The Cuisinart brand has been owned by Conair (known for hair dryers & small appliances) since 1989. The Cuisinart founder "invented" the food processor around 1973, but there has never been anything French about the company except the name (the inventor discovered food processing concepts in France, though). The non-stick ceramic-based coating works well, with food not sticking to the surface. The ceramic coating has a slight graininess which I didn't expect for a surface that is intended to not bond with other matter. Comes w/ a lid, which explains the higher pricing - there are many other ceramic-based non-stick 12" woks for about $30 without a lid -- a lid separately sells for about $25 so the all-in price is competitive. However, 3 common complaints by other buyers: (1) non-stick becomes sticky after use, (2) high heat, and (3) induction cooking (?). (1) It seems the major complaint is that it "fails" after some use. I haven't owned it long enough (say 6 mos. of constant use) to comment, but when a non-stick surface is causing food to stick, my educated guess is that (i) the surface has worn away or delaminated, or (ii) a film deposit has covered the surface. Using non-metal cook utensils should avoid wearing down the surface (if not a product defect), so a film deposit is likely the cause of sticking. Users say they soap clean the wok after each use, but it may not remove every bit of cooked-on matter. I have many kitchen items with baked- or cooked-on food residue that a normal soap/water cleaning won't remove. For this, Cuisinart says to soak in soapy water for a couple of hours, and use a Dobie pad (whatever that is). So, to address the filming of the surface, I suggest the following: * Do NOT to use spray oils because they leave a film -- is it true ? I don't know, but it's been mentioned (maybe by Birthers or climate change Merchants of Doubt). * Another poster is on the crusade saying to use hi-concentration vinegar to get rid of film -- maybe it makes sense because I've heard about vinegar to clean drip coffee makes & dish washers by running vinegar to get rid of residue & buildup. This means any acidic liquid (lemon juice, etc.) may also work. Added 02/2017 -- following another poster's advice, I don't use soap - - basically, season the wok per Cuisinart's instructions, then after each use, use water to soak the bottom surface, then I use 2 x 1/2 sheet paper towels to clean & wipe - - first sheet to get off food residue, then the second 1/2 sheet to absorb resident liquids. I was concerned that without soap, the wok would be 'dirty", but "wiping" preserves the the seasoned non-stick effect that would be eroded by soap. So, I've just been wiping. (2) High Heat - Basically, after reading Cuisinart's "documents" (excerpted below), the precaution AGAINST high heat is related to burning YOUR food, but the wok is safe to 500 degrees broiler, and should not be warping. Cuisinart's seasoning directions including placing the wok in a 300 degree oven for one hour. However, if you've using a 15,000 btu burner, then a carbon steel wok (with oil seasoning) is the better choice - - high heat also means a lot of oil fumes (and greasy range), so if you can tolerate that, than seasoning a carbon steel wok is a better choice. Cuisinart literature - "Never use Cuisinart GreenGourmet Cookware on high heat or food will burn. The Aluminum core of this cookware heats quickly and its even heat distribution prevents hot spots. We recommend using a low or medium setting for most cooking. To boil water, medium-high is sufficient. Never leave Cuisinart Cookware or any pan empty over a hot burner. Doing so can ruin the pan and void the warranty and cause damage to the stovetop." "Cuisinart . . . can be in the oven up to 500 degrees F. Cookware is broiler safe." (3) Induction cooking (?) -- the box shows gas, electric, glass ceramic and halogen, but NOT induction (presumably not magnetized). Seasoning (?) -- per Cuisinart, "Seasoning your pans twice a year helps to maintain optimal performance and is easy! Just add a half-tablespoon of vegetable oil and spread it around the entire interior right up to the rim. Then place the pan in a preheated 300 degree F oven for an hour." The box has a label saying "Made and printed in China" so I assume both product & box are manufactured there. Cuisinart also has the model 626-32H Chef's Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 12-1/2-Inch with a Teflon like (PTFE based) surface, but without PFOA. Given that PTFE is emitted, and PFOA doesn't leave the body, and both are either pollutants or suspected carcinogens, why use a petroleum/chemical based surface with your food ? What this says is that ceramic non-stick is not "buy, use & forget" like today's no-frost freezers -- manufacturers don't seem to be helping with addressing "stickiness" (just like washer manufacturer's deny the smell & mold of front loaders - for that & other HE washers, one poster say run a load w/ 1-2 dishwashing detergent pellets which do the same thing as the $1 washer cleaner pellets. My sample has a dent on the metal wrap of the glass lid. It appears to be a factory dent because the lid itself was well wrapped in cardboard & paper, and the entire box was shipped by Amazon in an outside box w/ paper (Amazon is not only a great retailer, but a fantastic shipper -- always something outside the actual retail box).