Of all the pots and pans people use in the kitchen, the frying pan is often the workhorse. It can be used to make any dish from scrambling an egg to pan frying chicken or making pancakes. Given its workhorse status, there are a multitude of different options when it comes to frying pans. In order to help you determine the best frying pans for your kitchen, we have reviewed 10 diverse frying pans as well as looked at the different materials and sizes of frying pans to help you find your best choice.
You might think that any shallow and wide pan usually used on the stove would be a frying pan, but there is more to it than that. Yes, frying pans have a shallow size and a wide cooking area. The same can be said for sauté pans as well as several other types of pans. What distinguishes a frying pan from those other types of shallow and wide pans is the lip. Frying pans have a gradual upturn along the sides instead of the right angle of a sauté pan or grill pan. This distinction makes it easier to poor food out of the pan.
2. What Type of Materials Are the Best Frying Pans Made Of?
Frying pans can be madeout of several types of metal as well as some nonmetallic nonstick options. The most common types of material that the best frying pans made out of include stainless steel, aluminum, cast iron, and nonstick coated versions of those three types of metals. These different materials all have their own pros and cons.
Non-stick surfaces are coated with a specific chemical or non-stick material that helps to prevent food from sticking to the surface of the pan. This non-stick surface can be fragile, prohibiting the use of metal utensils in the pan. They also wear out, meaning that the pan might have to be replaced much more often. Pans made of other metals can be seasoned, a process that requires heating them with an oil covering. This offers those pans an amount of non-stick protection, but often not of the same amount as a non-stick pan.
Aluminum heats quickly but is more subject to wear and tear than stainless steel which is known for its durability. Many of the best frying pans are made from stainless steel with a layer of aluminum in the center to help for quick heat. The final type of metal common to frying pans is cast iron. In the time of your grandmother’s grandmother, cast iron was the only choice, and while it takes the longest to heat, it retains its heat well; and when cherished, a cast iron pan will last well more than a lifetime.
3. What Is the Best Size for Your Frying Pan?
Frying pans come in many sizes. While smaller pans might be ideal for cooking an egg or two or toasting a single sandwich, if you are limited to a single frying pan, you will want one that will get the most use. For this reason, our reviews of the best frying pans looked at pans in the 9 to 12-inch range. At this size, they can handle almost any meal most families would need to cook.
The following products were reviewed based on the features, pros and cons, price, the material they are made of, and their general performance as rated on a scale from 1 to 5.
Overall Price Range
There is a great deal of price difference between the most expensive and least expensive of the best frying pans we reviewed. Often, you can get a lower end nonstick or basic cast-iron pan for about $30-$50. On the other end of the spectrum, you can pay upwards of $200 or even more or one of the high-end frying pans
What We Reviewed
All-Clad D3 Fry Pan
Woll Diamond Lite/Plus Fry Pan
De Buyer Mineral B Frying Pan
KitchenAid Tri-Ply Nonstick Skillet
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
Copper Chef Round Frying Pan
Utopia Kitchen Stainless Steel Skillet
Prima Matera Round Copper Fry Pan
Tramontina Gourmet Tri-Ply Fry Pan
Anolon Advanced Bronze Deep Skillet
All-Clad D3 Fry Pan
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Features
?The All-Clad D3 Frying Pan is an all-around great all-purpose pan, earlier a spot on our list of the best frying pans. Oven and broiler safe up to 600° it is a tri-ply stainless steel pan with aluminum core to make healing quicker and more even. With its highly polished cooking surface featuring a starburst finish, it offers some nonstick quality as long as it is well seasoned. It also comes with a lifetime warranty. At 10 inches and with an included lid, it can handle any of your frying pan needs
PROS
Try-ply construction for even heat
Durable construction with its stainless steel riveted handle
Oven and broiler safe
CONS
Non-stick capabilities limited compared to nonstick pans
More expensive than comparable pans
Some issues with warping at high temperatures
Price $$
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B00FUF5OIS” value=”button”]
Main Material
This is a tri-ply stainless steel pan with an aluminum center. This offers the durability and rust resistance of stainless steel along with the even heating quality of aluminum.
