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Mark Bittner
February 12, 2025
First use worked very well!
Last evening I had hamburgers made with my newly arrived ZHANG XIAO QUAN pan. The cooking was even, and to my full satisfaction. The frying pan heated up very quickly, and seemed to have even heat distribution with no detectable hotspots on the pan. Everything cooked nicely, even the cheese with which I had topped the burgers. The cheese came off easily, and the entire pan cleaned up very well!Wanting to provide the highest quality care for this attractive pan, I followed the recommendations that were written within the instructions that came with it. Of course, as with any new pan, they encourage one to wash the pan thoroughly first. That is clearly an obvious requisite. The instructions do give a question or two that I wish I could get answered. The FIRST question is the fact that the instructions refer to removing the promotional label (I assume the instructional page insert, and it then mentions that one is to remove the SILICONE SHEATH?What in the world is the silicone sheath? I suspect it is intended as a thin silicone protective layer or sheet that would possibly lay in the pan's interior, possibly to protect it should another pan be nested within it. If my guess is correct, I would have loved to have gotten that included. It would be a tremendously helpful idea. Again, that is my basic guess, so perhaps it is something else. At any rate, while the instructions mention it, it is nowhere in my pan or the package. I just add that not as much to complain as to warn others who get the pan to not be puzzled should they not receive it as well.Now, the second rather strange instructions indicate that one is to wash the pan, (an obvious need) Then, AFTER having WASHED it, it says to apply a thin layer of oil, again, quite intuitive to my mind, but THEN, AFTER adding that thin layer of oil to the FRESHLY CLEANED PAN, To THEN, CLEAN IT AGAIN??Apparently right away, making no sense whatever to me.So we wash the new pan, obviously, drying it thoroughly, then add oil, with no mention of heating the oil or anything to season the pan, then pour OUT the oil, THEN, arbitrarily WASH the pan with mild soap AGAIN? I definitely lack clarity on this seemingly unnecessary step.Finally, it says BEFORE formal cooking, to add oil into the cold pan, then heat to medium heat, all of which I did. Now, honestly to cut them a break, perhaps some of this may be a language thing, but I am doubting that. Now to the pan's actual performance.As I earlier mentioned, I kept the pan to medium high heat, as it says, to avoid high heat, and the burgers cooked evenly and well. They do recommend more than once to use low to medium heat, so I assume that is an imperative. That meant me skipping my typical final step.I typically love to turn the heat up another 25-30% when my meat is about 75-85% cooked in an attempt to get a nice sear on it. I wanted to follow these instructions, so I did not do that final step in this case. The instructions do warn that for whatever reason, high heat can cause permanent damage to the pan. That being the case, I will likely have a far greater inclination to utilize this pan entirely for cooking vegetables, as I will need to omit my final preferred step for getting a nice finish toward the end of cooking meats.Finally, AFTER cooking, with the pan still warm, instructions recommend that one fill the pan with hot water, and detergent, and then allow the pan to sit until it reaches a lukewarm temperature. Then one uses a sponge or other rag to wash the pan to completion taking time to properly dry it. I have followed all of that. Even the parts that I questioned in what I just wrote. Finally, I wanted to remind others of the importance of using wooden or silicone coated utensils to avoid scratching the pan. They do mention that it would not harm the actual performance of the pan to use metal utensils, but it is definitely recommended not to. I will follow and have followed that admonition, since they are the manufacturers.Finally, in summary, I would definitely recommend this pan. Yes, I did/do have those couple of questions that seemed unclear (above) yet, I do not feel that that reflects negatively in any way toward the overall quality of the pan itself. While the pan is light in weight, so that elders can easily handle it, it is definitely sufficient in weight to provide a good cooking experience.The pan is visually attractive, heated up very quickly, maintained that heat very well, and ultimately cooked well. I have no plan to do it, however the instructions state that the pan can be heated up to 842 degrees.When I store frying pans, I typically take one paper towel sheet to lay within the face of the pan to protect the surfaces if I am nesting several pans together. Again, this pan seems well-made and seems durable, so I definitely recommend it. I believe that you will like the pan as well!
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