Can I return an expensive pan that food always sticks to 6 months after purchase?

[SylvanMoon]

I purchased a HexClad 30cm pan last September. It cost £199 and frankly is the worst pan I have. Everything sticks to it and it is very difficult to get completely clean. I've been corresponding with the company, even sending them photos and doing what they suggest (using it on lower heat, retempering it practically every time you cook with it, washing in the dishwasher and scrubbing it with a green scrub pad), but it's such a temperamental pan and everything sticks that we've practically stopped using it except for shallow frying. It's got a Lifetime Warranty and I wonder if they'd take it back at this point. I don't think it's defective; I think it's how the pan is and that the hype around it is just hype. Any advice on what recourse I might have?

I would not have thought so after 6 months. I imagine the answer (from them) will be that you've damaged the non stick coating by scrubbing with something inappropriate.

What does the Lifetime Warranty say? Is there something in the small print about 'caring for' the item? I think all you can do is ask, however.

You aren't entitled to a refund straight away but you can ask for a replacement. You would need to do it asap though as the 6 months is the cut off for that too. Then if it doesn't work you can ask for a refund.

This is good for advice - https://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/what-do-i-do-if-i-have-a-faulty-product-aTTEK2g0YuEy

There is no "nonstick coating" on these pans and they told me to use the scrubber! I don't think it's due to our misuse as it was like this from day one.

I’ve got one. I’ll not bother returning it - it’s about 8 months years old, but I’ll not be buying another. It’s fine but no better than any other pan.

But I don't want a replacement. I think the product is crap and definitely not worth £200.

How do you avoid having everything stick to yours? I was so keen on it and if I could have afforded it, would have bought a whole set of them as their sales pitch makes it sound so great:
HexClad’s proprietary hybrid cookware brings together the performance of stainless steel, the durability of cast iron, and the convenience of nonstick. The result is cookware that performs to Michelin chef standards, with the cleanup convenience you need at home. Now you can unleash your potential in the kitchen without limits.
The perfect balance of beauty and functionality, Hexclad cookware will elevate your kitchen game.
01 Non-Stick Hybrid Technology.
02 Excellent temperature control
03 Easy care (oven & metal utensil safe)
04 Easy cleaning (dishwasher safe)
05 Lasting durability (lifetime warranty)

I think you could argue it’s not fit for purpose and that for £199 you would not expect it to behave as it does. If they don’t refund, I might consider the small claims court.

I bought a pair of expensive boots many years ago and the sole came off after more than 6 months. I argued they were not for for purpose and as I’d spent X on them (can’t remember now) I would have expected them to last several years. They argued back but I stood politely firm and they conceded. Chain shop.

Yes the point is because it's outside the 30 days you have to give them a chance to replace it. You can ask for a refund if you have an issue with the second one. You've left it too long to ask for an immediate refund. The link I posted explains all this, that's why I included it.

Food sticks on pans like this as tou have to let the crust form first.
Itherwise yes, it all.sticks. The 30cm is probably also a challenge as thats large and most reside tial heat sources aren't necessarily big enough. I have the precook version at 28 cm and its almost a problem.

You can try for a refund- you never know. Or accept vouchers and buy something you would use?

I bought it from HexClad themselves, so even if they offered me a voucher, it would only be for another one of their products. But what do you mean that you have to let the crust form first?

Give it a go - I got a replacement sent for a much cheaper pan with a lifetime warranty that had started to stick. I keep the new replacement for when non-stick really matters and to preserve it's lifetime.
At the very least they should send a replacement.
If you don't ask, you don't get.

If I spent £199 on a pan I’d expect to happily use it for years. I would definitely want my money back.

Looking at reviews , a number of customers talk about their pans being replaced with no issues,
I very much doubt you’d get your money back though.
They seem like pans that need to be used with care and at low temperature too if they aren’t going to stick.

OP, what and how are you cooking in it? Pp is correct re needing to let a crust form: if you're browning meat or poultry at a high heat, you need to let it sit for a few minutes and it will release when it's ready and browned. I wonder if you're cooking things at too low a heat and trying to move them around straight away like a stirfry?

So, if.you are cooking steak for example, yij heat the pan first. Then you add the oil. Then you put.your steak in. Then you do NOTHING. You leave the steak to cook until it gets that crust in the outside (it has a fancy name, i dont know it rhough). At which point, the steak will easily move away from the pan.

It tends to take at least a good few seconds to a few minutes.

Do you know how to flick some water in to check temperature before you dd the oil? You flick few drops and it should gather into larger drops that sort of dance around the pan before evaporating.

Don't understand. If it's "8 months years old" and "fine" why would you even consider returning it?

I've got a set of hexclad pans & wok and luckily haven't had any bother with them sticking and they clean up easily. I've had them a couple of years & use them a lot. I do think they're extremely overpriced though.

We're vegan and so I'm cooking things like tofu, seitan and tempeh mostly in it. But sometimes things that aren't of one piece, like say, scrambled tofu. It's quite possible that it's brilliant for cooking meat and poultry, but doesn't do well with plant proteins.

@SylvanMoonyes I would bet the house this is the issue.

what pans have you used before that tofu DIDNT stick to?

OMG why would you spend that much on a pan just to fanny about with tofu?!!

I have HexClad too and would not buy again, or recommend. DC gets a fried egg in the morning and there is drama if the yolk is broken, and unfortunately the HexClad is very temperamental. We ditched all the other pans though, so making do.

My partner bought a hexclad as well and has the same issue - it really pisses him off. He complained and they sent a second one so now we have 2 annoying pans… you have to get it to a high temperature and let a crust form before moving the food as other people have suggested. It works better then.

We're certainly not "fannying about" with tofu. I enjoy cooking and am creative in how I use a range of plant proteins. I like having decent equipment to cook with. But I would have expected a pan costing this much to be able to cope with them or say that it didn't. My best pans have been stoneware ones with copper or aluminium bases and I'm sorry that I fell for the hype about the HexClad ones.

That's annoying and I suspect will be their response to my complaint too.

But what I don't get is you're all saying that I need to get the pan to a high heat while the HexClad person who responded to my initial complaint about the pan said that the problem was cooking it on too high a heat as it conducted heat better than other pans! So we've not been using as high a heat with it as we would other pans (which is also a pain to remember).