I’m a firm believer in the idea that a talented chef – amateur or professional – can cook restaurant-quality meals with any cookware, even on a hot stone. That’s ironic when you consider that the Granite Stone Pan allows you to do just that.
I realize that some pans are better than others for certain foods, but your frying pan’s choice makes a more significant impact on cooking convenience than food quality.
In a hurry? The top complaint is that food sticks in the Granite Rock Pan. Here is what I have to say about that:
I don’t like over-the-top advertising that promises effortless cooking, the ability to flip eggs without using oil, and other exaggerated claims.
After heavy use, the pan will start to stick. That’s part of the cooking process, and all cooks should know that a frying pan is a tool that requires following the best culinary practices.
Whether you cook professionally or at home, the techniques may vary, but they should deliver the same great results when done correctly.
Let’s dive right into the rock pan review to see if the Granite Rock Pan As Seen on TV is worth it or not.
Granite Stone Review: What’s Included?
GRANITESTONE 2687 11″ Frying Pan with 5.5″ Egg Pan | Editor Recommended
Top Features
- Nonstick Pans
- Comes with a Granite Stone 5.5” Egg Pan
- Cool Touch Handles
The deal that I’m reviewing includes the 11-inch Granite Stone Frying Pan and the 5.5-inch Egg Pan. The package weighs 1.98 pounds for the two pans, so you can appreciate how light each pan is.
They’re perfect for flipping food, sautéing vegetables, searing meat, and finishing steaks in the oven after caramelizing both sides. I find that this technique is superior to grilling, roasting, or completely pan-frying.
What’s the difference between Granite Stone and Granite Rock? Different advertising channels. The same company makes the pans. For the purposes of this article, we will refer to the Granite Stone version from here on out.
Granite Stone Pan – Features
Granite Stone frying pans‘ most important feature is the non-stick, triple-layer natural mineral coating that’s fused to the core layer with 2,000-degree heat tempering.
This process also produces other benefits that include scratch resistance from metal utensils , durability, and great performance in all cooking processes. Not to mention, it’s PFOA free!
The anti-sticking feature improves many cooking processes, such as blackening food, cooking dark roux, and caramelizing meats to produce complex flavors.
Many grill pans made of granite rock have ridges to produce grill marks on the meat, but these are cosmetic. The small surface area of grill marks improves flavor because of the caramelization, but you get better results caramelizing the meat’s entire surface.
The frying pan has an inner layer of compressed aluminum, which conducts heat well, so you get an even sear and caramelization on your meat or pan-roasted vegetables.
Surface Material – Does Food Stick?
The surface material of Granite Stone pans is composed of minerals derived from stone.
The pan is coated in three layers fused at a high temperature to provide a natural coating that’s slick like glass.
Unlike other nonstick Teflon pans that use questionable chemicals, the natural mineral coating protects from sticking and scratches.
Granite rock doesn’t wear away easily, and the engineering resists common frying pan problems such as warping and denting. However, I never recommend using metal utensils unless you’re using stainless steel or cast iron cookware.
Unfortunately, food will stick to the pan despite what the commercials claim, but there are a couple of things that you can do.
- When cooking on a stovetop, do not use extremely low or excessively high temperatures, especially when the pan is dry.
- You need to use oil or butter, lard, or whatever your grease preference is. Cooking sprays are not recommended.
SEE ALSO: Does Lard Go Bad?
If you follow those tips, you shouldn’t have any sticking issues unless you’ve already damaged the pan.
Now, despite food sticking, the pans’ durability appears to be much better than your average nonstick pan.
Heat Source Compatibility – Not For Induction
The pan meets the heat-compatibility requirements of all cooking types, including gas, electric, and the oven. The pans are rated safe at temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius).
We don’t understand why the mineral enforced frying pans can’t be fine-tuned to make the pan work on induction cooktops.
Induction cooking is based on creating a magnetic field between coils below the cooktop’s surface and the pan or pot. The energy heats the food, but the process doesn’t work well with food grade granite-coated pans because the pans are pressed aluminum-based without a magnetic layer.
There’s still hope for induction users!
If you have an induction cooktop and still want to check these pans out, you will need to purchase an induction convert disk. Read more about how to use induction cookware on an induction cooktop here.
Cool Touch Handle
The handle is also rated for high heat, but it provides a cool touch because of superior engineering and heat breaks. Shaped from sturdy wires, the handle remains relatively cool.
Of course, you should always take precautions when handling the pan. If it’s coming straight out of the oven, the handle will burn your hand. Please use an oven mitt or glove.
No Lids Included
The As Seen On TV Granite Stone 11″ Frying Pan and 5.5″ Egg Pan don’t come with a lid, but you can use other compatible 11″ lids in a pinch.
