So one of my other passions; aside from Horror movies, Books, Music, Whiskey, the STL Blues and STL City is cooking. Anyone who follows me, on the dumpster fire now known as only X, knows my wife says cooking is my Love Language.
We all know I’m incredibly awkward socially. I have found having people over that I can cook a meal for, is the only way I can socialize outside the house. I do this because I can hide in the kitchen or mix drinks in my bar, until I can shove food in my face and avoid conversation. I have this down to a science. I love to entertain.
I have seen HexClad advertised on my X feed (i hate calling it that, sounds like I’m on a porn thread). As well as from posts from other people and chefs who use them. Most notably @the_dadchef posts, but i have also enjoyed the adds with Gordon Ramsey saying these are the Rolls Royce of pans. Who knows if he actually uses the but I’m intrigued. Needless to say, I have been drooling over these for a bit.
Ok truth bomb here, I just turned 40 this month. For my birthday my Mom decided she was going to get me the 10 in HexClad pan to celebrate my milestone. I couldn’t have been more excited. I read the instructions and even watched videos about how to care for these pans before I used it. I seasoned it and everything.
As I’m getting older, I start to appreciate paying a little more for quality and most importantly, a “Lifetime Warranty”. Never having to buy pans again is a huge selling point for me because I have had to replace pans and it isn’t cheap.
When I got this pan I wasn’t expecting it so my first meal wasn’t what I would have chosen. Hello, it was a birthday present. I buy groceries and plan for the week so I only shop once. The first meal I made in the HexClad was what we call Italian Chicken and Noodles. My Sister-in-law calls it Chicken Delicious.
It’s a simple recipe I originally got from a Body for Life book that I fattened up. D basically made it not healthy. Cube chicken, cook in a tablespoon of olive oil with Pepper, Garlic Salt, and Italian Seasoning. I make my own mix of spices. Once the chicken is cooked I add Chardonnay and grated Parmesan. Cook Wide egg noodles per instructions. When they are finished melt butter and add Parmesan and garlic salt to the melted butter. Mix with the noodles, Italian bread crumbs, and the chicken. It’s a crowd pleaser.
So I wanted to test this pan out. I decided for my actual birthday dinner I was going to make steaks and potatoes. To be honest, I have never made a steak on the stove. I always do steaks on the grill because I pride myself on those skills too. I know my way around a smoker/grill. I found this recipe doing a Google search and figured I’d try it. Check it out for yourself here. It was ok, but I wasn’t expecting how Smokey the house was going to get and I wish there was more flavor to the steaks. Still, it was fun to give this a shot for the first time.
This didn’t turn out the way I hoped. The steaks were slightly over done, and as I mentioned they were lacking in flavor even with the herb garlic butter. Potatoes were the same, kind of flavorless. I will admit this was not something I had done before so you might have better luck with this recipe. I will say though, this meal definitely broke in my new pan.
I’m so glad these pans can take a beating. This was a clean up and it took a scrub or two to get this back to almost like new condition. Nothing stuck though so the Non-Stick aspect was great.
I have been working on this review for awhile and I try to cook anything I can in this pan. The 10in is a little too small for most of what I cook for a family of 4, but it is still worth trying out. Last week I made Rice-A-Roni Mexican rice. It was the best rice I have ever made. Something about this pan cause the perfect balance of firm and flavorful rice I have ever had. I have tired a lot of pans for Rice-A-Roni due to sticking and this was the best.
I have also made scrambled eggs which stuck a little even with some butter in the pan. However I just posted about a breakfast scramble I made with hashbrowns, Bacon, Green Onion, Eggs and cheese that turned out amazing. I was very impressed.
Bottom line, I’m hooked!!! I want a 12in pan so bad so I can cook everything else I make in it. I also want to replace all my cookware with HexClad eventually. These are must have for me, and I cannot champion these enough. This post is in no way sponsored by HexClad but I would happily advertise for these because it is 100% worth the cost.
Check it out for yourself, and please share what you would cook in these. I’m always looking for new recipes and new challenges. This was so much fun to write about. Be prepared for more from the kitchen behind the Bar.
*** UPDATE Sept 5, 2023****
The one aspect I worried about, which I mentioned in this post, was eggs. I’ve had issues with scrambled and omelettes. Setting up an account on HexClad.com I got an email about a Facebook group for HexClad.
Searching Eggs, I found so many posts. So many people have had this issue and so many people have found the right way to cook eggs.
With my new found knowledge, I couldn’t wait to try an omelette. If an egg dish was going to stick, I’d have to be an omelette that sits for awhile.
The key is Medium-Low to Low heat, letting the pan heat up fully, and Butter (or oils). I’ve heard great things about Avocado oil, but I’m a butter man. The only thing Paula Dean and I agree on is “Fat Equals Flavor”. It’s true, I want to be healthier but it’s true.
This morning I made an omelette. The eggs just had minced onion, salt and Pepper. I let it cook slowly and everything moved great except the middle.
I was able to flip it like a giant pancake and then add Mexican Co-Jack cheese and Bacon bits. Not only did it not stick once I freed the middle, but it cooked evenly.
This was the fluffiest omelette I’ve had. The flavor was beyond expectations. I can’t thank the Facebook HexClad group enough. The tips I got made me return to work, Monday on a Tuesday” start deliciously.
There was hardly anything stuck to the pan this time. Also, yes, I got the pan almost out of the box clean after the steak debacle.
This was the best Omelette I’ve ever had and made me love this pan even more. Yes this took more research with a trusted source, but it was well worth the research.
If I can fit a dinner in a 10in HexClad Skillet, I’m cooking everything in it.
Our friend who comes over ever Thursday night noticed when I made Mexican Rice-a-Roni, it was so much better made in the HexClad.
This pan is my dream cookware and I want to replace everything in my kitchen with HexClad. This is the best pan I’ve ever had.
Brunner's Bar 
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