Performance 4
As it is able to be used on the stove as well as in the oven, this pan can perform everything you will need a frying pan to do. That said, even seasoned stainless steel will stick more than a nonstick pan.
Woll Diamond Lite/Plus Fry Pan
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Features
The Woll Diamond Lite/Plus Frying Pan is one of the most innovative frying pans on our list of the best frying pans. Made from cast aluminum, it is reenforced with an ultra hard nonstick coating that includes embedded diamond crystals. Not only is this coating nonstick, but it is much more durable than standard nonstick coating. Metal utensils will not damage it, and it is both oven and dishwasher safe and able to withstand oven temperatures of up to 500 degrees. The Woll Diamond Lite/Plus Frying Pan also includes a lid and is induction stove ready.
PROS
The non-stick coating is more durable than standard nonstick coatings
Induction stove ready
Oven safe up to 500 degrees
CONS
Much more expensive than comparable non-stick frying pans
Cast aluminum is more subject to warping been cast iron or stainless steel
The coating can flake with regular use
Price $$$
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B00E48AYCS” value=”button”]
Main Material
The main material of the pan is cast aluminum, though it has a nonstick coating that includes powdered diamonds.
Performance 4
With its ability to be used in the oven at up to 500 degrees, it can be used for any regular frying pan use, but its cast aluminum design is subject to warping at high temperatures.
De Buyer Mineral B Frying Pan
[amazon box=”B00462QP0C”]
Features
Our first carbon steel pan on the list, the De Buyer Mineral B frying pan is made of 99% pure iron, which is naturally nonstick: at least after it is seasoned. Carbon steel does not provide the same durability as stainless steel, so this pan requires special care to keep it in proper working order. It cannot be used in the dishwasher or oven. That said, the seasoning of carbon steel improves with more use, so the more you cook in this pan the better it will perform when it comes to food not sticking
PROS
Inexpensive compared to similar pans
Non-stick with proper seasoning
CONS
Carbon steel does not provide the same durability as stainless
Special care must be taken to keep the pan seasoned and rust free
Not oven or dishwasher safe
Price $
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B00462QP0C” value=”button”]
Main Material
This is a carbon steel pan, so its seasoning must be maintained and special care used to keep it from rusting.
Performance 3
This is an inexpensive and all-around good pan for stovetop use. It is not oven safe, and as it is made from carbon steel, it requires special care, it is not one of the best-performing pans on our list of best frying pans.
KitchenAid Tri-Ply Nonstick Skillet
[amazon box=”B00M531QIU” template=”horizontal”]
Features
KitchenAid might be best known for their mixers, but their try-ply nonstick skillet is an excellent addition to our list of the best frying pans. Made from stainless steel with an aluminum center for even heating, it’s base is magnetized. This is an ideal pan for any type of cooktop including induction, electric, or gas. It is both dishwasher and oven safe and able to handle up to 500 degrees. Finally, it includes a nonstick surface so that seasoning is not required
PROS
Try-ply stainless steel for even cooking and heating
Non-stick coating limiting the need for seasoning
Oven safe up to 500 degrees
CONS
Non-stick coating subject to wear and can flake off
More expensive than some of the other non-stick pans
Price $$
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B00M531QIU” value=”button”]
Main Material
This is a tri-ply stainless steel pan with an aluminum core as well as a non stick surface applied inside the pan.
Performance 4
With its solid construction and oven safe abilities up to 500 degrees, this is a good all-around frying pan, but some issues with the durability of the nonstick coating keep it from getting a five on our performance rating for the best frying pans.
