The Best Frying Pan

Frying Pan Buying Guide

If you aren’t sure which kind of pan is right for you, take a look at our simple buying guide to help you make a decision. Most people are choosing nonstick pans because they are convenient, but you might be pleasantly surprised with the performance of a longer-lasting stainless steel or cast iron pan.

Nonstick

Take me to the Best Nonstick Pan Reviews section

Stainless Steel

Take me to the Best Stainless Steel Pan Reviews section

Cast Iron

Take me to the Best Cast Iron Pan Reviews section

Copper

Take me to the Best Copper Pan Reviews section

Carbon Steel

Take me to the Best Carbon Steel Pan Reviews section

Nonstick Pans

TestHut’s Best Value: Circulon Infinite French Skillet 24 cm

Our pick for the best overall pan is the Circulon Infinite French Skillet. In test after test, we could not find anything this pan doesn’t do well.

One of the Circulon Infinite’s best features is the unique Hi-Low Nonstick System which was one of the slickest nonstick coatings we tested—right on par with the Swiss Diamond pan. Nothing stuck to it. Not only that, but it survived all of our tests and was just as nonstick as when we started.

The Circulon heated evenly and cooked very steadily. So when we cooked something across the whole pan like a crepe or omelette, it was perfectly brown and even from edge to edge.

It is easy to clean and care for. We like that it is made of anodized aluminum with a sturdy steel handle—it is built to last. Most other nonstick pans had plastic handles, and several broke in our durability test.

The Circulon took longer to heat up than other pans in our tests, and the handle did get warm while cooking. They fused a metal disc to the bottom which allows it to work on induction hobs, but also collects grime.

We think that anyone in the market for a frying pan will be delighted with the Circulon Infinite series. These pans are easy to use, durable, and most important, almost everything you cook will turn out perfectly.

Best Premium Nonstick: Swiss Diamond XD Induction 24 cm (Best Induction Pan)

If you want the best nonstick pan in our test, then we recommend stepping up to the Swiss Diamond XD 24cm. This was the highest scoring pan in our tests, and the only reason it isn’t our top recommendation is because of its price.

Everything we cooked in this pan turned out better than expected with the best nonstick coating that we tested. When we cooked burgers, steak, and chicken, they all turned out beautifully brown and crispy on the outside and cooked to our liking on the inside.

The Swiss Diamond outperformed all the other pans in our induction hob tests.

It survived all of our durability tests and excelled in our cooking challenges. It is also perfectly flat and super stable on any hob. While other pans showed temperature fluctuations during our cooking tests, the Swiss Diamond was as stable and even as could be.

The nonstick coating is extremely durable, showing no signs of wear after all of our testing. It also has the highest oven rating of any nonstick pan in our test of up to 260°C.

The Swiss Diamond is a bit shallow for making stir-fries and other dishes that require a deeper pan, and it is a bit less voluminous (1.7 litres) than the Circulon, so it can’t hold as much food.

We do like the comfortable and safe bakelite handle, but in a premium pan like this, a metal handle would be nice.

If money is no object, and you want the best nonstick pan that we tested, then the Swiss Diamond XD is a great choice for all your cooking needs.

Best Budget Nonstick: Tefal Precision Plus 24cm (Non Induction)

This little Tefal Precision Plus pan is a bit delicate, but we think it makes a great breakfast pan at a good price.

The Precision Plus is a stamped aluminum pan coated with Teflon. The nonstick surface performed well in our tests, repelling fried eggs and crepes with ease. The pan also heated evenly and stayed pretty steady when compared to heavier, more expensive nonstick pans.

While not as steady as the Swiss Diamond or Circulon, the pan cooks evenly and showed only a 10-degree difference when we measured 5 points on the pan after 5 minutes of cooking, which is very good.

The bakelite handle is not as comfortable as the higher-end Comfort Max series from Tefal, but it stayed cool and gave a solid grip while cooking.

It is coated both inside and out, so it is very easy to clean. It has no hard-to-reach spots or any areas that will accumulate dirt over time.

One complaint we have is that this pan was advertised as a 24 cm pan, but it is actually closer to 23 cm and does feel small. It also has a relatively delicate Teflon coating that scratched during our tests.

If you are looking for a nice little breakfast pan to cook your bacon, crepes, and eggs, this is a really good option. We wouldn’t count on using it to feed a large family, but it makes a good sidekick for general kitchen needs.

