TECHEF - Art Pan 12" Wok/Stir-Fry Pan, Coated 5 times with Teflon Select Non-Stick Coating (PFOA Free) - Made in Korea

Let me start with this - we've been using this exact model wok for the last 8+ years. My wife cooks with it constantly and it is getting very high usage and usually more than once daily. It's very well made - very high quality, looks amazing, very well balanced, having just the right weight and great heat distribution. While it's a "wok", we use it for more than just stir-fry, but pretty much for everything you can cook in a pan. The coating is great (so no rust) and you can cook with very little oil, and it doesn't stick at all. It has convenient markings on the bottom for how much oil to use so you don't have to use measurement spoon. One thing I would like to mention: don't use any metal utensils while cooking, use wooden or silicon ones. If it happens some particles to stick (due to using it dry, without or with too little oil) don't scrub it with metal, ever. Just soak it in hot water with a little bit of soap and clean it up and it'll be like new. You would ask - if it's so great, why you have bought it 4 times. Well, the truth is that one wok usually last more than 3 years, but ... my wife occasionally cooks with little to no oil (trying to be healthy) and when she needs it for another use, she's impatient to clean it gently. So, there it is. The last one is still in the box, waiting for us to retire the previous one, but it's going still strong, cooking well, and I don't have the heart to throw it away, while there is still mileage in it.

I've only used the pan twice, so this review is subject to change at a later date. So far, I like the pan enough to give it 5 stars. The quality seems very good. Exterior finish has no flaws, and the non-stick coating avoids getting gummed up by my standard stir fry marinade (soy, sherry, cornstarch), which is a problem when I try to stir fry in my other non-stick pans. It is light for its size and thickness. Combined with the slope of the sides, it makes it very easy to flip the contents while cooking (something I'm not particularly practiced at). It seems to work a bit differently than other pans I've stir fried with. Prior to this, I've been using a large, thin non-stick pan with the rear portion of the pan set over high heat to create a hot zone to move the food through. With this pan, despite the thickness of the base, it heats fairly quickly and seems to retain a fairly high heat level on the bottom surface. However, the sides stay cooler, almost like you were using a wok ring, so I just centered the pan over the burner. The first thing I made was beef with broccoli, and in the process figuring out how best to use the pan. I ended up putting it over medium high heat on the largest burner, and it did a nice job. Again, no sticking of the marinade/cornstarch, and it reheated quickly between batches (it is smaller than a full size wok). Holding my hand over the center of the pan, I was surprised by the intensity of the heat. The second did was to brown chicken wings with garlic and ginger for a curried chicken and potatoes dish. It did a great job here, browning the wings without burning the garlic and ginger. This is also when I found out how well tossing food works with this pan. This ability meant I didn't have to actually stir the wings, which has a tendency to tear the skin. The proof will be how well the non-stick coating holds up. The other non-stick pans I've stir fried with have all had their coatings break down eventually, and most of them were more expensive than this. If this one lasts a while, I'll stay with 5 stars.

(EDIT: 3 years later, and this pan is still our favorite. After weekly use, it's still holding up just fine -- it almost looks like the day it arrived! Impossible to beat products like this which are well designed and use sturdy, long-lasting materials. We wish everything in life was made even *half* this good. An easy 50-star winner, if we could give that many. Get one or two -- you'll have no regrets! Original review below.) Replacing a favorite, ancient, sturdy wok with today's selection of pans is not easy, which makes successfully filling that simple need a long shot. I'm not prone to raving about cookware, but I'm so happy I fell over this one when doing what seemed like endless research and finding only a parade of seemingly shoddy goods. Frankly, I had no idea how lucky my buying decision for this pan was going to work out: There is no conceivable way I could be any happier with this purchase than I already am. If I could give this pan 20 stars, I'd do it in a flash and never think twice. Specifics? Sure, glad to. First, the pan is heavy-gauge -- sturdy without being an anvil to heft. The coating is a breeze on cooking and on clean-up. (There's even a couple helpful "target" circles in the bottom to help estimate oil additions.) I now use quite a bit less oil and to no detriment or challenge whatever -- a nice bonus. The handle has a good feel to it, neither too mushy and rubbery nor too inflexible in the grip -- just right. A further surprise for me? I had no idea the pan would be such a good looker! (I didn't pick up on the color from the photo in the listing -- my monitor's old.) It comes in a color I imagine might be described as Metallic Plum Haze or some such creation by the marketing gurus. The thing's gorgeous, a real stunner -- and I'm not exaggerating. (Pardon -- I'm not used to raving about cookware!) Having used it for a dozen meals, I'm tempted to get another one, as a hedge on the price, once the manufacturers figure out what a gem they have on their hands and double the price. So, there you have it: Sturdy utility... even heating... super-easy to cook in and clean up after... incredibly good looks... and an astonishingly fine value. Seriously: This is pan perfection. BTW: You're going to want to get the "TeChef - Tempered Glass Lid, 12-Inch" that fits this beauty. It's worth every penny -- wait until you see the small wonder of a help the lid provides, too. (It's "only" a lid, yes -- but one that stands up out of the way, and eliminates the usual lid-juggling act that cooking with minimal counter space makes necessary. Ingenious!) Buy at least one, with that great lid, and settle in for some joy in your cooking!

