Riddle: What roasts, fries, grills, stews, bakes, and warms?

I purchased this skillet a year ago during one of my spending sprees. I had no real use for it but the price was right, so I got it. I figured it would be nice to have for days when the stove burners were full.

What it Looks Like
This is a 16 inch skillet which resembles a long casserole/cake pan. It has a plastic lid with a heat-resistant handle on the top. Out of the box, the legs will need to be screwed on. Occasionally the legs will need to be tightened with a screwdriver.

The temperature can be controlled by a break-away cord. The heat options are as follows: Off, Warm, 200, 250, 350, 400. It's very impressive how evenly the skillet heats. It's better than a skillet on the stove or any electric skillet that I've had in the past.

The skillet is coated with a heavy Teflon. I mean a heavy coat. Nothing sticks to this, not even eggs. The surface can be scratched so only utensils save for Teflon should be used. The pan is big so doesn't fit in the sink very well. The pan wipes clean with a little soap and water. No need to scour. Grease is easy to get off, nothing ever sticks to the pan, and nothing stains the surface. It's faster than preparing a traditional pan for the dishwasher.

The lid is a sturdy clear tempered glass so you can see exactly what's going on inside without altering the temperature.

Storing the Skillet
The biggest decision that needs to be made before purchasing such a large product is where to store it. It does take up a lot of room and since it has feet and lid it doesn't tuck away. I store it under one of my cabinets. It takes up the whole length of the cabinet. I use to store it in another room out of the way and it never got used. I started storing it in the kitchen cabinet with nothing above it, nothing below it. Sine it's easier to get to and put away I use it a lot more.

I would recommend not storing the cord inside the pan as it would likely scratch the Teflon. For safety reasons, the break-away electric cord is extremely short. It will need to be right next to the electrical socket.

Travel
I love my skillet so much that I have traveled with it. Two rubber bands did the trick to ensure the lid didn't come off. The skillet is a great addition to large meals because it can keep food warm without taking space on a burner.

Since the pan has handles and legs it makes it easy to move from one area to another. It is presentable enough to be used at a pitch-in dinner. It can be carried to the dinner table if desired.

My Experience
I've been using the skillet a couple of times a week since I've found a handy location to store it.

Pancakes – I can't tell you how much trouble I have trying to make eggs or pancakes. This can be heated to the perfect temperature. I spray a little Pam on the skillet, then make several pancakes at once. Pancakes turn out golden brown in perfect condition every time. Since we have a large family, it takes forever to make pancakes on the stovetop. The skillet never heated the pancakes evenly. I am not a morning person so never took on that stress in the morning. I went from never making pancakes because of the hassle to making them every single weekend. I can make a batch of pancakes for the family faster than waiting for frozen waffles in the toaster.

Eggs - No need for a pan saturated in grease to fix the morning eggs. This Teflon skillet leaves plenty of room to flip the eggs and nothing sticks to the bottom. Even better, there's no soaking needed. The egg residue wipes right off of the skillet.

Bacon – There is enough room to cook a whole pack of bacon in the skillet. Bacon grease still splatters a little like it does on the stove, but it's much easier to wipe the counter down rather than getting grease off the stove and walls. When it's time to pour the grease out, the handle and shape of the skillet makes it easier than a round pan to control the flow of grease.

Hamburger – I have more than a pound of hamburger to fry, this is the best choice because there's more space.

Rice a Roni – It's a cinch to brown the pasta in this pan. This appliance does not cook rice very well because the liquid is absorbed too quickly. A round pan is a better choice for cooking rice.

Casseroles – This makes wonderful one-pot meals. It's easy to fry the hamburger or chicken in the skillet then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer. One very simple pot to clean.

Potatoes – We've made fried potatoes, roasted potatoes, and scalloped potatoes.

Meat and Vegetables – Roasts, fries, grills, stews, bakes.

Flavor – We use this all the time mostly because it retains the flavor well. The meat stays moist and doesn't require oil like the stovetop skillet does. Vegetables steam with the lid on without a lot of water. There's plenty of room to mix and cook meat and vegetables together.

Overall
I've had flat electric skillets in the past and they were a pain. This is can do everything that a flat skillet can do and more.

Aside from the coffee pot, this is the most used appliance in the kitchen. It is so roomy and heats evenly. It doesn't go in the dishwasher but washes so quickly that it won't be an issue. It's a necessity for breakfast meals, a perfect solution to a skillet, and a great option when the burners are full. This is also preferred over heating up the oven in the summer time. This product retails for $30-$40 and is, in my option, worth every penny.