Best Teflon alternative: Ozeri GreenEarth smooth ceramic pan 26 cm

From all of our research, we think that Teflon pans are safe for most people to use. However, we understand that there are those who want a nonstick alternative to Teflon, so we tested ceramic pans as well. The main difference is that PTFE (Teflon) pans are coated with a chemical, while ceramic pans are coated with a substance made basically of sand called GREBLON®. The Ozeri GreenEarth pan was the best one we tested.

After reading many negative reviews about ceramic-coated pans with people complaining that they aren’t really nonstick, we were happily surprised at the cooking performance of the Ozeri. In all of our tests, it was just as nonstick as most Teflon pans.

This pan is big and can fit plenty of food for a family of 4. It is made of durable cast aluminum with a convenient pouring lip all around.

There are many who claim that ceramic coatings are less durable than Teflon, but this pan made it through all of our durability tests still performing just as well as when we started using it.

We did not like the long, bakelite handle—it is uncomfortable, and the metal piece it attaches to gets dangerously hot. If you grab the pan wrong, your thumb could easily slide down and get burned. Not only that, but the handle snapped off in our drop test.

If you want a Teflon-free nonstick pan that is steady and on any hob, then the Ozeri Green Earth pan is a great option. We would also recommend taking a look at the Textured Ceramic line which all have safer steel handles.

Also good nonstick pans

These pans were not our topic choices, but they are perfectly fine nonstick pans that will work well in your kitchen.

If you want a nonstick pan with style: Ikea Trovärdig Nonstick 24 cm

We all agreed that this was one of the best looking nonstick pans in our test with a durable steel handle riveted to the pan. The nonstick performance was excellent, and the pan was very steady in our induction hob tests. However, we found the coating was not durable and we had mixed esults in our cooking tests. For a stylish nonstick pan that should meet most of your cooking needs, we think that you will like the Ikea Trovärdig.

If you want a stylish, compact alternative to Teflon: GreenPan Cambridge 24 cm

The GreenPan was a well-reviewed ceramic alternative to Teflon alongside its cousin Ozeri, and the two pans performed very similarly. We liked the GreenPan’s stylish and accessible shape with curved sides, but it is smaller and therefore less versatile than the Ozeri. The biggest setback was that the handle snapped off completely in our tests. But If you are looking for a compact nonstick pan that doesn’t use any Teflon, then the GreenPan is a great choice.

If you want a minimalist nonstick pan: Scanpan Classic 24 cm

Scanpan pans have a good track record of reliability and durability. This Danish model was a bit pricier than other pans, but it is a quality product. It performed well in all of our tests, but it didn’t do anything better than the other pans we tested. If you are looking for a high-end nonstick pan made in Europe, you will like the reliable and easy-to-use Scanpan Classic.

Note: This pan is not induction compatible.

If you want a budget stainless steel nonstick: AmazonBasics 24 cm Frying Pan

This pan is highly rated on Amazon, and we thought it would be good to see what their product line has to offer. We liked the nonstick performance—it released foods almost as easily as our top contenders, but it felt light and cheap and heated unsteadily. For the price, this is a decent nonstick frying pan, so if you like Amazon products and want a no-nonsense budget pan, this may be the one for you.

If you want a comfortable grip: Tefal Comfort Max 26 cm

Ironically, we ordered the Comfort Max because it is one of the highest-rated, best-selling Tefal pans out there, but we actually preferred using the less expensive Precision Plus model. This is a thin, stainless disc pan (like the Amazon) with a well-performing nonstick Tefal Teflon coating inside, but it heated unsteadily and gave mixed cooking results. If you want a larger pan with a shiny, stainless exterior and a super comfortable handle, then the Comfort Max might be right for you—just be careful not to drop it (the handle snapped off in our tests)!

Not recommended nonstick pans

Unfortunately, a few nonstick pans did not do well in our thorough testing regime, and we cannot recommend them.

Zyliss Cook Nonstick 24 cm

This Zyliss pan was an early controversy. Some of the testers really liked it, while others hated it because of its speckled, textured Teflon coating. Initially, the pan was doing well in our tests and was in contention for our best budget pick, but in our final durability tests, it began to fail. It warped, and the nonstick coating wore off making the pan useless. Because of this lack of durability, we cannot recommend the Zyliss.

