Ozeri Green Earth Non-Stick 12″ Wok

We use dinner time here at my house to “travel the world” and eat foods that are inspired by many exotic ethnic dishes. One of the favorites, for Hubby at least, are our trips to “the Orient”, and thanks now to Ozeri, we have a new spin on our old classic with their fabulous Green Earth non-stick Wok.

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Ozeri’s smooth non-stick ceramic coating is is second to none, and where we’ve had issues within months with some of the larger company’s non-stick offering (Calphalon, I’m looking at you), we’re going on a year with some of our Ozeri Green Earth pans working like the day we got them. Wok cooking will also made a huge difference with our stir-fry dishes and got a nice sear on the veggies while leaving them crisp, and browned the meats very well while leaving them tender. And clean up was a cinch, I’m talking a rinse with hot water and this pan was nearly clean! The handle stayed cool even with medium-high heat, and there was enough real estate in the pan that I could feed us both of us with a single pan! Made from heavy die-cast aluminum, this pan is made to last and provide years of use. And Ozeri’s patented ceramic coating is 100% PTFE and PFOA free, so no harmful chemicals are going to be leaching into your food! And yes, for those of you wondering, it has a magnetized induction stove safe base.

If I had one thing that was a slight problem for me, it was storage. This is a big pan, bigger than the 12″ sizing would lead you to believe, and I had a hard time getting it in with my other pots and pans. It’s not heavy, it’s actually quite light for it’s size, it’s just so large I may need a shelf of it’s own. And because it’s Ozeri, you can be sure they only want 100% customer satisfaction and will go out of their way to get you there! If you enjoy cooking with an Asian flair, I can not recommend this pan highly enough! You simply must have one in you kitchen!

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Ozeri. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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Ozeri’s Green Earth Frying Pan 3-Piece Set

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I always have my cookware radar tuned for a decent set of non-stick pans because let’s face it, they just don’t last anymore and eating the non-stick coating is bad for your health. And I don’t care what anyone says, there’s always a place in my kitchen for a good non-stick pan because there are times you just want the ease, simplicity and convenience of warm, cook, wash and go. I was so looking forward to Ozeri’s Green Earth frying pan set, especially since I recently tested and loved their other Green Earth pan so much.

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But while there are definitely some areas where this set will shine, it fell pretty short of the mark I set for a must-buy pan set. For starters, the Greblon ceramic non-stick coating is slick and probably the most non-stick of any pan I’ve had, ever. But that is a double edged sword, in that while nothing stuck at all ever, it also would not brown or even remotely sear anything to save it’s life. And I know what you’re saying, you don’t buy non-stick to sear anything, but every non-stick pan I’ve had since the mid-90’s has allowed me to get a decent bit of browning on the meats I cooked in them, even the prior Ozeri Green Earth ceramic non-stick pan, but not any pan in this set. Even the Asian-inspired Fried Rice from Trader Joe’s would get a crispy crust on the bottom, but not in these pans. If I had to hazard a guess, the waffle-like texture on the pan’s surface might create air pockets while cooking that does enhance the non stick properties but also won’t allow any decent browning. So, things like scrambled eggs and pancakes might be dynamite in this pan, but browning meats will just not happen. The pan washed up like a dream and the heat-resistant silicone handles on these pans are oven safe to 350 degrees and make handling even the hottest pan no problem. The slippery non-stick coating is 100% PTFE, PFOA and APEO free, which means no heavy metals or chemicals were used to manufacture it, which means it’s a healthier alternative to older generations of non-stick pans. The pan is light thanks to cast aluminum construction, and while it heats quickly and evenly, the heat does quickly dissipate. You get a 12″, 10″, and 8″ size pan in this set,so there’s a size there to accommodate any size household.

There are some real nice features to these pans and I can totally see them being indispensable for certain cooking styles and certain kitchens, but unfortunately mine just isn’t one of them. It’s pretty rare when an Ozeri product is a miss like this for me, but I’ll grade them on the curve and say that while it doesn’t work for me, it might work better for others, and as always, you just can’t beat Ozeri’s dedication to customer service. They stand behind their products 100% and customer satisfaction is their number 1 priority, so I encourage you to give these pans a try and see if they work for you!Let’s not forget the included “value added” green felt pan cozies, which make storage simple and easy allowing you to “nest” you pans without any feat of damaging the ceramic non-stick surface!

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Get in touch with Ozeri’s family of products:

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Ozeri. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Ozeri Green Earth 10″ Ceramic-Coated Non-Stick Frying Pan

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I cook every day. Sometimes twice a day. So I need tools that will keep up with me, and not give up the ghost in a few weeks time, but stick around for the long haul. It’s not easy finding products that meet these metrics, but so far, this Ozeri Green Earth ceramic-coated frying pan is up to the task.

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Some people will try to convince you that there’s no place for a non-stick pan in a serious kitchen. Well, I take my kitchen very seriously and there’s always a place for a good non-stick pan. From quick scrambled eggs, to a bag of asian-style fried rice, to some frozen veggies stir-fry style, the times you want a quick, good, home cooked meal but don’t want the hassle of stainless steel or anodized aluminum and the cleanup involved. Ozeri has utilized an “ultra-safe ceramic coating inspired by nature which is 100% PTFE and PFOA free”. So it should be a “healthier” alternative to traditional non-stick pans and the fumes they can release. But it has the same drawbacks as traditional non-stick, in that searing (and really, all really high heat cooking) is just not possible, because it will break down the non-stick coating quickly. It does still brown very nicely without drying out the food, and glazes with a high sugar content didn’t burn at all. And preheating the pan is a no-no. Which, depending on your preferences is a plus or a minus. And no metal tools either. But, if you’re like me you have a drawer full of plastic and wood kitchen tools so that’s not a big problem. And the coating on the Ozeri Green Earth pan stands up to those plastic and wood tools just fine. The base of the pan is even magnetized for induction cooking ranges too! The Bakelite handle feels flimsy and has some give in it, and even though Ozeri boasts heat-resistance for it, though I can’t readily find what temperature it’s safe to, so I’d not use it in the oven out of an abundance of caution.

