I've had 2 sets of Scanpans - the first I had for 30 years and the 2nd I bought for my son 5 or 6 years ago. The original Scanpans were not truly nonstick, they were stick RESISTANT. I used mine heavily and they lasted. But I have to say, the pans I bought for my son are *even better*. The new Scanpans really are totally nonstick. They don't "scratch" from the point of view of scratching through the surface alloy. They don't peel, blister, or otherwise wear through. My son's pans lived in his bachelor household for the first 3 years or so with 3 to 4 other bachelor roommates. They had cast iron stacked in them. They had metal utensils used on them. They got banged around, misused, abused, and generally were treated very very badly indeed. Yup, there are scuff marks on the bottom, but you know what? They are still absolutely non stick. Not only that, not a single pan has warped, discolored, or otherwise shows any damage. According to Scanpan, if you start to lose some of the nonstick ability, use Barkeepers friend and it will restore them. These haven't needed that yet. Yes, it's true - if you don't clean them properly they will build up gunk that will interfere with the nonstick coating because it's COVERING it. That's what they meant when they sent the pan back and said it hadn't been cleaned properly. The way to clean them is to stick them under cold running water straight off the stove - the bottoms are thick enough this will not warp them. If you don't like doing that (I only do it once in awhile myself but its all good so far anyway) you can boil water with some baking soda, or as I mentioned earlier, take some barkeepers friend to them. I had one pan - ONE - that blistered, and it was because of misuse on my part. There was food in it, which was stored in a refrigerator. Well unbeknownst to me, my brother sold that fridge and had it hauled away without my knowledge. By the time I realized what had happened, the food had been sitting out on the counter and it had molded. The mistakes were 2-fold: 1, don't EVER store food in one of these pans, and 2, for heavens sake don't let moldy food sit around in one at room temperature in the summer! If in 30 years of use and abuse (I am not at all shy in my handling of my cookware) that was the only time I had any damage, I think it's a good bet that somebody did something wrong somewhere if every single pan flaked. I'm not sure that can even happen with the new Scanpans, even if abused as above. The "wrong thing" may have been a manufacturing error - in which case Scanpan would replace the product, if it was sent back. Instructions for restoring nonstickiness or getting something stuck off: Boil with dishsoap, then clean as usual (I didn't measure the dish soap, just glopped some in and it worked ok) one tablespoon of baking soda per 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and let boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand 30 minutes. Clean pans. Make a paste of water and Barkeeper's friend. Scrub the interior surface to remove built up gunk. According to the manufacturer, this is how to restore your finish if it's built up gunk over time. BTW, do not EVER use Pam on this or any other nonstick surface. There is other stuff in Pam besides just oil, and that other stuff will build up a gunky surface that will cover the actual surface and make your pans sticky. If you've done this on a Scanpan, go at it with the Barkeeper's friend.

