Sleek, chic and sophisticated. All adjectives which could certainly be used to describe the inimitable jack of all trades, Mr Stanley Tucci.
However, this time around, we’re referring to one of the fruits of his many labours – the unbelievably large, 6-litre Stanley Pan. It’s the result of a collaboration with eco-friendly, ceramic and non-toxic cookware brand GreenPan, and we’ve put it to the test following its exclusive launch in the UK with the late Queen’s local supermarché Fortnum & Mason.
It’s been known that Stanley Tucci is a regular gastronome, with many of us looking to his strangely soothing Negroni recipe video during lockdown for a regular pick-me-up. Tucci has also released several cookbooks throughout his dynamic career – the first was The Tucci Cookbook in 2012, and the second was The Tucci Table in 2014. Yet it was the release of Tucci’s memoir in 2021, Taste, which truly cemented his status as a veritable celebrity epicure.
We wouldn’t put Tucci within the same realm as Gordon Ramsay or Marco Pierre White, nor would we want to. The actor, author and avid chef’s cooking style is soul-bearing and familiar. His training was in the Italian-American kitchen he was raised in, and an inherent love for sharing food with friends and family. Oh, and perhaps his role as Julia Child’s doting husband in everyone’s favourite comfort film, Julie & Julia.
It makes perfect sense, then, that Tucci’s next venture would be within the world of cookware. Available in four colourways – Venetian Teal, Carrara White, Stainless Steel and Milano Black – the Stanley Pan is part of a wider Tucci collection with GreenPan which includes a Dutch Oven, 16cm and 20cm saucepans, 20cm and 26cm frying pans, a 26cm sauté pan, a 30cm covered frying pan and the star of the show – the 33cm Stanley Pan. All of which are available at F&M.
Each vessel within the collection has been crafted with a three-ply stainless-steel body which is said to deliver professional-grade results. GreenPan’s signature eco-friendly PFAS-free ceramic nonstick coating is additionally infused with layers of diamonds (you heard us right) for elite heat transfer and durability.
This Le Creuset apologist put the Stan Pan to the test to see if it could shift my love for ceramic cookware in a new direction. Keep scrolling for a full breakdown of the GreenPan x Stanley Tucci Venetian Teal 33cm Stanley Pan.
Buy now: GreenPan x Stanley Tucci Venetian Teal 33cm Stanley Pan - £199.95, Fortnum & Mason
Available exclusively in Fortnum & Mason stores from Wednesday 21 February
Key specifications
Capacity: 6 litres
Materials: 5mm aluminium body, PFAS-free ceramic non-stick surface infused with layers of diamonds
Oven Safe: Up to 315°C, lid is oven safe up to 218°C
Grill Safe: Up to 315°C
Suitable for induction hobs: Yes
Buy now £199.95, Fortnum & Mason
The Test Cook
When Stanley Tucci explained his ethos behind the design for the Stanley Pan, he said, “With Italian cooking, the rules are simple: buy the best ingredients, get the best flavour. I've built cookware with this idea, using only the best materials in Italy”. Now, I can’t say my first test cook with the Stanley Pan involved the highest quality Italian ingredients, but I did go all the way to M&S.
Somewhere in between risotto and pasta, I felt that the perfect first dish to cook in the Stanley Pan would be a delicious tomato, chorizo and feta orzo. I like to think of my own adapted recipe as an elevated student dish, for it has all the makings of a meal accustomed to university life – limited ingredients, ad-hoc technique, a one-pan recipe – just with elevated, oh-so adult ingredients and a £200 pan.
Buy now £199.95, Fortnum & Mason
Functionality
First and foremost, the pan is large. Extremely large – it practically took up my entire average-sized gas hob. While I didn’t find it to be overwhelmingly heavy, it didn’t do wonders for my hypermobile wrists. Nevertheless, it certainly didn’t matter how much space the pan took up, for the heavy-gauge body prevented any warping or wobbling.
From the minute the flame hit the base of the pan, it heated up quickly and evenly. I browned the garlic, lightly tossed the orzo, and popped in a can of tinned tomatoes in a grand total of about five minutes. So far, so speedy. I then popped a beef stock cube into the empty can with some hot water, added that, the feta, chorizo and finally some cavolo nero.
Like most, I tend to guestimate how much pasta goes into the pan and usually cook far too much. The sheer size of the Stanley Pan threw me off my guestimation game massively, and I had to consistently remind myself that more than half a bag of orzo for myself and my partner was simply too much – even if seemed to barely fill the base of the pan.
So used to cooking in the 30cm Shallow Casserole Le Creuset with no space to stir or toss meals for more than one person (something that is rather essential for orzo, risotto and finishing up pasta dishes), that I couldn’t believe the coating of flavour I was able to achieve.
More importantly, not having to soak the pan after cooking orzo was a sheer delight. Since I’ve only used the pan on one occasion thus far, I can’t speak to the longevity of the non-stick. However, I can certainly praise its wonders. The leftover orzo slid right off the base, proving that the pasta neither burned nor stuck to the bottom while cooking.
Buy now £199.95, Fortnum & Mason
Verdict
When I first brought the Stanely Pan home, my partner’s immediate remark was “That’s a very sexy pan”. Both aesthetically and practically, I couldn’t agree more.
In terms of pricing, the pan is far larger than my usual 30cm Shallow Casserole Le Creuset, and priced fairer – Le Creuset’s signature vessel will set you back an eye-watering £285, while the fantastically versatile 33cm GreenPan x Stanley Tucci in Venetian Teal costs a far cooler £199.95.
I do, however, already know that my Le Creuset will last a lifetime. You’ll have to come back in a few years to see whether the non-stick Stanley Pan stands the test of time. For now, this beautifully designed, aesthetically pleasing and brilliantly practical piece of cookware gets a solid 10/10 from me. The man can do no wrong.
