I get lots of requests to review kitchen gadgets, books, wines and various foods. When I tell vendors that I am happy to do so, but if I don’t like their product I am still going to review it, including my negative comments, 90% of them back away. Not so, the Portland company DaTerra Cucina, who asked us to take a look at their Vesuvio ceramic coated 11″ nonstick frying pan. It appears they were confident enough in their product that possibility didn’t bother them.
To be honest, neither of us use many nonstick pans, but for the purpose of testing, we bought two pans from Amazon.com (my Christmas shopping complete!) and immediately put them to use.
The skillet, made in Italy, is a ceramic coated – the black and white speckled pattern reminds me of the lining of porcelain-ware pots I used to steal spoonfuls of stew from when I was a kid.
Our impressions:
- It’s lighter than we expected. Lady dude has problems grasping heavy items but found it easy to lift, and the unique glass lid has a C shaped handle that makes it easy to remove, yet it seals very well thanks to the silicone rim.
- Easy to go from stovetop to oven, it’s safe to 490 degrees. The silicone handle stays cool to the touch.
- Soo nonstick, which made it easy to clean up, and even better, we both found we were able to use less butter than usual. Food slides off.
- DaTerra says the pan uses eco-friendly materials – PTFE-free, PTOA-Free (I don’t know either), cadmium-free, lead-free coatings. It has a one year warranty for a full refund.
- Lady dude immediately asked “if they have other sizes available”, and “Can I keep this?”
While we wouldn’t use this for cooking where we want a fond – those crispy brown bits that form when meat is browned, this is a marvelous pan for cooking an omelet, frittata, sautéing vegetables, sauces, etc. It holds 2 quarts of liquid with no problems, and we both found ourselves reaching for it over the past week. Heating was very even – I browned butter, cooked egg whites, and pancakes; all of which cooked evenly on both a gas and electric stove.
I like that DaTerra is a Portland company, liked that they had the nerve to have us review it, and will reach for it when I want a non-stick pan. You can get the Vesuvio ceramic coated nonstick frying pan on Amazon.com for $69. Buy with abandon, I don’t get any sort of affiliate $, so your mind can rest easy.
Cynthia Thomas says
It’s now $79 at Amazon.
Junior says
It’s not available at amazon anymore.
PDX Food Dude says
I found it here.
Junior says
Yes it is listed, but unfortunately it states that the item is “Currently unavailable.
We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.”
PDX Food Dude says
Sorry, I didn’t notice that. I reached out to the owner – “the factory can’t get us any more for a few months. My husband flew to Italy to work out subsequent orders so we don’t (hopefully) have this problem again. So, for now, we are looking to get more around the end of February, we hope.”
Kathrin says
They are back in stock! Finally. With a smaller 9 1/2 inch pan coming soon as well!
Man with burnt wife says
Just an FYI, in one paragraph, it says safe up to 490 degrees in the oven, and the silicone handle stays cool to the touch. This is not true. I read this review to my wife because we were unsure if it could go in the oven. She removed from the oven with an oven mit and placed on the stove to remove the food in it. When she grabbed the silicone handle she instantly dropped it because it had burnt her hand.
Again, just a little information to double check yourself before trusting what is on the internet.
Kathrin says
So sorry your wife was hurt! The handle does stay cool stove-top. But in a hot oven, it will get hot. Sorry it wasn’t clear. Hope she recovered and the cooking is going well! – The DaTerra Cucina Family
Zina says
Not even 2 months and the non stick surface is already gone in some places.
Kathrin says
Hi Zina! Please reach out to us at info@daterracucina.com for some tips on getting the nonstick surface back to new again. We can pass on some tips for sure! – The DaTerra Team
Allyson Marcino says
I love love love this pan and can’t wait for more to come
Carol Mottin says
I have one and I LOVE IT!! I bought it at Amazon about a year ago…so I have used it many times, I love the fact that it has a glass lid with a little opening for steam to escape. It is very light and for me thats a plus! I use it to make everything and my hubby just asked me to make a pizza in it….AND I bet it would turn out excellent….I am going to try that! **** 4 stars! EXCELLENT!! It is worth every dollar!
Laura Cardon says
Hi there! I got this pan from my wedding registry and the nonstick wore off after less than a year (of excellent care). Everything sticks to it the point that I gave up ever trying to get it clean again – grilled cheese, eggs, pancakes, everything. I tried everything on the DaTerra website with no success of revitalizing the pan, reached out to DaTerra, and was totally blown off by customer service. This certainly isn’t your fault, I just wanted other buyers to be wary of purchasing. I’m back to using the 10-year-old Walmart pans I’ve had since college, and the DaTerra pan is collecting dust in my cabinet.
Kathrin says
Hi Laura,
I’m sorry to hear you were unsatisfied and disappointed that the pan was no longer returnable or exchangeable after 18 months. We feel that our one-year warranty is quite generous and are deeply sorry that you don’t see it this way.
If you want to give the pan another chance, the reconditioning tips we gave you in the many emails really have worked for most people. We encourage you to try again.
– The DaTerra Team
diane feind says
have not received all of my order??
Dan says
Does the pan work on induction cooktops?
Joyce Friedman says
The non-stick is gone from my pan. I just can’t find a non-stick pan that last very long. Very disappointed. The only way to get a non-stick that last is to be sure to buy one with a life time warranty. Be sure to keep the box so you have one to mail it back in. Good luck!