I've had this pan for about 2 months now and I've cooked used it for quintessentially Asian (specifically, Chinese) cooking: steamed fish or chicken, fried rice or other stir-fry, quick braises. I'm very happy with the pan and echo what the other reviewers have written: excellent non-stick surface (though time will have to tell as to its durability...) for easy cooking and cleaning, high walls of the pan contains any possible messes, the pan is overall well made and feels very sturdy, little oil size graphic is handy, the pan heats up reasonably quickly for its size, and despite having a flat bottom, the angle between the bottom and the sides navigates very smoothly. I took off a star because upon cooling, the pan makes cracking sounds until the metal presumably sets or something; these cracking sounds are slightly disconcerting and I wonder if it will affect the integrity of the metal or the Teflon surface in the long run. I'm careful not to shock my pan in any way, but the cracking sounds happen very easily: if I am steaming something with some water and take off the lid (which releases the steam), there are cracking sounds. While I pour out my hot water, the pan makes some cracking sounds as water leaves the pan. The first time I used the pan, the cracking sounds persisted for 20 minutes (at infrequent and random intervals) after I had washed the pan using warm water, I guess as it was cooling down to room temperature. Since then, the sounds are definitely much shorter (here and there), but still exist. Notwithstanding the above paragraph, from a design perspective, I think the addition of a helper handle would make this pan outstanding; with the hefty lid and filled with food, this pan gets reasonably heavy. Overall, I'm very pleased with it for my large non-stick cooking needs - hopefully it will last!

This is well made wok/pan. Unfortunately, after 2.5 years, I noticed color of the pan was getting lighter and it became more sticky with food lately. I knew it came with lifetime warranty so contacted the company, and found I had to pay shipping for replacement which is 20 dollars. I knew I wouldn't get warranty service like all-clad did, but also did not expect to pay 20 dollars for shipping. I am sure the company won't pay 20 dollars for shipping and handling so they charge more to customer. Considering the price of this pan, I don't think it's worth to deal with warranty claim and pay 20 dollars for replacement. It's good wok/pan, and will last a few years, but it's not really come with lifetime warranty like All-clad.

This pan is awesome! I really didn’t think that it could possibly be as great as it claims to be on its site, but then my aunt bought one, and she absolutely loved it. I still wasn’t convinced, as she can be easily persuaded into just about anything. Then she got one for my cousin, and she kept on about how awesome her TeChef Art Pan was, and that it was not only making cooking easier, but was also making the food healthier for her and her family, and that she could really tell a difference. My cousin is an absolute health nut, so I figured I would give it a try after hearing her rave on and on about it, and I decided to get one for myself. I was still kind of hesitant at first, but I’m so glad I finally gave in and got one for myself! This is the coolest frying pan EVER. Not only is it a unique color that you never see on a pan—purple, but it also has a unique design that really does make it cook evenly throughout the whole pan! I used to get so frustrated when I would burn the middle of a pancake, or eggs, and the outside STILL wouldn’t be finished cooking. But not anymore. The awesome pattern on the frying pan helps me cook better (and now I can cook healthier foods for my family) because it gives me the ability to cook with just the right amount of oil every time I cook. It has a FIVE layer teflon non-stick coatings, but it is completely PFOA free. It’s super easy to clean, and it is kid’s-drumset sturdy! It is one of the best cooking products I have come along in a long time, and I plan on looking into getting more products from TECHEF soon. If all of their products are this amazing, I’ll have to steadily switch over to all TECHEF cookware/cooking products. I can’t wait to try new ways to cook with this thing! I do wish that maybe it came in other colors. If it came in other colors, it would be an even better gift for my family and friends who like to cook, but I still plan on getting several to give to my mom, my sisters, and a few of my friends. I’m super excited about this cooking revolution, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys cooking. Enjoy!

