Hamilton Beach Electric Skillet model # 38540 Product Review

Electric Skillets enable cooks to cook family sized meals all at once. They are a versatile tool to have in the kitchen. For those loving one pot meals most electric  skillets are invaluable. The Hamilton Beach Model 38540 promised to deliver all that and more. Here's the scoop on this product.

First and foremost the product features:

*Large 12"X 16" die cast aluminum pan with nonstick interior
*Brushed stainless steel platform
*Die cast Aluminum handles Larger than average, for easy transport to table.
*Attaching lid with a spout so meats can be drained and poured. Also great if whole pan needs transporting.
*1500 watts of power, warm setting and temperature goes to 400 degrees

The pros:
This skillet has a great weight and large cooking surface. Unlike its predecessors with plastic easily breaking handles, Hamilton Beach got it right this time. The design of the aluminum handles  should hold up well with many years of use. The large interior cooking surface heats up fast and delivers even heating. The added bonus in the design of this skillet is the built in spout and attaching glass lid. This is a great innovation in electric skillets. This glass lid attaches easily and snug. The spout on the pan allows for the cook to easily lift pan for draining off fats from cooking, or pouring things such as gravy into a container etc. This lid also allows the whole pan to transport with relative ease, to potluck dinners etc. Even though it has a built in spout with a little care this is a great way to transport food and keep warm.

The cons:
The Hamilton Beach skillet model has few drawbacks. However, after a short period of use in the kitchen one glaring defect became apparent. The non stick coating began to peel. As a veteran of electric skillet cooking, and moreover cooking with non stick cookware, it goes without saying only rubberized, plastic utensils were used when cooking with this appliance. Even with proper care, the interior non stick began peeling. Not small little flecks, but large pieces, that could get into your food. This rendered the pan unusable. The pan is dishwasher safe, however, it is so large that it can not fit into the bottom of your dishwasher with anything else. Due to the design of the handles it will not fit in such a way as to allow the best cleaning, and must be placed on the diagonal. This makes it near impossible to wash with any other items in the lower part of the dishwasher. The rubber stops on the bottom of the pan, will come out and when handled will cover your palms in a greasy like black substance. If one of these little rubber stops become lost, your pan will not sit evenly on the counter top making even cooking impossible. The price of the Hamilton Beach Electric Skillet model # 38540 is a little steep, at $59.99, especially when you consider the fact that the interior coating may not stand up to repeated uses at the example model for this review indicates.


The bottom line:

Hamilton Beach has addressed a few common problems and made great strives in improving the functionality of the electric skillet. However, the peeling non stick coating is definitely still in the dark ages. The rubber stops come out easily are small and easy to lose. If this happens even cooking will be no more. This makes the product hinder on a very tiny factor. Is it worth the money? No. Until Hamilton Beach addresses the non stick coating, and the messy black residue leaving rubber stops this product still has a few glitches that make it virtually useless.