Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Just bought this using my son's amazon prime account, paid $99.95 Did my homework on this one as I did not want to buy another dissapointing product... My friend uses her stainless steel electric skillet daily. It sits on her island which overlooks the rest of the house making it ideal for daily cooking and entertaining. Did not think I NEEDED another gadget in my kitchen, as part of me was stuck on the traditional pots and pans (spent too much $$ to consider subtituting or replacing them) but after watching her cook up a storm, flawlessly, while keeping up a conversation and watching what's going on with everyone else in the room for years, I gave in. Where has this been my whole life? Really! Waitied till my kids left for college to try this? Clueless and stubborn! Actually, the smoking gun was, I needed something bigger then a crock pot and easy enough to carry to my son's college football tailgating parties - whereas I could cook something, put it in the fridge, then my trunk for a 2-3 hour drive, then plug it into an outlet to heat and keep warm. Voila!!! First, picked this one because it is stainless steel AND heavy duty, as both my friend and I are resolute on not using anything covered with chemicals or nonstick stuff because regardless of how well you take care of them, they wear down. I prefer to spend an extra few minutes washing something then to have teflon like particles in our food. Was not easy finding one that is stainless steel, as mass marketing big box stores favor all the non-stick stuff, which is likely cheeper to manufacture and is an easy sell to mass consumers who prefer "easy". Since I was in no hurry I checked them out at a few stores while shopping there - Costco, Walmart, Target Sears, Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond. Thought I could scoop one up quickly while getting a feel for what's out there, but most were light, flimsy and full of buzzwords like "nonstick and dishwasher safe", not what I was looking for. Really? Oh hail the "internet"!!! How did we ever survive without it? Who doesn't love being an educated consumer, not wasting time driving from store to store, and getting stuff fast without any shipping charges? Second, it's easy to clean, just add a few cups of hot water when done, gently scrape the bottom with any non-metal spatula, then wash with a sponge. I never use harsh chemicals, powders, metal scrubbers, or the dishwasher to wash pots and pans as it wears down the coating, regardless what the manufacturer says. I think what makes it so easy to clean is mainly that it cooks so evenly and is made out of strong metals. I prefer natural staining as opposed to shining, spotless silent health risk gadgets... Third, it's big, maybe too big for some folks, but I prefer the bigger size, even as an empty nester, as I can cook once and save for later. Easy to stir fry vegetables, then steam slightly, not overcook. Just spayed the bottom with extra light olive oil, using real OO poured into an aerosol container. Made chicken breast, first browned then steamed. WOW best quality cooking ever!!! Endless possibilities, leaves the stove top free too...Can't wait for my boys to come home for Thanksgiving!!! Fourth, it's beautiful, because of the polished stainless steel it is not an eye sore when left on the counter. Great for entertaining as it looks like something you would see at a high end buffet restaurant or catering facility. Finally, in summary, this one is safe, cooks amazingly great, heats fast and keeps food warm. It's a keeper!!! Promise to let you know if there are any durability issues down the road but so far, though nothing is perfect, this one is close.