Akchicago, So now you understand how ScanPan is made from carcinogenic PTFE and Eurolux is not. That's why Eurolux is heat resistant to 1200 Deg. C, while ScanPan is dangerous at even 200 Deg. C. Don't worry about being wrong. Now you have the information to live healthy! Here are some other references on the dangers of PTFE: Teflon trouble sticking to DuPont Chemical used in coating may be making people sick Agency claims company withheld evidence of concerns (August 9, 2004) DuPont's troubled chemical C-8 is widespread in the environment. How did it get there, and should we be worried? E.P.A. Says It Will Fine DuPont for Holding Back Test Results Hearth & Home: Watched Pots It's not just what you cook, it's what you cook in - by Elizabeth Larsen Teflon linked to birth defects and illness Teflon Chemicals are a Threat to Health - Dr. Mercola Teflon questions and Eliminate the use of Teflon Teflon linked to birth defects and illness; but is it safe to use in cooking? Dupont is facing new charges from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it concealed research showing that pregnant workers were passing on Teflon chemicals to their unborn children. The EPA has also accused Dupont of failing to report evidence that the chemicals used to manufacture Teflon had contaminated water supplies affecting 12,000 people in the local area. Many of those affected families are suing Dupont. Teflon's sticky situation - By Chris Summers - BBC News Online It's on saucepans, clothing, even buildings, but now Teflon - the famed non-stick chemical - is at the centre of a slippery controversy about cancer and birth defects. DuPont has hidden harmful effects of Teflon for 50 years U.S. Officials Accuse DuPont of Concealing Teflon Ingredient's Health Risk Toxic Gore-tex Skip the gory Gore-tex and wander winter wrapped in warm, green alternatives Teflon Chemical in Drinking Water Costs DuPont $107 Million More Troubles With Teflon Toxicity Board: Teflon Cancer Risks Downplayed By RANDALL CHASE - The Associated Press Tuesday, June 28, 2005; 9:50 PM DOVER, Del. -- A controversial chemical used by DuPont to make the nonstick substance Teflon poses more of a cancer risk than indicated in a draft assessment by the Environmental Protection Agency, an independent review board has found. The EPA stated earlier this year that its draft risk assessment of perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts found "suggestive evidence" of potential human carcinogenicity, based on animal studies. In a draft report released Monday, the majority of members on an EPA scientific advisory board that reviewed the agency's report concluded that PFOA, also known as C-8, is "likely" to be carcinogenic to humans, and that the EPA should conduct cancer risk assessments for a variety of tumors found in mice and rats. Teflon firm faces fresh lawsuit BBC News, 19 July 2005 - US chemicals giant DuPont is facing a lawsuit accusing the company of failing to warn consumers about the health hazards of Teflon non-stick coatings. Two Florida law firms said they were filing the suit on behalf of 14 people who bought and used Teflon cookware. DuPont denied the claims, stating its products were safe and has vowed to vigorously defend itself. Plaintiffs want DuPont to spend $5bn to replace million of people's pots and pans and to issue Teflon warnings. They also want a fund to be created for medical monitoring of people who bought Teflon products. CONSUMERS BEWARE: TEFLON CAN GIVE YOU CANCER After ignoring numerous warnings from independent scientists for years, the "nonstick" chemical used in Teflon has now officially been categorized as a "likely carcinogen" by the U.S. government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA scientists found four different types of tumors in lab animals exposed to the chemical. The agency announced it plans to collect millions of dollars in fines from DuPont, the maker of Teflon, for concealing studies indicating related health and environmental risks for over two decades. Teflon May Be Just The Tip Of the Iceberg... DuPont Warned Long Ago About Teflon in Paper Products DuPont Pays Heavy Price For Teflon Cover-Up DuPont's cover-up over allegations it failed to reveal the dangers of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) -- the chemical used to make Teflon -- reached closure when the company and the EPA agreed to a settlement that could amount to more than $300 million in civil fines. EPA Fines Dupont for Poisoning Consumers with Teflon Cookware From: Environment News Service That's enough information for anyone to stay far away from ScanPan carcinogenic pots and pans. It takes an intelligent person to admit they're wrong, but it takes even greater intelligence to change your ways. Throw away your carcinogenic Scanpan pots and pans. Buy healthy cookeware like Eurolux, Le Creuset, HealthCraft, etc. So you're wrong! At least you can start to live and eat healthy now! Now you won't have to absorb any more PTFE into your body either through fumes or particles that are scraped off the ScanPan. Good Luck, AkChicago.

I emailed Made-In about their "concavity" thing, I liked their response. Still a lot of money to spend on a set no one's ever heard of though. "Following the Wired write up we did consult with our product team and made an adjustment to our punch. Essentially, we (slightly) softened the "blow" the punch gives the pan which results in what we've noticed as a more even body. With that said, this is the first time the issue of "concavity" was brought up (professional reviewer or home cook) and the concavity is actually necessary for the cookware process because it allows cookware to heat up without warping (the concave part of the pan settles into flat place during heating). While we totally respect Wired as a brand and the education they bring to the review world, we are more focus on our 98% 5-star review rate and 0.6% return rate! Keep in mind we have a 100-day no risk trial, so see for yourself! If the cookware isn't up to your standards we will take it back for a full refund and even pay for return shipping."

Most of my favorites have been mentioned above. I have regular cast iron skillets, some enameled cast iron, and All clad. I also have a blue steel crepe pan (which was nonstick after seasoned, until DH cleaned it to vigorously). but no other nonstick pans. I like a pan I can attack if it's dirty with bar keeper's friend. I was not fond of circulon when I had it, but that was many years ago now (did not like the grooves). One thing not mentioned is a benefit of a light interior. Sometimes, if you need to judge the color progression of something (butter, caramel, etc) it is much easier with a pan that has a light interior. I will say that I would love to buy the saucier linked above, that looks like a great pan. One thing would be what does he like to cook? If he makes a lot of vegetarian stews that cook long and slow, then cast iron is great. It is slower to heat up but makes up for it by retaining the heat well. If he prefers more stir-fries or quick sautees, something that heats up quicker would likely be better, like All-Clad. The other question I would ask is how careful is he? Does he really need something he can use metal utensils on or he will remember not to use metal in an enameled pot? If all of his tools are silicone, you could go either way. If he prefers a metal spatula or spoon, then I would stick with stainless steel or non-enameled cast iron.