Ceramic Nonstick, Frying Pan

After purchasing a high dollar, German-named non-stick frying pan, I have instead just decided to go with the cheaper versions and replace them as needed. My experience with all of these ceramic pans is that they last for a fixed period of time, after which they lose their non-stick properties, and there is not much you can do. My $100 pan lasted about 3 months, as did its warranty replacement. Cheap big-box pan have lasted a year...or three weeks.=== The Good Stuff ===* I have used the 8" pan for about a month now, typically cooking eggs (for the dogs) twice per day. So far it is still as non-stick as the day I got it, although I always use just a fine mist of olive oil.* The pan cleans up easy-usually just a swish with the sponge and a little soap. I never put them in the dishwasher-more because they are just so easy to clean that it doesn't seem worth it.* The shape and weight seem about right. I don't do the "pan-flip", but instead always use soft silicone utensils.* If you like to crack eggs directly into the pan, there is a metal band along the top that protects the ceramic surface from being damaged by eggshell cracking.* I liked the small one enough that I bought a larger 10" pan for omelettes...this time for the humans. I only use that pan once a week or so, but it has held up for two months so far.=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===* The outside of the pan is just about impossible to clean. It is a very rough surface, and anything that sticks to it pretty much refuses to come off...even if you soak it for an hour or so. This is a problem since I usually crack eggs on the side of the pan, and a little always drips down the side. Not a real big deal for me, since frying pans are not really a decorator item in my kitchen.* Same deal with the metal band around the top of the pan. Stuff loves to collect underneath it, and cleaning is just about impossible.=== Summary ===If you think you are buying "the last frying pan you will ever need", get over it. We don't do that anymore. The ceramic pans are great, but they have a definite lifetime, and once they lose their non-stick properties, best thing to do is send them to the recycle bin. More expensive pans don't seem to have longer lasting coatings, and buying the same brand twice doesn't seem to give the same result.Caveat fryer.Update: 4/25/16After 5 weeks of twice per day use, the non-stick properties are rapidly failing. And when the non-stick fails, I mean it is just about impossible to get eggs not to stick-even using a generous coating of oil.It never saw a dishwasher, was always cleaned with a sponge after every use, and was never subjected to any high heat or burned food. Just another one of these miracle pans on its way to the recycling bin.