Food52 Life

The Italian Pan Brand That Gets Food52 Staff in a Tizzy

December  1, 2017

You may already be aware of the popular Ballarini nonstick pans, those dream-to-use, easy-to-clean workhorses that have quickly taken top perch in our kitchens. What you may not be aware of is just how cherished they’ve become among our team.

The Italian-made, professional-grade pans made their stateside debut earlier this year and have made the best of friends with eggs, pancakes, and all manner of quickly sautéed veg. Ballarini pans are the fastest to disappear when they're offered up for sale in the office, with plenty of fanfare (cheers of jubilation and groans of defeat alike) for the victors who manage to get their hands on one.

Some have already forged deep loyalties to the pan: “I scramble one egg almost every morning for my toddler son,” Lily Soysal, our director of brand experience, shares. “I've always been a little uneasy about coated and nonstick pans, but my stainless pans are annoying to clean every morning before work.”

“I basically just leave my little Ballarini on the stove all day. I use it in the morning before work for a quick scrambled egg, I heat his lunch in it mid-day (rice, pasta, whatever), and cook in it for dinner. Each time we use it, it wipes clean QUICKLY,” the busy mom explains. “I don't have to soak it or scrub it. It's become such an important, practical part of our kitchen.” Just look at the satisfied customer for yourself:

Up and at 'em. We got swings to swing and slides to slide. #f52life

A post shared by Lily (@lilysoysal) on

Valerio Farris, our resident staff writer, is also smitten: “I love my Ballarini because of its versatility. I feel so comfortable and confident cooking in it, whisking eggs against its surface, putting it in the oven for a little extra char.” (Editor’s note: Ballarini pans have a PFOA-free coating that stands up to metal utensils!)

As for this home & design editor, who’s run through any number nonstick pans over the years, I’ve been thoroughly impressed by its heft, durability, slick just-wipe-clean surface, and stay-cool handle. I own two: the 9.5-inch model (omelettes have nothing on me) and the 12.5-inch model (great for pancakes, fried rice, and a couple of quick cutlets–see it in action:

There you have it, folks. The pan that causes an uproar (in a good way!) in our offices. Be sure to check out Ballarini's charming teeny-weeny offerings, as well (below). Single serve fried eggs, coming right up!

Are you a Ballarini pan fan? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

Hana is a food writer/editor based in New York.

3 Comments

Smaug August 22, 2018
Nothing here about how it differs from a hundred similar pans.
 
judy December 6, 2017
Sadly I have had two versions of this brand of non-stick pan. Both have been wonderful. But the non-stick soaring started chipping away from the edges almost immediately. I am very careful. use rounded stainless steel lids. Don't stack the pan, have a pan saver on top to protect. Note that even cracking an egg on the edge damages the non=stick finish. My Utensils are wood and melamine and silicone. And I still have marks and gouges in the finish. The ceramic-type coating on the back is wearing away from being put on the burner. And the pan is probably only 4 months old at this time. These were expensive pans to buy. Actually I bought the first one--white coating. complained to Food 52 and they sent me the version with a black coating. It has failed as well. So I don't really understand why the hype? I simply have not found them to be any better than the cheap ones that I buy at Walmart-mart. Sadly. I was hoping.
 
Kris December 3, 2017
Has anyone else bought this pan and used it? I am wondering about durability and how really non stick it is. Thanks!