Roasting in the oven achieves better results when most foods aren’t covered, but you can use another lid or foil when covering the pan is required – such as braising and slow-roasting techniques.
Is Granite Stone Pan Dishwasher Safe?
The non-stick surface is dishwasher safe, and it’s also easy to wash the pan by hand. It would be best if you waited until the pan cools before washing it either way.
Occasionally, baked-on residue might stick, but it makes cleaning easy in the dishwasher.
You can also soak the pan in hot, soapy water to loosen any crusted-on food. The finish will work like new after cleaning.
Warranty Information
According to the manufacturer’s website, Granite Stone Frying Pans come with a 90-day money-back guarantee, so you have plenty of time to test the pan and use it for dozens of cooking applications.
The refund policy doesn’t require any specific reason, and the company will refund the full price – excluding shipping and handling charges.
Video Review: How Well Does It Work?
This Granite Rock review video demonstrates the product adequately and verifies the non-stick pan claims.
As the video suggests, some of the claims are over the top. Melted cheese won’t slide out of the pan without oil, but the cheese will come up easily if you use a spatula to dislodge the soft seal.
The video shows one of the most difficult non-stick cooking challenges – frying an egg without oil. Again, the egg won’t slide around the pan until you dislodge it, but it’s easy to dislodge without sticking.
The demonstration explored using lots of sticky foods and even included melting Jolly Rancher candy in the pan. The frying pan passed every test – there was no sticking, and the pan could be wiped free of melted candy.
The pan even cooked raw shrimp without oil, and the shrimp was easy to turn.
There was some caramelized residue left behind, but it cleaned easily with soap and water. The pan couldn’t be wiped clean after that demonstration, but I feel that’s asking too much when cooking seafood without oil.
Granite Stone Pan Pros And Cons
The pros and cons of the Granite Stone 11″ nonstick frying pan include mixed results about whether foods don’t stick.
For the most part, I’ve found the non-stick claims are valid, but underheating or overheating the pan before adding food can cause some stickiness with certain foods when using no oil.
Food never sticks when used with some butter or oil and a pan that’s preheated to a medium-hot temperature.
Pros
- Great look of textured stone
- Three layers of fused minerals that give a non-porous, glasslike texture
- Long-term durability that prevents warping, scratching, and dents
- Oven-safe rated safe up to 500°F (260°C)
- Aluminum core promotes even heating
- Lightweight for easy handling, flipping foods, etc.
- Affordable when compared to high-end cookware
- Non-reactive with all types of food
- Works well with most heat sources
Cons
- Doesn’t deliver on some of its exaggerated advertising claims, such as eggs or melted cheese swirling around the pan without oil
- Wiping the pan to clean it still leaves behind food pathogens
- The advertised 11″ pan that only has a 7″ plus cooking surface
- Not designed to be induction-friendly
- No lid
- Needs cooling before washing
- Non-stick food cooking spray not recommended
Frequently Asked Questions
The following FAQs are important issues for many cooks – especially those concerned about product details for meaningful health and ease-of-preparation issues:
1. Is Granite Stone Pan Safe?
The food grade Granite Stone brand of cookware is safe to use, and the food-grade mineral coating poses no environmental or health risks. The coating doesn’t include PFOA or PTFE chemicals, so you can enjoy that peace of mind.
2. Do You Have to Season a Granite Stone Pan?
Granite Stone Frying Pans don’t need seasoning because the layers of fused minerals create a surface with glass properties.
Seasoning is the process of preparing a new pan so that it doesn’t stick. Some pans can be seasoned with a thin coat of oil, but this does not require it.
3. Does Granite Stone Pan Have Teflon?
Granite pans don’t use Teflon or Perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOA free. Natural stone finishes provide the same level of non-stick performance as Teflon-coated pans, and they’re markedly superior in scratch-resistant surfaces, durability, and resistance to warping and dents.
4. What Size Is The Granite Stone Pan?
The Granite Stone Frying Pan cookware set that we are reviewing is the 11-inch rock pans. It also comes with a 5.5-inch egg pan for frying eggs without the usual problems of sticking.
The 11″ pan refers to the diameter at the top, but the sides of the pan are sloped to a smaller interior cooking surface.
Other sizes of Granite Stone pans are available for those who need a larger pan such as the 12 inch version but doesn’t include the egg pan.
Is The Granite Stone Pan Worth It?
In final review, I think the Granite Stone Frying Pan is worth the cost unless you have an induction cooktop.
The benefits include affordability and freedom from some common cookware problems.
I also like the pan’s lighter weight compared with cast iron, and the pan provides similar benefits to those of well-seasoned cast iron pans.
The pan has its share of drawbacks, but it’s a good choice for home cooks and even professional chefs who want a lightweight frying pan that does workhorse duties in the kitchen without the problems of food sticking and tearing.