Ikea Kavalkad Nonstick 24 cm

When we went shopping at Ikea for our two test pans, the Sensuell and Trovärdig, we saw this little Kavalkad on the shelf for under 5 euros. We couldn’t resist adding it to our test group as a control. What kind of pan do you get at such a low price point? What we learned is that you do get what you pay for. This pan did well in most of our nonstick tests, but by the end, the coating was scratching off, and we know this pan will not last very long.

Stainless Steel Pans

Best Stainless Steel Pan: Fissler Crispy Steelux Premium Pan 24 cm

After we all finished our home tests and met for the first time to discuss the results, we all agreed that our favourite stainless pan was the Fissler Crispy Steelux.

The most notable feature about the Fissler is the corrugated Novogrill® surface which gave this stainless pan the best release out of all the stainless pans in our test.

After we started testing the pans in the lab, we saw why the Fissler was giving us great results. It heated incredibly evenly from edge to edge—no pan in our tests heated as perfectly.

The pan is well-balanced with a rivetless steel handle, and it is designed to be versatile and easy to use.

You do need to be a bit careful because it heats so efficiently that we noticed it getting pretty hot when left unattended on the stove (especially on induction hobs), and the metal handle gets warm.
Cleaning the pan was mostly simple, but it does tend to accumulate grime around the edges which takes a bit more effort if you want the pan to look shiny and new.

We loved cooking with the Fissler pan on our electric and gas hobs, and we know that you will too. This pan is a perfect option if you are trying to get away from nonstick and want something easy to cook with that will last for a long time.

Best Premium Stainless Steel Pan: Demeyere Industry 24 cm

If you want to step up your cooking game, then we recommend upgrading to the Demeyere Industry pan.

This 5-ply, all-clad stainless pan is incredibly responsive to temperature changes—what this means is that when we started testing by frying eggs, we struggled to get the pan to the perfect temperature, but soon the stainless interior was performing almost on par with the incredible Fissler.

It has a wonderful shape with a long steel handle, and the sides are deep enough for cooking just about anything. This was the best pan in our tests for making wonderful pan sauces.

The rounded corners made stirring with a whisk effortless. It also cleans up nicely after even the messiest cooking jobs.

On the other hand, this pan is one of the more expensive pans that we tested, and we felt like the handle could offer a bit more grip.

We think this is a great looking pan that will last a lifetime. So, If you are ready for a high-end, classy frying pan that can go from the stove to the table and will handle anything you throw at it, the Demeyere Industry pan is a great choice.

Best Budget Stainless Steel: Lagostina Tempra 26 cm

If you are looking for a no-nonsense stainless steel pan at a good price, then the Lagostina Tempra pan is a great option. This is a decent entry-level stainless steel pan.

In our tests, the Lagostina kept up with pricier stainless pans with its even heating and versatile shape. While not quite as nonstick as the Fissler, and just a bit less responsive than the Demeyere, the Lagostina pan heats very evenly.

It is large enough and deep enough for just about any cooking need, and was one of the largest in our test at 2.2 litres.

This is not the most stylish pan with its rather industrial look and feel. It is a bit heavy at 1.4kg, and the silicone handle, while comfortable, does limit the oven temperature to 210°C.

Like the other disc pans in our test, this pan suffered from unexpected heat climb, so you should be careful to pay attention to temperature to avoid scorching foods.

If you are on a budget but still interested in getting a nice all-purpose, durable stainless steel pan, then the Lagostina is a nice compromise. It will give you years of trouble-free cooking without breaking the bank.

If you want a speedy, purpose-built frying pan: Made In 10-Inch Fry Pan

The Made In came to us highly touted and reviewed from the United States. This clad pan was a very close contender to the Demeyere in our premium stainless pan conversation, but it is not as versatile, being too shallow for larger dishes. It was the best-in-test for flipping food with a flick of the wrist. However, our first test pan warped, possibly because we heated it and then cooled it too quickly for cleaning. Made In apologised and sent us a new pan, which has survived our durability test, including a hot pan in cold water submersion, and is still showing no signs of warping. We think anyone looking for a high-performance, purpose-built stainless pan will love the clad, 5-ply Made In pan.

If you are cooking for one or two: Ikea Sensuell 24 cm

We loved the concept behind Ikea’s Sensuell stainless pan line. They want to provide a quality stainless pan at a nice price, and on paper, and they really seem to have succeeded. This is a compact, all-clad steel pan that looks good and actually performs pretty well. But overall, the pan just didn’t give us great cooking results. We also noticed that the silicone was detaching from the bottom of the handle after just a few months of testing. If you are looking for a nice starter stainless pan just for yourself, this is a decent low-cost option.

