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I’ve been cooking professionally for over 20 years, so needless to say, I’ve got a lot of feelings about cookware. I’m rather set in my ways: I cook most things in my trusty cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Plus, I have a number of saucepans and stockpots for boiling, a large non-stick pan for stir fry and some smaller frying pans for eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches.
When “hero pans” began blowing up on Instagram a few years back, I viewed them with extreme skepticism. There are plenty of pans that serve many functions, but can a single trendy pan really replace most of the cookware in my kitchen? When I got the chance to try the new Hero Pan from the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore kitchen collection, I jumped at the chance to see if this wonder pan truly lives up to the hype.
What is the Beautiful Hero Pan?
The Beautiful Hero Pan is designed to be a hero in your kitchen, a go-to pan to reach for no matter what you’re cooking. With a flat bottom and high sides, this 4-quart ceramic non-stick pan looks like the lovechild of a saucepan and a skillet. Its depth lets you boil, braise, poach and—thanks to the included steamer basket—steam foods to perfection. With its ample surface area, you can sear, sauté, pan fry, stir fry and simmer pan sauces. It’s also fully (and practically miraculously) non-stick, making it ideal for cooking eggs, crêpes and fish.
A snug-fitting lid traps heat inside, and two pour spouts help remove excess grease, strain liquids or service saucy foods directly from the pan. And speaking of serving, this pan is absolutely gorgeous! Bring this pan straight from the stove to the serving table with its lightweight construction and long stay-cool handle. Best of all, it’s easy to clean! With its extra-slippery non-stick coating, it takes little more than a quick sponging with soapy water to clean up. And if you’re feeling extra lazy after cooking (we’ve all been there!), it’s dishwasher-safe too.
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Hero Pan Features
My pan has a glossy White Icing finish, but it’s also available in equally beautiful shades of Cornflower Blue, Black Sesame and Sage Green. The lightweight lid has an easy-to-lift stainless steel knob with a golden finish. After unboxing, this pan immediately became the best-looking piece of equipment in my kitchen. In addition to the pan and lid, the set also includes a large steamer basket made from stainless steel.
This pan is meant to be a workhorse, yet is so lightweight that I had serious doubts that it could compete with my trusty cast iron pan. Its extra-long handle is ergonomically designed and stays cool to the touch. It’s made from light-cast aluminum, which is outstandingly durable and excellent at both conducting and retaining heat. Therefore, it’s suitable for use on gas, electric and induction cooktops.
How We Tested It
In addition to being a professional food writer, cookbook author and recipe developer, I’m also the mother of two teenage boys whose cooking skills are, shall we say, not as good as mine. We all spent a month putting this pan through the wringer.
Making Eggs
The first thing I cooked (as I do with all pans that claim to be non-stick) was a simple fried egg. After preheating the pan over high heat, I gave it a quick spritz of cooking spray, which is not so much about preventing the egg from sticking as it is about crisping up the bottom. I cracked in an egg, stepped away and let the pan do all the work. Once the whites were set, I tried to gently slide a spatula underneath them to check for stickiness, and lo and behold it lifted the egg without a single bit of resistance! Once my egg was cooked, I quickly wiped the skillet clean with a damp paper towel and enjoyed my breakfast without having to worry about doing dishes afterward.
I continued to make eggs through the month in every which way—scrambled, sunny side up, over easy and beyond. (We eat a lot of eggs in this house.) After a month of heavy use, the Beautiful Hero Pan is working as well as it did straight out of the box.
One-Pot Meals
Making a good egg is enough for me to call a pan a “hero,” but the true test of a hero pan is its ability to make one-pot meals easily and—most of all—cleanly. (I truly hate scrubbing pots and pans with every fiber of my being.) I’m pleased to say that every dish I made was a smashing success, with plenty of room to fit and cook ingredients well. I was even able to get a beautiful color on an entire cabbage for a Korean rice cakes dish in a spicy gochujang broth.
Where the pan impressed me most, though, was pan frying. I tend to avoid this because of the mess, but the high sides of the hero pan are suitable for frying oil without too much splatter. The two pour spouts on each side of the pan remove extra oil, so when making Sichuan chicken, I easily went from frying chicken to sautéing aromatics without a ton of hoopla.
As for durability, my sons used this pan to cook noodles, pancakes and pasta, and not once did the pan spend the night soaking in the sink to remove burnt-on food. Though hand washing is recommended, they frequently threw it on the top rack of the dishwasher and it came out spotless every time. In fact, after a month of regular use, the Beautiful Hero Pan looks almost as good as it did when I first took it out of the box!
Pros
Truly non-stick
Gorgeous!
Plenty of surface area
High sides
Heats quickly and evenly
Easy to clean
Stands up to daily use
Cons
Not oven safe
FAQ
Who manufactures Drew Barrymore cookware?
Beautiful cookware is a collaboration between Drew Barrymore and Made by Gather, a company that designs and manufactures kitchenware brands like Bella, Brim and Crux. The line is exclusively sold at Walmart.
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
“Absolutely beautiful! The name is right!” writes five-star reviewer, cKen. “This pan is so pretty you almost want to have it on display! It is a very sturdy/heavy pan and lid, it makes it feel luxurious and like it will last a long time. I have used mine about seven to 10 times so far and still having great results with this pan. It is definitely non-stick and haven’t noticed any scratches in it so far!”
“My new favorite pan,” raves reviewer, jelleMason. “It definitely lives up to its name because it’s truly beautiful. The pan is a great pan for all-in-one cooking. I can cook some food and then steam some veggies on the steam rack right after, which is great for those times when you don’t want to use multiple pans for a meal. The pan is very high quality and non-stick, making cleanup very easy.”
Final Verdict
I’m normally wary of celebrity-backed cookware, but I am truly in love with the Beautiful Hero Pan. It might not replace every pan in your kitchen, but you will find yourself reaching for it almost every time you step behind the stove. If you have a small kitchen like I do, you’ll likely fall in love with it too.
Where to Buy the Beautiful Hero Pan
The Beautiful Hero Pan retails for $69 and is exclusively available at Walmart. Choose among the four colors and display it on your stovetop—it’s really that beautiful.
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