Some years ago I was given a gift card for a store that I dislike. They
have a website online and I finally decided to order something there since I
really don't like going in the store. I don't know what it is about it but
it makes me feel generally uneasy. I think it is the lighting or something.
It seems too dimly lit and dingy in there. And I get annoyed when I see
their high prices for things that I can get for much less elsewhere.

This store had a Circulon very large sauté pan on clearance. I can't
remember the price now but I think it was around $70. I wouldn't normally
pay that much for a pan but I just wanted to use up the gift certificate. I
think it might be a non-stick pan although it isn't a Teflon type coating.

Turns out that it was my favorite pan ever! Was. Then something happened
to it. I'm not sure when it happened. Used to be that I could cook
anything and everything in it and it was fine. Then all of a sudden, eggs
would weld themselves to the pan. And now really anything and everything I
cook is sticking. And very badly. I just did some chicken in the pan.
Also did a couple of pieces in the new Orgreenic pan which is really too
small to do more than one whole breast.

The Orgreenic pan seemed to get a lot hotter a lot quicker. It came out
perfectly. The chicken in my Circulon pan not only stuck very badly but
burned. I used a garlic and herb marinade on it.

The problem now is that I feel that the pan is not coming fully clean when
try to clean it. I have had to resort to using a wire brush which I am sure
has probably destroyed whatever of the non-stick coating was there. I keep
scrubbing and scrubbing and black bits keep coming off. I am pretty sure
that the black bits are stuck on food. I can't get the surface to get
smooth like it one was.

So where did I go wrong? I don't think I ever used a high heat on the pan.
The highest I usually use with this pan is 7 on an electric stove. Now it
is possible that someone else in the house did something to the pan. Not
likely since they rarely ever cook. I just can't think of an incident that
I had that would have caused this.

I intend to get a similar pan when I get enough money saved up. I am sure
they don't make this pan any more since it is so old and it was a clearance
item. I just don't want to make the same mistake with the new pan. Thanks!