Equal Parts Ceramic Pan Review
Can I finally say goodbye to Teflon?
I've been cooking at home a lot. Like, A LOT. And I couldn't take one more night of scraping food out of a no-longer nonstick Teflon pan. I've also been seeing a lot of direct to consumer (no retail middleman, just straight from the brand) ceramic cookware brands appear on the market, especially Instagram, which leads me to wonder, are they high-quality? Will they be as painless to cook with and clean as they say? And which one is the best? I'm embarking on a ceramic cookware testing journey that begins with the Equal Parts Big Pan.
After 30 days of using the Equal Parts pan, I found its nonstick coating to be fantastic. It has a comfortable handle and a solid, quality weight. I've cooked meals both small and large with this pan and found myself going back to it again and again over our Teflon set. Although the nonstick performance has been top-notch and reliable, I have noticed some wear and tear on the exterior. Read on to see how I tested this pan, plus my favorite and least favorite features.
Equal Parts is a part of Pattern Brands, a company specializing in design-forward products for the home. Equal Parts offers a range of cookware from pots and pans to accessories and full kitchen sets. I tested their best selling 10" Big Pan (a 2-piece set including the pan and a lid).
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Quick Facts About the Equal Parts Big Pan
The Cost: $75.00 for the 10" Big Pan with lid
Ships to: The US for free, with delivery in 3-6 business days
Differentiator: Equal Parts offers a text a chef service, no purchase or subscription necessary. You can text their expert chefs for recipe ideas and cooking advice.
I paid for this pan and chose to review it for My Subscription Addiction.
Pros & Cons
| The Pros |
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| The Cons |
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| Is It Worth It? |
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| I'd Recommend Equal Parts' Big Pan If You: |
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Ceramic vs. Teflon
There are many debates surrounding the safety of Teflon cookware and the merits of ceramic as an alternative. I am not a scientist, so I took to the internet to learn more where I discovered this helpful article on nonstick cookware safety. The basics are that chemical compounds in Teflon can break down when heated above 500 degrees, which is when toxic particles can be released.
Ceramic surfaces don't start to break down til around 800 degrees, but it is unlikely that you're cooking anything at that temperature.
The short story is: don't overheat your nonstick pan, don't use metal spatulas that can scratch and chip surfaces, and it's better to just hand wash, even if your cookware is dishwasher safe.
Nonstick Coating Test
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I used the pan over the course of 30 days for a variety of meals both big and small. I prefer to use nonstick cookware over stainless steel because I like to use less oil and spend less time doing dishes. The Equal Parts pan's nonstick coating performed its duties perfectly, most notably with the ultimate test of Just Egg (a vegan egg substitute): the stickiest, most painful-to-clean-out-of-a-pan food I’ve met. I’ve been cooking Just Egg in our Teflon pans, struggling with losing a quarter of the egg due to sticking, and then having to soak the pan to remove cooked-on residue. This was not an issue for the Equal Parts Big Pan. I used a light amount of oil to cook with and personally recommend using a Misto sprayer - it’s a refillable oil sprayer pump that uses your favorite cooking oil without the additives found in most cooking sprays. It also handled my Hungry Root lunches and my favorite pantry staple, ancho lentil taco dinner for two, with no sticking.
Heat Conduction
I tried this pan out on both an electric and gas stovetops and it performed equally well on both, heating quickly and cooking food evenly across the pan with no noticeable cold or hot spots.
Design and Quality
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I like the design of this pan; it is understated with just a hint of flair in the logo on the bottom of the pan and on the lid’s handle. I also appreciated the weight of the pan - heavy enough to keep it in place on the stove while stirring food but not so heavy that it's uncomfortable to lift with one hand. The handle shape is comfortable to hold and remains cool to the touch.
The nonstick interior seems to be of top quality, but I noticed chips along the pan’s edge and an easily scuffed and scratched exterior and lid.
Ease of Cleaning
Hand Wash
Because we’ve always had Teflon nonstick pans, we always hand washed them rather than putting them in the dishwasher. This pan is a breeze to wash by hand. Very little sticks and what does comes off with a regular sponge and almost no effort. There’s no soaking needed to loosen burnt-on or charred food. The only tricky area is the inside rivets which are less nonstick than the rest - I’ve been able to release any stuck-on food from the rivets with a dish brush.
Dishwasher
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Although putting a nonstick pan in the dishwasher makes me nervous, I did it. The pan came out clean with some minor water spots (not the pan's fault). I also noticed new scratches and distressing where the ceramic coating meets the exterior pan's surface at the edge.
Packaging
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An important element for brands in this space is the packaging design and unboxing experience. Equal Parts packaging is simple and minimal with no plastic elements, meaning I was able to break down the cardboard and recycle it.
Verdict
Overall, this pan came through on its nonstick promise and I have chosen to cook with it again and again instead of our Teflon set. It’s easy to clean, has a good weight, a comfortable handle, and has the right capacity to hold all the one-pan meals we’ve been making. It provides a good sear on my burgers and held up diligently to the stickiest egg substitute. Where the pan fell short for me was the delicate exterior of the pan. There were areas of smudged or lightly chipped finish on arrival and more have started cropping up - though I have not seen any deterioration of the nonstick interior surface. For longevity, I will continue to hand wash this pan rather than run it through the dishwasher. If you're curious about giving the Equal Parts Big Pan (or any of their cookware sets or kitchenware) a try for yourself, they offer a 30 day, no questions asked return policy.
Have you tried the Equal Parts Big Pan? How was your experience? Do you have a holy grail nonstick pan you absolutely love? Let me know in the comments.
A look ahead: I’ll be testing the Our Place Always Pan next!
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