Hamilton Beach Electric Skillet 38529K In-depth Reivew

The Hamilton Beach Ceramic Non-Stick Electric Skillet 38529K stands out with its sturdy-looking base and thick, copper-colored pan. Out the gate, the skillet boiled water fast and fried eggs slid breezily around the skillet.

From our research, Hamilton Beach is a prominent American brand with an extensive range of compact appliances. Established in the early 1900s by Louis Hamilton and Chester Beach, the brand started with motor-driven mixers. Over time, their product line has diversified to include air purifiers, irons, blenders, electric kettles, slow cookers, grills, toaster ovens, electric skillets, and a variety of other appliances.

Key Specs

Where to Buy Price at publication $61.70

*You help support HealthyKitchen101's product testing and reviews by purchasing from our retail partners.

Compared to Other Electric Skillets

9.2 Performance

The Hamilton Beach Ceramic Non-Stick Electric Skillet 38529K proved outstanding. It excelled with even heat distribution, top maximum temperatures, and temperature stability. All this translated into perfect cooking results aided by exceptional user-friendliness and a fast clean up!

8.8 Analyzing Heat Distribution

The Hamilton Beach skillet showed remarkably even heat distribution. We put this down to the thick cast aluminum pan and large rectangular heating element. 

To assess temperature differences across the skillet's surface, we placed a saturated sugar water-soaked oil absorbent sheet on top. Then, we heated the pan to 400°F and used an infrared thermometer to measure 5 key temperature points.

Our measurements of these points, from the center to the edges of the pan, revealed an average temperature difference of only 5.9%. The combined average of all the pans we tested was 10%. 

This impressive result earned the skillet a noteworthy rating of 8.8/10, positioning it slightly below the medium-sized Crux 14620.

9.4 Making Pancakes

The Hamilton Beach skillet took only 3 min 20 sec to preheat to 350°F. An exceptional feat for its large size, thus earning a rating of 8.7 / 10.

Utilizing our original electric skillet pancake batter, we cooked a perfect 3.17 oz pancake in just 4 min and 40 sec. The top side took 1 min 30 sec and the flip side 3 min 10 sec.

The result was a delightfully steamy and fluffy pancake with a beautiful golden brown hue. This was worthy of a nearly flawless score of 9.5/10.

You may need to adjust cooking times based on your specific pancake mix. The spacious 15-inch pan can cook 3 or 4 pancakes at a time, but in our tests we cooked only one at a time.

Remarkably, the non-stick coating required no extra greasing. However, to prolong the pan's lifespan, it is recommended to brush on a light layer of oil.

9.3 Cooking Steaks

To achieve the optimal crust on our 8 oz, 1.38-inch top blade steak, we preheated the Hamilton Beach to 400°F. This took only 4 min 30 sec, which was a minute faster than average for the same size category. Nonetheless, it was slower than a small to medium-sized skillet, so it received just a 7.5/10.

We seared the first side for 3 min 25 sec and the flip side for 4 min. The second side took slightly longer because the skillet power cycled off at around 6 minutes in order not to spike the temperature too high.

The fat cap took 1 min 30 sec to sear and the other edges 1 min each. Finally, we added rosemary and butter and seared each side for an additional 1 min 30 sec.

Even for its size, the skillet kept a high and steady heat. Unlike some other pans, the surface is completely flat. As a result, the Hamilton Beach produced a remarkably thick and crispy crust, albeit not as perfect as a cast iron skillet on gas.

Our meat probes showed the steak's internal temperature to be 133°F, which rose to 139°F after the mandatory 3 minutes of resting. This meticulous approach yielded a perfect medium-rare steak—tender and juicy, earning the skillet an outstanding rating of 9.5/10 from our chef.

The entire process took just over 16 minutes.

8.6 Design

The excellent build quality of the Hamilton Beach 38529K shone through in its thick pan, PTFE and PFOA-free ceramic non-stick coating, and sturdy detachable base. Furthermore, it was surprisingly the lightest skillet we have in the large size category.

