Today I'm sharing my Hestan Skillet Review..
And FYI, not a sponsored post.
A few weeks ago, after plenty of research, I dove in and bought a Hestan Nanobond Titaium Skillet. I chose the eleven inch model, price tag? A whopping $280. Here is my Hestan Skillet Review.
Was it worth the price??...
Wanted: The Perfect Skillet
For years I have struggled with my most-used piece of cookware. the skillet. I adore a good skillet. I use it for stir fries, tofu scrambles. For veggies, tempeh and tofu cubes and of course french toast, pancakes and other brunch delights. Skillets are fast and friendly. They give your food life, color and flavor. But it has been my luck to go through skillets more often than I would like.
My perfect skillet is first and foremost, toxin-free. Those old-school nonstick skillets coated in not so great stuff are a big no-no for everyday use. But that being said, I love a bit of non-stick-like goodness to my skillet. I hate spending time scrubbing burnt bits when things don't go perfectly with a cooking sesh.
I also want high quality materials. zero exposed alluminum. A nice sturdy feel to the skillet. And most important, I want it to last. I am so sick of buying a skillet (in the $80-$150 range!) and having it's surface just get worn in about a year. something about all the products I had been trying in the past just wasn't meshing well with my cooking style. I honestly don't know, but I don't think I'm the only one who goes through skillets faster than their other cookware.
I absolutely adore my Staub pot. I have had it for years and it still looks brand new. I want that in a skillet!
What About Stainless Steel?
I have a small high-end stainless steel skillet. It actually has held up really well the past few years. The problem with it is that it sticks way too much. though it always scrubs clean - all shiny and new - I am not a fan of scrubbing. So I kept researching options.
I tried a cast iron skillet for a while, but it was just way too heavy and hard to handle. And it also had sticking problems.
What About GreenPan and other Eco-Friendly Skillets?
I love that there are healthy options out there these days. Even though the research can be mixed, I think it's safe to say that most people are looking for skillets that are free of Teflon and PFOA.
Cancer.org says that "Teflon itself is not suspected of causing cancer." But the PFOA that is used when making Teflon, "has the potential to be a health concern because it can stay in the environment and in the human body for long periods of time."
I tried a GreenPan and loved it for about a year, but then it started chipping and sticking more and more, so I tossed it. Personally, I would choose a sticking, PFOA-free pan over any Teflon nonstick pan. But everyone is different.
But I just couldn't settle on an okay skillet. Even if it was a healthy, eco-friendly option. I wanted a skillet that rocked my world, was free of toxins, lasted forever and was a breeze to use.
Enter the Hestan Nanobond Skillet
I decided to search on Williams and Sonoma and C&B and investigate their most expensive skillet brands. Because, honestly, sometimes the expensive things are the best. Like with a Vitamix vs a $99 blender.
Hestan was definitely one of the most expensive. So I continued researching with it, and a few other brands in mind.
I spent a good few weeks reading articles, 'best of' lists, about skillets, chat forums and I even found this Hestan review by one of my blogging friends Jaden.
Some of the Hestan Nanobond Features:
- Safe, nonreactive surface that is 100% toxin free
- Molecular Titanium bonds thousands of titanium nano-layers to stainless steel, creating a brilliantly resilient cooking surface 4X harder than typical stainless-steel and resistant to scratching, staining and salt pitting
- Triple bonded stainless steel with exclusive ProCoreTM aluminum delivers 35% greater heat conductivity than other aluminum-clad cookware for quick and even heating
- Sealed rims are encapsulated in stainless steel to protect against delamination and pitting. No exposed aluminum
- Flared rims offer perfect drip free pouring
- Flush rivets for easy cleaning and stacking/nesting ability
- Oven and broiler safe; heat tolerant up to 1,050°F
- Handcrafted in Italy
Is Hestan Nanobond a Nonstick Skillet?
Nope. It has non-stick properties. But they don't call it non-stick. you still need to add oil or fat to allow for the non-stick-like cooking.
Food Tests: Nanobond Skillet
Important part of this Hestan Skillet Review, food tests! Here are a few so far...
French Toast: Sticky banana french toast can be tough on a skillet. But I started off by warming the skillet over medium heat. Then I add 1-2 teaspoon vegan butter and a drizzle of EVOO. Swirl the oil around and add the soaked bread. I allowed it to cook 2-3 minutes, then flip. That first flip is a dream. Browned edges and just a very few bits that stuck and browned on pan. Continue cooking until done. Once I removed the french toast there were a few bits that stuck from the coating, but nothing compared to my old skillets. And the pan cleans in seconds with a bit of warm water and a gentle scrub sponge.
Rice and Beans: Last night I added some leftover rice and beans to the skillet to warm up. The rice can get really sticky when I do this, and even though there was some sticking, the cooking was brilliant and clean up, again a breeze.
Veggies: Nothing to complain about here. EVOO, a bit of garlic, then some greens like kale and the cooking is fast and easy. Zero mess. The pan is so clean upon serving.
I'm excited to try some more recipes like tofu and tempeh - like my tofu skillet sandwich.
So, Is a Hestan Nanobond Worth the Money?
Hestan Skillet Review: I have never ever been impressed by a skillet. And I have tried many brands and even a few higher-end brands. and this skillet is just different. A few weeks in and I can't imagine ever going back to another skillet.
the first meal a prepared was vegan banana french toast. One of the stickiest foods out there! Every time I made it on my old skillet some piece would burn and stick and though it tasted great, it just was a bit of a pain to prepare.
The Hestan skillet performed beautifully. I added a bit of vegan butter and oil to the pan and the first flip felt like a non-stick skillet. there was a tiny bit of sticking with some of the surface bits, but the actual food was super easy to manuveur. flips happened with ease and clean up was so easy. One swipe of my Scrub Daddy and the pan was clean and looked like brand new.
I cannot wait to try more dishes on this skillet.
So YES! I actually can say with confidance that if you use your skillet as much as I do and have had trouble with tossing skillets way too often, this Hestan is so worth it. I cannot predict what it will be like in a year, but with a lifetime warranty and the superior use quality I have seen already, I have high hopes.
What skillet do you use? Do you love it? What other brands should I check out?
Check out Hestan Nanobond for yourself: Hestan
*this post is not sponsored
