Size Matters

Cooking Purpose

Made from: stainless steel, an alloy that doesn't chip, rust, or react with food; heats up moderately, quickly, and evenly

Stainless steel has anti-corrosive qualities and distributes equal heat. It is also long-lasting, sturdy, and non-stick. Since it’s PTFE coated, it poses no health risks.

Best for: Almost any food that needs frying, browning, or searing. Because it’s ovenproof, stainless is also a good choice for foods that you start on the stovetop and then move to the oven to finish, like thick pork chops.

The details: Nitahara says that 95 percent of the pans used in the CIA’s teaching kitchens are stainless steel because they can take a lot of punishment. “The only time we don’t use them is on egg day, when we use nonstick,” he says. He adds that the shiny surface of a stainless pan makes it easy to see whether your food is browning.

In CR’s tests of stainless steel pans, we measure heating evenness by cooking pancakes, and we gauge how evenly a pan sautés by cooking potatoes until they’re tender. We also conduct a cleaning test to see how easy it is to remove cooked-on food. You’d think that all stainless pans would be about the same to clean, but our tests show that some require a lot more scrubbing than others.

Here are two recommended stainless steel pans from CR’s tests.

    There are a few key steps to remember when using a cast griddle pan.  First, it's important to season your pan properly before using it for the first time.  This involves coating a cast iron grill pan with a thin layer of oil and heating the cast iron grill pan in the oven to create a non-stick surface.  Once seasoned, the skillet can be used to cook a variety of foods, from meats and vegetables to sandwiches and more.

Frying Pans Don’t Come With Lids

    For smaller cooking tasks or individual portions, a mini cast iron skillet is the perfect choice.  These cast iron skillets are perfect for cooking eggs, single servings of vegetables, and even single servings of desserts.  Mini Cast Iron Skillet's small size also makes them ideal for taking dishes straight from oven to table, adding a rustic yet charming feel to any meal.

    Additionally, adding cast iron skillets  to your cast iron cookware collection can complement other cast iron pieces, such as square cast iron frying pan, oval cast iron skillets, and cast iron round skillet.     Frying pans can be combined with these other pieces to expand your cooking capabilities.  For example, you can use a frying pan to cook bacon and eggs, while using a cast iron round skillet to make a savory sauce or a square skillet to sear a steak.