I have owned this pan for a few weeks now and have used it regularly. So far, I am enjoying this pan a lot. The non-stick surface has been working beautifully (even foods with cheese glide right out) and clean up has been easy. The pan is fairly lightweight for its size, but the heat distribution is nice and even. The oil measurement mark is useful. The design of this pan is between a wok and a frying pan. It's not as deep and has a wider base than a true wok. This pan can definitely be used as a wok/stir fry pan, BUT the directions caution against using the pan with high heat. So if you want to stir fry over high heat, this is NOT the pan for you. The high sides and greater depth than a frying pan mean less oil spatters out. The tradeoff is that the flat area on the bottom is a little small, so, for example, you can only brown a few pieces of chicken at a time. I like to use this pan for dishes that start by browning or searing meat and then finish by braising or cooking the meat with a sauce. Using this pan on medium or slightly above medium high heat you can get a nice brown color on your chicken or meat, and because of the non-stick surface the pan deglazes perfectly - nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. I even made a small batch of chili in it last night...being able to brown the meat, drain, and then just dump the other ingredients into the same pan saves on cleanup. I didn't buy a lid, but the glass lid from my previous 12" fry pan fits fine. The directions say that the pan is oven safe to 350 F, but I have not used it in the oven yet. That's a fairly low oven temperature limit, due to the fact that the handle is plastic. It should good for dishes that just need to be finished in the oven, but obviously you can't do high temperature browning or broiling in this pan. The handle stays cool while cooking. Since the pan is big, a helper handle would have been nice - it's pretty heavy when full. However, the handle is long enough that there is enough room to use both hands to carry the pan if needed. I did notice the pinging noise that others have mentioned; so far I have only heard it once when the pan had nearly finished cooling off. It is strange to hear the pan making that sound, but it doesn't seem to hurt anything. It stopped when the pan cooled a little more. TeChef's other pans are available in several colors. However, this pan is only available in the eggplant color. It is a pretty purplish shade, but I would have preferred the option to get it in black to match my other cookware. Hopefully TeChef will make this pan available in more colors in the future. So far I have not seen any scratches or damage, not even fine scratches. As recommended in the directions, I use plastic or silicone utensils and hand wash with a cloth or a non-stick safe sponge. Only time will tell whether the non-stick surface holds up long-term. Update 12/2/2015: I am still very happy with the pan and it is holding up perfectly so far. I've used it in the oven several times at 350 degrees and it worked fine. (Obviously, the handle gets hot if you put the pan in the oven.)

I got it a few days ago only used this wok pan once for the first time and I am giving it five stars right off the bat. The design and features on this pan are excellent. I like that they even put a little design in the middle of the pan showing you the amount of oil to use. This wok pan is attractive and it was very well thought out. the pan has some nice weight to it well-balanced. I love this pan so much I decided to order the 11 inch Fryingpan. The 11 inch Frying pan is also excellent performed well with eggs I even compared it to the other pan I have and it did great. I am in the process of ordering the 8 inch frying pan, 12 inch frying pan, omelette pan and all the lids that go to all the pans. When you know you got something that's built solid, attractive and reliable you go for the rest and I believe the price is set right under $170 for 5 top notch pans and 4 uniquely designed lids. These pans are one of the best pans I have used yet. I have tried a few sets of nonstick pans and none were as solid or work as well as the Techef right out the box. My only complaint is that they don't have pots to go with the pans. Techef can you work on that please. Update 10/29/16: The pan is still performing like new. I did buy the other pans and they are all doing well. If you put it in the oven do not bake over 350deg the metal can handle it but the handle can't. Important note and info: This item does not contain the possible cancer causing PFOA in which the teflon brand had. Dupont no longer uses PFOA in the teflon brand.