Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617

A couple of years ago my old electric skillet just died on me. It was 12 years old and I guess it just couldn’t handle the stress any longer. I was lost without it until my daughter gave me a new electric skillet.

The skillet she chose is the Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 because she knew that I had been missing my old friend of 12 years.

When she gave me the Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 for my birthday I was surprised and very happy as I had been looking at these in the store but didn’t want to cough up the few dollars because my husband had just been laid off from work.

The next night after receiving the Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 I took the skillet out of the box, washed the interior and the lid and started using it.

The Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 base measures 11 inches by 11 inches square and is about 3 inches deep. This is a perfect size for frying chicken, cooking a small roast, making hamburgers, casseroles or just about anything that your mind can imagine. I have found that if you are cooking non-fat you do need to coat the base with a non-stick spray. If you don’t there is some slight sticking but not a lot.

There is a temperature control that comes with it. The temperatures range from warm to high. The high is not quite hot enough for stir fry or making gravy, it does take longer than if you do it on top of the stove.

The base is covered in a non-stick coating that cleans like a dream. When cool just place in the sink or dishwasher and it comes clean. No more scrubbing and after two years of almost daily use the coating has not started peeling or become rough. When I am cleaning up I hand wash and when my husband cleans up he places the base in the dishwasher.

The outside of the base is easily cleaned also and you don’t seem to have the brown build up that so often happens on the older electric skillets.

With all the use the Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 has gotten over the years the base has never warped or become misshapen in anyway.

On each side of the base are sturdy handles that are also the legs of the skillet. These are ok but I prefer one long handle on a skillet for pouring things like gravy as trying to manipulate both of these is hard and when pouring it makes it more difficult because the base gets dangerously close to the body where having one handle you seem to have more control of the pouring process.

The lid is called an EverNu cover. I am not sure what the material is but to me it feels like a plastic. Presto states that this will not warp or bend. There has been some warping of mine but not to the point that you can’t use it. It still fits on the pan and seals nicely.

When cooking on high heat with the lid of the Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 there is some leakage of liquid so just be careful. I don’t use high heat very often because most of the items I cook don’t need it and when I use it I don’t need the lid.

When cooking I have noticed that there are some "cold" spots and those are in the area where the heating coils are not located. So if you have something that is going to take a long time to cook, try centering it in the skillet.

On top of the lid there is a round knob that I find fits to close to the lid. It is large enough to grip but can come loose over time. Just a quick twist of a screwdriver it is fixed. While the lid doesn’t get blistering hot it is hot all the same.

The lid is very deep so a roast or a small ham will fit in the skillet covered very easily. You won’t have to worry about that.

The lid did not fit into my old dishwasher but with my new adjustable Kitchenaid it fits nicely.

The control of the Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 when new is easy to read but over the last couple of years with cleaning, the numbers have all but disappeared so I have to estimate where the settings are supposed to be.

When storing the Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 I do find that it does take up a lot of room under the cabinet.

When storing the heat control just place it inside the skillet and then replace the lid. No cord running around loose and the cord doesn’t get misplaced.

The Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 is attractive, the base it black and the lid is white so it should fit nicely into most kitchens. I have not seen it in different colors and when checking the Web I have not seen any of the companies offering other colors either.

The Presto 11 in. Electric Skillet 06617 is a good moderately priced skillet that actually works. This is great for a small family as it will hold enough food easily for a family of four unless you cook like a friend of mine and think that your family of three needs a half pound pork chop or 4 eggs a piece.

With all the minor flaws of this skillet it is still worth purchasing because these didn’t start happening until several years after purchasing and almost daily use.

Thanks for reading.