In the Box

• One electric skillet
• One tempered glass lid
• One detachable thermostat
• One instruction manual
• Warranty: Canada 5-year limited and US 1-year limited

Inside the Hamilton box, you will find one electric skillet, one pan lid, one thermostat, all secured in a single styrofoam pad. The simple instruction manual includes safeguards, parts and features, operating instructions as well as care and cleaning. There it states not to use the ‘SANI’ setting on your dishwasher because the high temperature can damage the skillet.

Dimensions

The manufacturer’s dimensions of 12.5"D x 20.5"W x 7.5"H were slightly different from our hand-measured ones that took the handles into account.

9.0 Pan

The Hamilton Beach skillet’s 7.5 qt cast aluminum pan is more durable than plain non-cast aluminum (+4). It’s extra thickness (0.16 in) means it’s less likely to deform under heat and it also heats up more evenly.

The reversible handles are attached to the pan so, with the thermostat removed, it lifts off the base (+1). The bottom of the detached pan actually has four leg stands so you can place it directly on the table for serving. The pan doesn’t have a pouring spout, but it is dishwasher-safe (+2).

We liked that the ceramic non-stick coating is free of PTFEs and PFOAs (+2). This patented Durathon ceramic is advertised to be four times stronger than other non-stick coatings and to emit 60% less during production—claims we unfortunately have no way of confirming.

10 Lid

The tempered glass lid is dishwasher-safe with a steel knob handle (+4).There is also a steam vent to alleviate pressure (+3). Additionally, the metal edging is precisely crafted to seamlessly fit the pan (+3), ensuring optimal functionality and convenience.

8.0 Base

The detachable base is made of thermosetting plastic. It’s not as durable as metal, but much lighter nonetheless (+3). The two base handles are unfortunately not foldable like those on the Presto 06857 (+1). It does, however, have four anti-slip pads at the bottom and is dishwasher-safe (+4).

7.0 Thermostat

The detachable thermostat is standard for its range of 200 to 400°F (+3). Although it has a warm setting, we found it hovers around 150°F and doesn't retain the preset temperature like some other skillets.

Thermostat seamlessly pops into the socket, is easy to remove, and it has a working light indicator (+4). It's important to note that the thermostat is not dishwasher-safe.

Power Cord

The power cord has a flat design and measures 28.74 inches in length. While quite short by our standards, it should suffice for cooking on the kitchen counter. The cord utilizes a two-prong plug, which is typically perceived as less safe than a grounded three-prong plug.

9.3 Usability

The Hamilton Beach Ceramic Non-Stick Electric Skillet 38529K being reversible and detachable made it extremely easy to maneuver and clean. The only advantage to storage is that the two parts can be stored separately.

9.5 Ease of Use

The thermostat snugly fit into place, the temperature is precise, and the indicator light prominently visible. (+3). After removing the thermostat, you can simply lift up the pan and serve food directly from the table.

When lifting the pan, make sure your fingers grip the handles firmly so as to not accidentally drop the pan or pick up the base along with it. For this reason, we felt like the handles would be improved with a clip-lock like the Presto 06857.

The skillet's exterior maintained a safe temperature during cooking, thus minimizing the risk of accidental burns (+3). The detachable skillet is also reversible so there is no guesswork involved and the anti-slips pads on the base kept everything perfectly steady no matter how hard we rocked the skillet (+3).

9.0 Cleaning and Storing

The ceramic non-stick coating and ease of separately handling the pan and base made cleaning a breeze (+3). Even with all the testing, including the burnt caramel in our heat distribution test, a quick hand-washing with a little soap and warm water was all we needed (+3).

On the other hand, you can just put everything, except the thermostat, into the dishwasher. Take care not to use the ‘SANI’ setting as per the manual guidelines. The skillet stores easily—even in its original box for safekeeping (+3).