Rival S11P-015 11-Inch Square Skillet with Glass Lid, Black

This was the first electric skillet I have ever bought. After spending a summer with my sister and her husband, and watching them use their electric skillet almost everyday to cook so many wonderful things, I decided I needed one. Since I travel all the time and live in an RV, I decided I only needed one of the square skillets instead of the bigger rectangular skillets.After researching online, and reading a lot of different product reviews, I decided the skillet needed to have the following features:- glass top- steam vent- rubber pads on the feet- fully adjustable heat control (not just low, medium, and high)- be cheap (I did not want to spend a fortune)Once I identified what I wanted, I was able to narrow down my selection to the Rival 11 inch square skillet. Since receiving my skillet, I have used it just about everyday. From cooking pancakes, eggs, and omelets in the morning to grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and many differnt one pot meals for dinner it works great. Cleanup is also an absolute breeze, and it fits nicely into one of my cabinets for storage without any big hassel.One thing to note, if you are looking for something to pour several inches of oil into and then deep fry donuts or other such items, this is not the skillet to purchase. You are going to have to spend a lot more money to obtain a skillet or product that will heat and keep the oil hot enough for that type of cooking. This skillet though does do a great job in cooking home made fried chicken, frying fish, or other such items.Anyways, I am certainly happy with my Rival skillet, and would not hesitate to buy one as a gift to give to someone else.Well, after three months of using my skillet just about everyday, I thought I would come back and update my comment. I am tremedously satisfied with the skillet. I have had absolutely no problems with it in any manner what so ever. A couple of things I do to protect the coating on it: I make sure to wait until it cools down before washing. I also only use plastic spatuals and spoons when cooking in it. Last, when cleaning it I use a cheap plastic cleaning brush, simply put a little dishwasher soap and some warm water in it and scrub. Then rinse and wipe dry with a paper towel. I cook pancakes or bacon/eggs in it just about every morning. I set the temp on 275% for that. If I am cooking a one skillet meal such as chicken and rice, I will brown the meat and vegies at 300%, then add the rice and water turning it up to 350% till it comes to a boil, then turn it back down to 275% to simmer. I have not yet had to turn the temperature on the skillet above 350%. Remember the skillet is aluminum, and if you overheat it needlessly, then that is likely when you will start having problems with the coating flaking off as some people have mentioned. From macaroni and cheese to all those other one box meals such as fettucini, tuna helper, rice aroni, etc... this skillet works great. I simply throw in either hamburger, sausage, chicken cubed, or canned tuna. I also love to add black olives, canned mushroons, bell peppers (all colors), chopped onions, garlic, canned or fresh tomatoes, and hot peppers. Just start adding things, then when they are browned add the contents of your rice or pasta helper box, bring to a boil, turn down and simmer for time stated, then serve it all up, and enjoy...

I have no idea what happened. This particular skillet used to be a great buy, not because of the price (although that's pretty good), but because the non-stick coating stayed PUT for a long time. I could get a year or more out of one of these before having to replace it.My last one didn't last quite so long until the coating seemed to give out all at once. But I attributed it to perhaps someone in my home had been careless in cleaning or using the wrong utensils in it.This last one I JUST BOUGHT A MONTH AGO --- To my horror, not only can I no longer get it clean, but black powder comes off when I wipe it with a clean paper towel. I'm concerned about how much me and my family ingested of this toxic stuff before we realized what was happening.

The problem is that the heating element is a circular strip, so heating occurs strongly there and not so much in the middle or out at the edges although the aluminum of the vessel does conduct the heat to some degree. If you are cooking something that has a lot of liquid or something that needs to be tossed, scrambled or stir-fried, it will work OK because either the liquid will transfer the heat or you'll keep moving the material around until it hits the hottest area. But for anything that requires - say searing or simmering - you'll have to keep adjusting where the food is in the skillet. Another thing you should know is that it achieves the selected lower temperature by cycling the heating element on and off, so instead of a steady heat you get heat then nothing, heat then nothing. Again, for some purposes this is fine, and obviously not for others.I used this quite a lot to process cull pears from my little orchard, into pear jam and for that it was fine as long as I kept stirring. I do like the glass lid which fits fairly tightly and has a steam vent hole. I like being able to view what's cooking, and like the condensation to roll back into the pan, which it does with this domed lid. The lid, however, reveals another flaw: the glass and metal rim come together in a way that creates a sharply angled space where steam-borne food debris is deposited. This is difficult to remove and easy to overlook, creating an opportunity for bacteria. Overall, if I'm going to give any money at all and cupboard space for a cooking appliance, I want the thing to be better designed.

Not as good as other Electric Skillets, but it does the job.

Two things I don't like about this electric skillet: it feels a little wobbly on its legs and when it's cooking, it practically shuts off in order to moderate the temperature. But it does cook pretty well when you figure out your temperatures, and it does a wonderful job of browning and still keeping the food moist. Clean up is a breeze. It's a good electric skillet if you aren't looking to feed a little army.

I have used this skillet quite a bit and it does a wonderful job for quick meals. On those days when one doesn't want to pull out pots and pans, this little skillet does the job. Foods don't stick, and it cleans up very well. Perfect for those who don't have a lot of counter space or for singles. Glad I purchased this!

For a frying pan it's ok but you can buy the same thing at a retail store cheaper without the shipping average at best

I purchased this skillet after finally getting rid of my 30 year old one. Within a short period of time it started burning the surface just around the circular heating element. Heating was uneven, food was burning in some spots and not heating enough in others. I contacted the company, but unfortunately the warranty had run out and there was nothing they could do except reassure me that this is a fairly common occurrence! Last product I buy from that company. Don't waste your money.