Caraway Nonstick Ceramic Sauté Pan with Lid - 4.5 Quart, 11.8 Inch Oven Safe Cookware - PTFE & PFOA Free Non-Toxic Frying Pan - Works on Gas, Electric & Induction Stovetops - Cream Color - Perfect for Sautéing, Frying & Baking Healthy Meals

First impression of the Caraway packaging: Impressive. Above and beyond. Yet, one has to wonder right off the bat how much the PAN is actually worth and how much you’re paying for the presentation and extra “stuff.”Impression of paint finish and coating: Poor. Right out of the box, my sauté pan had dings/missing “ceramic coating” inside of the pan, around the rim, and on the underside (food facing side) of the lid. Given this is a brand new pan, this is quite concerning. Even if small, you can tell the coating is very thin and unevenly sprayed. Food will already be exposed to what lies beneath…and even if the lid isn’t touching food, steam/condensation can drip from the exposed part onto food.Then there is the top of the lid. Oy. Smears, smears, smears. Washed it numerous times in numerous ways and used different towels to dry. So many smears. Very unsightly. And to be honest, I’d rather see my food, so would prefer a glass with silicone edge lid like DaTerra makes.Before automatically returning, I did sauté some ground hamburger for the pups just to test it out to see if I’d even want to try buying another. I wanted to know how I felt about that thin ceramic coating after heating, cooking, and washing. Collectively, between the paint job on the outside and the coating on the inside, it just seems like a very delicate/poor quality pan even though it is very “pretty” from afar.When I first looked at the interior of the Caraway pan, it reminded me a lot of my TeChef grill pan. I have included a photo to show you them side by side. TeChef is substantially cheaper and has the same non toxic claims. And to be honest, the coating on the TeChef is a higher quality than the one that came on the Caraway. Evenly coated, no dings or black speckling. Washes nicely also.I’ve had the DaTerra Cucina Vesuvio ceramic coated fry pan (not pictured, but you can search for it and see what it looks like) for three years. That pan also had a superior coating to this Caraway pan, in my opinion. Additionally, the paint on the Vesuvio exterior was very durable. However, just like most reviews state, these types of coatings are all amazing at the very beginning and then begin to wear and weaken with use quite quickly. I was able to do the detergent/baking soda cleansing trick frequently to remove any carbonization, but it’s now at the point where the coating is wearing too much around the rim and in the pan itself, so I began to look for replacements. I had a frustrating exchange with DaTerra’s customer service team. I simply asked for a good condition used pan since I already had the lid and didn’t need a full set again. They immediately started in with defensive questions like “have you used metal utensils, put in the dishwasher, etc. etc.” and I was like, why is this necessary? I’m simply telling them it’s not in a condition I’m comfortable with anymore and would like to buy a replacement. Not trying to get a free pan or tell them their pan was crap! I was, again, trying to buy another, but without the lid since it was unnecessary. Anyway, they decided after looking at the pictures that mine was fine and I didn’t need another pan. Well, strike one for them, but then strike two came when I actually bought another DaTerra Vesuvio set on Amazon that was slightly discounted due to having non-original packaging. Well, when that one arrived, there was a clear ding on the inside of the pan itself exposing the aluminum, so back it went. I decided I don’t want to proceed with another Vesuvio after all.Regarding TeChef, I was a little skeptical getting another pan due to some people receiving ceramic coated pans that claimed to have Teflon. TeChef claimed it was a typo, and in their defense they do indeed have a Teflon line, so labels can get messed up, but it just shows how all of us, truly, are simply taking their word that these coatings are “non toxic” and don’t contain PFOAs, PTFE, lead, cadmium, etc. etc. No one is actually proving these things (from any company) or proving that their surface is indeed completely safe and non toxic. So, since it looks basically like the Caraway, I’d say it probably was a misprint and doesn’t contain the Teflon. Their Teflon coated pans are dark inside. Now, I have the decision to make of returning the Caraway and buying a TeChef fry pan or try another, more expensive and delicate Caraway - simply due to the looks and this thing sitting on my stove daily. Truly, that’s the main difference - well, that and the significant weight of this pan. Otherwise, I believe DaTerra, TeChef, and Caraway all perform very similarly when cooking. Eventually the coating will wear, things will stick, etc.UPDATE: I returned the dinged Caraway sauté pan and the dinged skillet and replaced both with a #10 Field cast iron skillet along with a leather handle cover and I’m in love with the thing! Now THIS will last forever. Unlike coated pans.I got this as a gift for my wife. I was so excited when it came because it was beautiful and clearly well made. Probably the best pan I had ever bought. As it turns out, it just wasn’t my wife’s flavor. I was terribly sad, I had tons of Gordon Ramsey like dishes to make in it. I had to return them, and we paid like $8 for the whole lot. Super fair!! I’ve actually considered re-ordering it for me to make all those yummy dishes I dream about, except that I can’t cook any of them. Highly recaommend!I love this pan. It's bird safe at low to medium temperatures and so easy to clean. It's expensive, so I use it carefully, but it's worth the $. Think about it...if your cookware can kill a bird in one use, is it really safe for humans or other animals?We got the pan for food-safety and practical reasons. Our old non-stick pans were beginning to deteriorate. The thing is great. Be aware you should use lower heat settings. The lid is problematic. You could easily burn the back of your fingers.Beautiful, makes for easy cooking with little risk of burning and easy clean up. We have the navy blue and honestly it looks terrific. The pan heats quickly and distributes heat evenly. We love this pan so much that we tossed out our other similar pans. Be sure to let the pan cool completely before you clean it. If there is build up, add hot soapy water and wait five minutes for everything to wash off. Don't use metal cooking tools. Invest in rubber or plastic spatula and spoon.This skillet can be the only pot you need. It is big enough for a casserole and then you can fry a couple eggs for breakfast. You can wipe it clean with a sponge and cook something else. I love it! I cook a lot and have never had a better skillet.Best cooking pan everA little pricey but worth itThis has made cooking and cleaning so easy. My husband has started cooking quite a bit and loves using this pan. The weight is great, love the available colors, the look of it, love everything about it, and the cleaning, so easy! Its been in the oven a few times, no warping.