"Red Copper Square Review"
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The Red Copper Square infomercial got me good! When you cook a lot and your cookware is a necessity to you, you look for things that will be useful to you in the kitchen. I have several kitchen gadgets hiding away in my kitchen cabinets and drawers. I barely use them... But this? This looks like something I can definitely use!
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It's like an all-in-one pan. Wide enough to use as a skillet and yet tall enough to use as a pot. It also comes with other pieces such as a tray to convert it to a steamer and a basket to deep fry or boil things and use it as a strainer. It claims to do all of the following:
- Broil
- Bake
- Steam
- Fry
- Saute
- Braise
- Deep Fry
- Roast
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Check out the infomercial in this video:
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So as you can see from the video, this square pan seems amazing. The primary features include:
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The box included the following items:
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Just like any cast iron cookware, this particular pan has to be seasoned before its first use (a coating of vegetable oil and placing in the oven for a set time). I made sure to follow the directions carefully and properly seasoned the pan. It is recommended that this pan is seasoned at least twice a year. The other main feature I noticed about this pan is that they recommend that it is used on low to medium heat for most cooking. So now it worries me if I have to use this on high heat. Therefore, I avoid using it for things like stir-fry or anything else that requires high heat, hence, a negative for me.
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After seasoning, the very first thing I made with this pan was brownies. I must say, I was quite impressed with no complaints there. Below, I have a close up of the surface of the pan as well as the brownies in the making.
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It states the the non-stick surface doesn't require the addition of oil or butter during cooking. I must admit that I lightly greased the surface per the brownie package directions. The brownie cooked well, the edges released very well and had a nice crisp. I'm not sure if there would have been a difference if I didn't grease it. I flipped the pan and the brownie came out in one single piece. There was a little bit of residual crumbs that was left behind but it was nothing extreme. It washed off very easily.
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I decided to try eggs. This time, I did not use any grease. In the infomercial, it shows sunny side up eggs that slide off with ease. Was it really that easy?
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So far, it actually wasn't that bad. I burst the yolk in order for it to cook evenly. I'm not a fan of runny yolk. It did not slide easily as it did in the infomercial. The egg stayed in one spot. I think the crisped edges kept it from sliding. However, it was easily lifted up with a spatula without any issues. I was pleasantly surprised.
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I've made the "Green Beans with Bacon" recipe using this pan and it came out great. I've sauteed several other things in this pan and have had no issues to date.
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The steaming feature sounds really great. Surprisingly, I've never steamed vegetables before. I usually blanch them in boiling water directly. I do plan on trying out the steaming method one day.
I have yet to try using it as a deep fryer. Neither have I attempted to make a batch of rice with it yet. I have used the fryer basket to boil pasta and drain in one easy step. I really like using it for that. With all the things that I have used it for, I really like this product. It is so easy to clean. If you're able to get your hands on one of these things, I think it's a worthwhile investment.
What are your thoughts on this product?
Let me know and comment below!
Let me know and comment below!