A: NO. Food won't get caught in the grooves. The grooved nonstick surface (the "Low" area) is protected by the peaks (the "Hi" area). Quite simply. Food won't stick in the grooves because the grooves are nonstick.

Note: Wash pans after each use. Continued cooking without cleaning could create food buildup in the grooves. There is no reason for this to occur, as it's a breeze to clean Circulon's HI-Low nonstick surface with a few swipes of a hot soapy sponge. If food does build up, remove with a soft brush and lemon juice or vinegar.

An additional feature: The grooves allow deglazing. While browning foods, residue can collect in the grooves for deglazing -- add wine, stock or other liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce to make a simple sauce. This cannot be done as easily in a flat-surfaced nonstick pan.

A: A hard-anodized surface is not a coating, but an integral part of the pan. The hard-anodized process is an electrochemical procedure that changes the surface of an aluminum pan to make it twice as hard as stainless steel.

A: NO. Ordinary nonstick cookware is made of plain aluminum which is soft. This makes nonstick coatings vulnerable to the wear and tear of kitchen utensils. Eventually scratches appear (white streaks), which develop into deep cuts allowing the aluminum core to interact with foods and cause blistering or peeling of the nonstick coating. This cannot happen with CIRCULON because the total surface is hard-anodized.

A: NO. Hard-anodization only hardens the aluminum - it does not create a nonstick surface. CIRCULON manufactures hard-anodized pans featuring “HI-Low” grooves and the TOTAL nonstick system.

A: YES. There are one-, two- and three-coat systems, with three coats providing the best quality. There are also different grades of three-coat systems. The patented TOTAL hard-anodized food release system incorporates improved Hi-Low wave technology and the most advanced nonstick formula available for a pan guaranteed to outlast all other nonsticks.