So far, after 2 weeks of nearly every day use this pan has held up to all the meals and concoctions I’ve thrown at it. Nothing has stuck, or even given a hint that it will. All it needed was a light coating of peanut oil before the first use, and a teaspoon of so of oil when cooking for browning or flavor. It cleans up quickly, with no residue or scrubbing at all. Did I mention the Ozeri Pan Protector included at no additional cost? Yeah, that’s just awesome. So stacking any future additions to my Ozeri Ceramic pans will be a breeze! And it’s competitively priced with competitors, all backed by Ozeri’s stellar customer service. I can see no reason to not add this Ozeri Green Earth Ceramic Coated Non-stick Fry Pan to you kitchen.

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Get in touch with Ozeri’s family of products:

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Ozeri. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

 

Sunsella 100% Stainless Steel Collapsible Steamer Basket

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There are things you take for granted you have in your kitchen and then when it fails you, are at a loss where to go to get a quality replacement. A rolling pin. A dough scraper. Cookie sheets. You know the brands, and the big box stores that sell them, but which one is good? Which one will last you? Which one won’t fail? Well, when my collapsible steamer went kaput, I’d had it for so long I didn’t know where to start. And like a knight in stainless steel shining armor, in rode Sunsella’s Stainless Steel Collapsible Vegetable Steamer. And let me tell you, it does so much more than steam vegetables.

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See, these steamers are a staple in almost every kitchen, regardless of the background of the cook. It’s been used in this house to steam homemade tamales, to steam Asian-style pork buns and potstickers, to of course to steam veggies. It has a smooth action to open and close, a handy ring on the center post for easy grabbing, and little feet that are long enough to be able to put a good amount of water in your pot to keep the steam flowing. Have something big to steam? Just unscrew the center post and voilà, you’ve got all that real estate in your pot to fill. It takes up virtually no space in the cabinet but is absolutely indispensable in any kitchen. And the 100% stainless steel means it cleans like a dream and will last you for years and years. And while it says it’s dishwasher safe, I recommend cleaning by hand and air drying, as the harsh detergents in the dishwasher might cause it to tarnish and rust over time. I want my tools to last, and while my last steamer was over 2 decades old, I wanted him to last longer. And this Sunsella 100% Stainless Steel Vegetable Steamer might be there when I’m ready for Social Security. 

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The one drawback I find myself hitting over and over and over lately is price. At $13.99 (at the time of this writing), this steamer is, in some cases, almost 50% more than others on Amazon with the same features and materials. I had to go to Williams Sonoma to find one with a comparable price, and we all know how “out there” Williams Sonoma is with prices. Most were around $8 or $9. I just don’t know how to justify the markup here, and I feel it’s an awesome product. I don’t know, but I know I wouldn’t pay that kind of markup for a product. I liked it, I just don’t know if I liked it 50% more than the rest.

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I received the above product(s) free of charge from Sunsella.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

 

Hudson Essentials Premium XL Stainless Steel Chainmail Scrubber

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Nothing beats cooking with cast iron. The even heating, the high temps, the bullet-proof nature of the iron, the flavors the sear produces…I could go on and on. If I were forced to pick something about it that I didn’t absolutely love, it’s cleaning it up. Nothing beats a burger from a cast iron grill pan. Until it dribbles fat and cheese that sizzles to a faretheewell and good luck getting off without a blowtorch or some horribly caustic acid. And that’s where Hudson’s Premium Xl Cast Iron Cleaning Chainmail Scrubber comes in.

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See, one thing about cast iron is it needs to be seasoned to be “bulletproof” cookware. Seasoning involves coating the pan, pot or dutch oven with a high-heat fat (I use lard), and baking in an over for about an hour. After that, the use of soaps or acids to clean tend to strip away the seasoning and flavors that build up on good cast iron. So, in order to clean it off completely you’re constantly starting over from square one. Unless you a have a good, large bit of chainmail around to scrub with. Think of it as a big, flat stainless steel sponge that never goes bad, falls apart, or gets covered in germs. And because it’s 316L food-grade stainless steel, it won’t rust. At 9″x 9″, it’s 40% larger than the standard 7″ x 7″, and covers the cook base of most standard 10″ pans perfectly.

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The things I did not love about this was that I tend to use a grill pan more often than my cast iron skillet. A grill pan has a raised grill, with narrow channels to carry away fats as you cook. The narrow channels are just narrow enough that the small stainless rings that make up the chain mail don’t quite fit in the channels, which means the pan I’d need it for the most doesn’t play nice with the Hudson Premium XL Chainmail Scrubber. Bummer. That’s a problem exclusive to folks like me who have a Lodge brand 12″ grill pan. All my other cast iron pieces clean up like a dream. The other is the size. It’s not a true 9″ x 9″, more like 8″ x 7″ at best. And since I don’t have a lot of experience with chain mail cleaners, I don’t know how accurate their explanation for the short measurement is. The upside is, it’s a one time cost, so no chemicals to buy, no fancy cleaners, no sponges or brushes. And Hudson guarantees it for the life of the product. So you need to decide if this is for you, but I’m a fan.

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Connect with Hudson Essentials:

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Hudson Essentials.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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