Review on T Fal Nonstick Cookware Thermo Spot Indicator by Sam Lee

This is an honest review from a professional chef who used this product almost every day in his home kitchen for a full year. I was not paid to write this review and I have not received any compensation for my efforts. First observations: I bought this pan on January 2, 2015 for home use. I never use small pans, so the 12.5" pan was an easy choice. . I was initially intrigued by the fact that the bottom of the pan was convex and doubted the pan would distribute oil/brown/frying oil evenly. The sides of the pan appeared to slope high enough to be able to sear it without using a spatula/turner (i.e. using your wrist to move the food around the pan). The handle was comfortable to hold and the rivets felt solid. The pan's overall weight and balance doesn't feel uncomfortable. Use and Abuse: Despite my doubts about the bulbous bottom, the pan browns more evenly than any pan I've ever used. The pan's ability to boil eggs is superior to any pan I've ever used. When multitasking, I can fry without utensils. The pan can withstand high temperatures, does not deform and is easy to clean. I don't let the pan cool completely before rinsing it directly under water. I do NOT use metal utensils in this pan. Minor scratches have accumulated. After 1 year, the surface is slightly less non-stick. Use with metal utensils is not recommended under any circumstances. Whether the coating will be removed during cooking or during non-abrasive washing has yet to be determined. I really hope so. The rivets are not flush with the pallet. Food debris will collect around the rivets if not properly cleaned. The handle design shows no signs of wear. The rivets are securely fastened to the pallet. The pan's ability to heat up and cool down quickly is excellent. T-Fal claims that: 1. The unique T-Fal Thermo-Spot heat indicator shows when the pan is ideally heated for cooking. [RIGHT] 2. Prometal Pro's non-stick inner surface is exceptionally durable and scratch-resistant. [WRONG]3. Safe to use with metal utensils. [FALSE]4. Stainless steel disc for even heat distribution. [TRUE] 5. Deformation protection. [TRUE] 6. Dishwasher safe. {TRUE]7. Oven safe up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. [TRUE] 8. Safe for all cooking methods including induction. [TRUE] In my professional opinion, using a metal lathe/trowel is not recommended. The two main claims that T-Fal makes (ie that the finish is durable/scratch resistant and safe for use with metal utensils) are false. While I enjoy using this pan at home, I don't consider this product to be of "professional" quality. An alternative coating completely eliminates this problem and does not significantly increase production costs: https://www.google.com/patents./US20100276432. In short, I only recommend this product for home use. My 4 star rating is extremely generous given that advanced materials and nanotechnology are not used to produce a superior consumer product.