First, they are a great deal, and sturdy. I couldn't find any set of coated cast iron pans that came even close to this low price. I have read the other reviews about the pans exploding, etc, and I can say that with almost a year of daily use, we haven't had any problems.
Second, the coating does a decent job of reducing sticking. If you want a near-perfect non-stick coating, you will have to use Teflon, because any healthy alternative just won't perform as well. Nonetheless, if used properly, these are pretty nearly non-stick. The keys to success are to make sure you use enough oil, don't turn the heat up too high too soon, and give the food time to cook before disturbing or flipping it.
Third, this package is versatile. We primarily use the medium and large size pans. We cook 4-6 eggs each morning in the medium pan, and save the larger one for bigger dishes. We rarely use the smallest one. I should note that none of the pans is huge, and the smallest one is just big enough for a large hamburger patty.
One potential drawback is that the handles get very hot, and I have come close to burning my hand. I would suggest always using an oven mitt to handle them if they have been used for awhile. Another is that cleaning them can be difficult if food has stuck to them.
Overall, I highly recommend this set. It is worth repeating to anyone interested in buying this set that coated cast iron will never function as well as Teflon in terms of preventing sticking. Don't expect it to be as good as Teflon, or you will be disappointed. Nonetheless, given my health concerns with Teflon, I am very happy with the quality and appearance of this set.
Oil never purchase again! - M. depar - PA
Very happy to receive this set. Pans are 10", 8" and 7" in diameter. They went well, colorwise, with my caramel lodge cast iron pot. First thing I noticed was the uneven surface. With all of the enamel iron castware I have purchased, I never witnessed this. I figured its ok. @2nd thing and absolute disgrace was, using a light coat of oil just to heat up some food, and the enamel started chipping...I mean really chipping off. As one reviewer stated this is one layer enamel and a very poor quality, to boot. I have had my 1.5 quart Kinetic cast iron saucepan, that looks exactly the same style as these, for about 7 moinths now. I have fried in it plenty of times and its still going strong. Buy these if you only plan to boil water in them or heat up some food, without oil.
They DO explode -- very poor quality - R. Daly -
I bought these pans about two years ago for a very low price during one of Amazon's sales. I was skeptical of the reviews about exploding enamel and figured that the most likely explanation for that was simply user error. To those who warned me: I apologize! My neighbors bought these pans at about the same time. They lasted about a year and a half in both our households -- then the exploding began.
PROS:
1) They're cheap -- or they were. They now cost far more than what I paid for them.
2) They lasted about as long as I happened to need them -- but it looks like I was one of the lucky ones. As a temporary kitchen item, they worked out well for me.
3) They're pretty. They look nice as serving dishes, and I liked having a splash of red in my otherwise neutral-toned kitchen. I hung them on the wall as decoration when not in use.
4) They're heavy and hold heat well -- I'm not sure why one reviewer thought they weren't really solid cast iron. I think they might be thinner than Lodge's pans, or than the old cast iron pans that our parents and grandparents had, so maybe that's it.
5) The different sizes were very convenient -- I used these pans for pretty much everything except pasta.
CONS:
1) The enamel does in fact explode off of the pans -- sooner for some and later for others. I'd be interested to know if any customer who uses these regularly has escaped this problem. The enamel on mine began to craze shortly after I bought them -- a precursor, I suppose, to it flaking off.
2) These pans are made in China, and they are VERY poor quality. As several other reviewers have noted, the enamel coating is very thin, and you can see the imperfections in the iron beneath poking through. Perhaps the rough surface and uneven enamel contributes to the exploding problem -- I'm not sure.
3) The enamel gets discolored very quickly, and stays that way. You can get stains out of enamel with baking soda -- just rub it around the pan with a damp cloth. For tough stains, try adding a little lemon juice -- it will react with the baking soda and bubble. I couldn't get all the stains out of my pans, though, and there's other discoloration that seems to come with age and heat.
4) You have to treat these as if they were nonstick, but food does still stick in them, of course -- no metal tools, don't overheat, etc. Unless you are cooking acidic things -- tomato sauce and so forth -- you might want to get plain old cast iron without the enamel coating.
For those of you who are buying for permanence, I would recommend Lodge. They're quality pans, they're made in the USA, and they're not really that much more expensive. In retrospect, that is probably what I should have done myself -- then I would still have three cast iron pans. Cooking with cast iron takes a little getting used to, but if you do it right and keep the pans seasoned properly, they're almost as easy as non-stick, and you can brown food and cook at high heats and all kinds of things you can't do with other pans!
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