Beware - SCANPAN!

I have heard wonderful things about the Scanpan brand pans and horrible things about traditional non-stick pans. Since many of my pans have a non-stick, toxic coating (I know, I know, I need to toss them) I decided I would like to give Scanpan a try, but I thought the prices were a bit high.  I was able to purchase a used one on eBay for a little less than half the price of a new one.  Such a steal! Perfect price for a test run.

When it arrived, it was in a sad state. I wasn't too worried because I knew they had a 'lifetime guarantee.'   I found a website that said, to return the pan to its original clean, non-stick state, it would be necessary to boil baking soda in water for 5 minutes, then let the pan sit with the baking soda/water for about 30 minutes. After trying this twice, it didn't come as clean as expected.  I contacted the company and heard back quite quickly. They instructed me to use the baking soda and if that didn't work, clean with Barkeepers Friend and a scouring pad.  The Barkeepers/scouring pad did the trick; the pan looked spotless.  So now the real test - frying an egg.  Not only did the egg stick to the pan, it stuck so badly that I had to repeat the baking soda/Barkeepers Friend process to get it to come off!  Not impressed!

Along with the cleaning instructions, the company sent me pictures of what is and is not covered by their warranty.  It appeared that my pan was under 'covered.'  Again, I contacted the company and this was their response:

" I’m sorry to hear the Barkeepers Friend and Baking Soda instructions did not work for you.  Unfortunately since the pan was purchased on Ebay, it cannot be covered under the warranty.

When I think of a 'Lifetime Guarantee,' I think of companies like Tupperware, Cutco and LLBean.  They don't care who/where their product was purchased; if their product fails, they replace it - plain and simple.  We pay a little more for their products, but in the end it's usually worth it. It seems to me that Scanpan pans are pricey enough to be in the same category.

I was almost ready to purchase a ceramic pan until I read this article.  This article outlines that NONE of the non-stick cookware currently on the market is safe except a properly seasoned cast iron pan.

I think my new plan  is not to purchase these new ceramic pans, but to go back to basics and start seasoning my cast iron pans!   I'm taking my pastured bacon out of the freezer right now!

UPDATE: I've managed to switch all my coated pans for cast iron pans. If they're seasoned properly, they are non-stick.

My Amazon Affiliate Link:

Pre-Seasoned Combo Cooker