it's too long and contributes towards the inbalance. Also, the bottom's stainless clad copper disk is smaller and thinner which adds to the pan's instability. The only fix for this is a complete redesign of the product, in my opinion. An exchange would be pointless.

What irks me is that we still have a need for a 7" skillet as a lid from a sauce pot will fit it, giving us three skillets with lids in total. Also, we had to pay the return shipping even though this product is defective, in our experience.

A good format for a small pan: enough for 1-2 fried eggs, or a small sauteed garnish or side dish, all that.

BUT this is not the right pan to buy if you use gas.

First of all, it is unstable. It is fairly stable on a flat surface such as a countertop or an electric burner, but on most gas burners, it will be unstable and tip over when empty or near-empty. The handle needs to be lighter, or the copper disk heavier.

Secondly, the copper disk on the bottom isn't wide enough. Gas flames lick up the sides, and so you have a too-hot ring surrounding the part that is over the copper disk. This is very obvious if you fry an egg. You have to turn the heat much too far down to avoid this.

I suspect it works reasonably well on electric burners, but I haven't tried.

For gas, I'd recommend you get a pan that doesn't just have a copper disk, but is solid copper or aluminum.

You don't have to say a lot about this pan, others here have already done so. I just want to quickly add my vote to the 'happy campers'
Cuisinart 7-Inch Nonstick Stainless Steel Skillet
is the perfect one serving egg pan!

I have been using this pan for abt 5 months now and am just abt ready to put it away. We use a gas burner and have found that that this pan is very unsteady on it. It tips over all the time (bcoz the handle is too heavy for the base). It also heats up really quickly at the handle making it very difficult to use.
I bought this product bcoz of the price and the brand name but have been very disappointed with its quality.

I use this pan all the time (flat top electric range) for 1-2 eggs ...sausage...burger etc. and I love it. I wash by hand an sometimes ..dishwasher(but not with heat drying). The non stick ...the stainless steel looks as good as the day I bought it.
Tips....do not cook dry....always add a little fat...season it.
Do not cook at max heat...not necessary...give pan time to warm up. Avoid metal untensils even tho they suggest it. Do not cut foods in the pan.
Too many people destroy their non stick pans/pots.
Some cheap non sticks are not worth buying unless someone has tested and has given a favourable review.

I'll admit this is a cute little frying pan, and the price was right, which is why I bought it. But there are a couple major problems I have with it. The first problem is the balance. The handle is actually heavier than the pan. So when I've got it on the stove, heating up over the flame before I crack the first egg into it, it often tips over onto the handle.

The second, BIG problem is that the non-stick doesn't work at all. I haven't used any metal utensils, or abrasive scrubbers. Yet it's already wrecked inside after about 5 uses.

In comparison to my Calphalon pan, which was expensive but completely worth it, this Cuisinart pan is a waste of money. My Calphalon pan has been used over a hundred times, had food burnt inside, yet it always cleans up perfectly and the non-stick is still completely intact.

I really wanted to like this Cuisinart, but I can't recommend this product. Either spend the money for a high quality non-stick pan that will last for years, or purchase a regular metal pan.

Some have complained about the tipping blaming the handle length, but the real culprit is the bottom of this pan which is significantly thinner than even the 8" version. As soon as you pick this pan up, you feel the difference. Unless the bottom is constructed of titanium(which is isn't)Cuisinart really cut corners on this one. Be very careful with heating this one, the bottom is so very thin you might just as well place your food directly on the burner!
Now that Conair has the reigns, Cuisinart's previous quality has suffered as most of thier products are now produced in China, a place where they apparently lack the nickel to make good SS, let alone control the quality of their manufacture (Hint: Chinese precision is an oxymoron). Sabatier has also gone this route, and what remains is a pathetic facsimile of things past. Some cheaper Henckels have also suffered a similar fate, with only diehard manufacturers remaining, i.e., Wusthoff, All-Clad, etc.. Save your money(and your food) and avoid this one or the new "multi-clad" series, even knock-off fabricators would perform a better impression.

We found that this pan works great on our flat ceramic electric stoves, but is dangerously unstable on anything less than a perfectly flat cooking surface. The pan heats rapidly and the nonstick coating is durable, releases food readily and is easy to clean. This 5 star rating only applies to use on flattop stoves. Otherwise, this pan can be dangerous. If you already own this pan and do not have a flattop stove, consider shortening the handle using an rotary tool with a cutoff wheel.

I have this frying pan along with a number of other Cuisinart nonstick stainless cookware. I have used this frying pan a couple of dozen times at this point, and really do like it. Omelets are quick and easy, the perfect size for one person. I have never had a problem with the nonstick, and they go in the dishwasher after each use. The only problem I have with it is that it is a bit too small, as the 7" are measure across the top of the pan.