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
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Features
The Lodge Cast Iron Skillet harkens back to an older time when all frying pans were made of cast iron. When properly seasoned, cast-iron provides one of the best nonstick surfaces for cooking. These pans are also incredibly durable. Many people have inherited the cast-iron pans from their grandparents grandparents and may still work as well today as they did back then. They do take extra care to ensure that they remain nonstick and rust free, but as with carbon steel, the seasoning on these pans increases with use so the more you use it the better performance you will receive from your pan. The Lodge cast-iron skillet comes with a silicon cover for its handle. This pan is oven safe, but it is not dishwasher safe
PROS
Cast Iron when well taken care of will last more than a lifetime
Oven safe
Non-stick when properly seasoned
CONS
Heavy, weighing more than any other pan on our list of the best frying pans
Will rust without proper care
The handle can get incredibly hot so the included silicon handle cover is an important addition.
Price $
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B00WTSCXIS” value=”button”]
Main Material
100% cast iron
Performance 5
This was the only pan most of our grandparents owned and with good reason. It can do everything you need a frying pan to do, though adding a non stick pan to your kitchen for the stickiest foods such as eggs might be a good idea.
Copper Chef Round Frying Pan
[amazon box=”B01C68ADLY”]
PROS
Oven safe up to 800 degrees
Ceramic Coating offers superior non-stick capabilities
CONS
The non-stick coating is subject to wear and tear with regular use
Many purchasers have durability issues with their pans
Price $
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B01C68ADLY” value=”button”]
Main Material
This is a copper pan with a ceramic non-stick coating.
Performance 2
While it is oven and dishwasher safe, the durability issues leave a lot to be desired.
Utopia Kitchen Stainless Steel Skillet
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PROS
Stainless steel is durable
Oven and dishwasher safe
Comes with the word
CONS
Easy to cut yourself on lid
Short handle
Price $
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B01D0MDZRO” value=”button”]
Main Material
This is a 100% stainless steel pan.
Performance 3
While it can be used in the oven, as it is made from just stainless steel it has heating issues compared to try-ply pans.
Prima Matera Round Copper Fry Pan
[amazon box=”B003XU6ROC”]
PROS
Durable construction suitable for all cooktops
Even heating and unsurpassed heat distribution
CONS
Cost
Non-stick coatings provide better non-stick abilities
Price $$$
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B003XU6ROC” value=”button”]
Main Material
An innovative copper and stainless steel alloy.
Performance 5
This pan will provide all you would need out of a frying pan.
Tramontina Gourmet Tri-Ply Fry Pan
[amazon box=”B009HBKXPU”]
PROS
Inexpensive compared to other tri-ply pans
Oven and dishwasher safe
Sleek modern design
CONS
Needs seasoning for non-stick usage
Some purchasers had issues with the inner stainless steel surface peeling
Price $
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B009HBKXPU” value=”button”]
Main Material
This is made of a tri-ply stainless steel with aluminum core.
Performance 4
While it can do everything you need a frying pan to do, its durability issues keep it from a perfect score.
Anolon Advanced Bronze Deep Skillet
[amazon box=”B001DTDEUU”]
PROS
Inexpensive
Oven safe with a non-stick coating
CONS
Non-stick coating can flake and is subject to wear
The cooking surface is smaller than the other pans on the list
Price $
Where to Buy
[amazon fields=”B001DTDEUU” value=”button”]
Main Material
While it has bronze in the name, it is primarily made from aluminum.
Performance 3
This is a good non-stick pan but subject to chipping.
While all of the pans on our list are great, the best frying pan for you comes down to both your budget and skill level.
If you’re just starting out in the kitchen, a good non-stick surface will help you on the way to culinary mastery. For good non-stick at a price that won’t break the bank, you will do well with either the Copper Chef or Analon skillets.
For the serious home cook whose skills are as honed as their knives, the stainless steel All-Clad and cast iron Lodge are terrific choices. While they do take some skill to use, these frying pans are a sheer joy to have in the kitchen.
1 Comment
Love these frying pans very beautiful and very useful, thanks for sharing this.