I bought a set of these pans about 10 years ago at a TJ Maxx store and I have been so impressed with them, that I've gifted to friends and now searched them out for my daughter, as she sets up her first home. My pans are going strong, I expect they might last the rest of my life. I was worried that the new ones were going to be lightweight and flimsy, but a surprisingly heavy package arrived & my concern vanished. In this review I'll explain how my pans old have been used and my impressions of the brand new pans, purchased in Oct 2021. Weight of a 10 year old pans: 2 lb 15 oz Weight of the new 2021 pan: 3 lb 5 oz About the new 2021 pan: -Very Heavy, Flat, Impressive! Beautiful. These make a nice gift for someone who appreciates good quality. -Nice, smooth rims! No sharp edges, very firm and solid feeling. You can not twist this pan at all. -Black Matte on Bottom (This is GOOD for sheet pans, they cook better when they are dark and not shiny!) -Impressive Label Info: Cuisinart gives A LOT of information on use that I think is helpful. Label is not stuck to the pan, yeah! -Recommends Hand Washing, but can be used in dishwasher if necessary. -Lifetime Warranty: Be sure to save the label and receipt in your Warranty File. There is no registration needed. Of course, it excludes a lot, but if the pan totally fails, you're covered. -Recommends up to 450, but NOT to Broil! (I have broiled in my older pans briefly, to caramelize bbq sauce on my ribs, melt some cheese, or get a bit of char on roasted veggies. However, my pans have always been lined with foil when I did broil, the time was pretty minimal.) -Says you can use Cooking Spray on these pans...that these pans have a special formula that makes it easy to remove. (But recommends you NOT use it on their regular stove-top non-stick surfaces.) In short, they recommend that you follow any recipe's instructions for greasing, spraying, flouring, etc. -2021 pans are still labeled on the pan itself, like the old ones: Cuisinart AMB-17BS. This is nice, because when you love the pan as I do, you can find the replacement to gift them to your friends and loved ones. - For cleaning stubborn spots or stains, recommends using Soft Scrub and/or a nylon brush. I've never tried the soft scrub, I might do that to clean up my old ones a bit. If these 2021 pans don't hold up like my old ones, I will be altering this review. If you see no update, they are great! Review of use and durability of the 10 year old pans: My pans have been used and cared for in this manner: 1) I cook mostly savory food like slabs of ribs, roasted vegetables, sheet pan meals and bacon. Very rarely, they have been used for cookies or biscuits. Broiling has been occasional, only for very short times & foil lined. 2) I am NOT reviewing the non-stick aspect, ease of release, etc. I prefer non-stick for "run over" events and ease of cleaning, but I line my pans almost 100% of the time for easy clean up and I also prefer not cooking foods directly on non-stick. When using, mine are usually lined with aluminum foil, non-stick aluminum foil, parchment paper or silicone liners. In that order. I also do not use metal utensils on them unless my lining allows for it. I do not cut on the pans. 3) Have never been in a dishwasher 4) Rarely have been scrubbed with anything more than a nylon brush, but mostly just a dishcloth and often just a quick rinse. Regarding my 10 year old pans: 1) Even cooking, no hot spots. 2) Still flat. Usually flat in oven in normal temps, or they return to flat. See below about the science of warping. 3) Durable, still look pretty nice and feel quality after all these years. 4) Non-stick on the top: I am not a stickler, so my pans do have some stains from use, etc, but even with that, the non-stick does not have a single flake or warn spot on the top. It has not bubbled nor shown any sign of age. I have no comment on the ease of release, as I don't use them for that. 5) Non-stick on the bottom. I do not wrap the bottoms in foil...I see wearing thin wearing thin lines from going in and out of oven, but it's not impacting anything. It's still easy to clean them up and I'm fine with them. There are no flakes or bubbles. The coating on the bottom is probably not the same as what's on the top. The bottom coating is a black. Some Pros: 1) Never have I seen rust. 2) They still are used with 100% confidence. 3) They are still in original shape. My pans stack perfectly flat and even now stack and nest perfectly with the brand new ones that we just ordered, but have not yet used. In general, they do not warp at normal temperatures and if they do twist when placed in a super hot oven with little in them, they return to their proper shape and sit flat. For me, the important thing is that they don't get ruined from continued, basic use, and these do not. See below if you're interested in what I've learned about why sheet pans warp in the oven.* *The science regarding sheet pan warping: I have studied why sheet pans warp in the oven and it has to do with vast/sudden temperature changes, how full a pan is, how evenly covered the pan is with food, and whether the food itself is heavy or light, hot or cold. Basically, it's a matter of science. A good pan will withstand warping events. Bad pans get mangled.