Cast Iron Skillets

Best Cast Iron Skillet: Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet 10.25”

The classic Lodge skillet is the archetype of cast iron pans. We saw it winning online reviews as the best cast iron skillet, so buying one for ourselves was a no brainer.

We really liked cooking with the Lodge for its steadiness and were surprised at just how nonstick a well-seasoned, high-quality cast iron pan could be. With just a little butter or oil, eggs released from this pan with no residue at all.

As a cast iron pan, it does not heat as evenly as steel or aluminium, but once it was heated, it held a steady temperature and was as predictable as a battleship.

Not only that, but this cast iron skillet can cook on any type of hob and has no problem going from the stovetop to the oven.

The downside is that It is a bit heavy and does require general cast iron maintenance after use, but we think that this pan is worth a little extra care.

We wish that the handle didn’t get so hot, but you just have to remember to use a towel or oven mitt when moving the pan around.

The great thing about cast iron is that you would really have to work hard to ruin this pan—this Lodge pan will likely outlast you.

We think this Lodge skillet is a great buy and a steal for the price. Here you can buy one pan that can do just about everything in the kitchen and one that will last forever. Yes, it will take some maintenance and care, but in the long run, it is more than worth it!

Best Premium Cast Iron Skillet: Skeppshult Professional Walnut 24 cm

If you are looking for a more premium cast iron skillet, and maybe one that is a bit more eye-catching and beautiful than the Lodge, then look no further than Skeppshult.

We love the shape of the skillet with its shallow profile along with the stylish walnut handle. And although it looks smaller than the Lodge, it is actually heavier at 2.45kg.

The great thing about this skillet is not only does it look beautiful on the stovetop or dining room table, it also cooks very well.

We were really impressed with the Skeppshult pan’s release. With just a little butter, eggs slid around like they were on ice.

Another nice thing is that this pan comes with a removable walnut handle that stays cool whilst cooking, and is long enough for two-handed cooking manoeuvres.

We loved the results we got from the Skeppshult, but like the Lodge and other cast iron skillets, it does not heat evenly.

We think this is a perfect breakfast pan for bacon and eggs. It also produced gorgeous seared salmon as well as crispy chicken.

On the downside, there are no spouts for pouring and this pan is really heavy, so it is hard to balance and maneuver. The shallow sides make it great for evaporation and searing meats, but it isn’t versatile for things like stir-fries. It is also expensive for cast iron.

If your budget allows, and you are looking for a high-end cast iron skillet that offers not only top-notch cooking performance but also an ergonomic and classy aesthetic, then we highly recommend the Skeppshult.

If you want stylish cast iron without all the fuss: Le Creuset Signature Enamelled Cast Iron 26 cm

We were excited to try a beautiful piece of enamelled cast iron from the fabled Le Creuset line. The advantage of enamel is that it is a Teflon-free coating, which means you never have to season your Le Creuset cast iron pan, and you can cook just about anything in it. However, it has all the negative properties of a heavy cast iron pan, including uneven heating, but without the benefits of the virtually nonstick seasoning and impervious durability of raw cast iron. This pan is a signature piece, and it will make a nice conversation starter at dinner parties. It is comforting with warmth and charm that comes with a hefty price tag.

Not Recommended

After giving us poor cooking results time and time again, we cannot recommend the Burnhard cast iron pan.

Burnhard Cast Iron 26 cm

We ended up buying the Burnhard because we wanted to compare the industry-standard Lodge to a less expensive but quite similar looking cast iron pan. Boy, we noticed a difference! Not all cast iron is created equal. In our very first pancake test, the Burnhard name became eponymous, as everything seemed to “burn hard.” This was the lowest scoring pan in our test, and we would not recommend this pan for anyone, except maybe as a decent anti-burglary device.

Copper Pans

Best Copper Pan: Mauviel 1830 Copper Frying Pan 26 cm

We chose the Mauviel 2.5 mm 1830 series because of its tough stainless steel interior (as opposed to some pans with tin linings) and Mauviel’s pedigree. So, if you are in the market for a copper pan, then we think Mauviel is the best one you will find in Europe for the price.

We had very high expectations for our one and only copper test pan, but we found that aside from heating up really quickly, there wasn’t anything special about cooking with copper. The interior is coated with stainless steel, so the properties of cooking were closer to our stainless pans than anything else.

This copper Mauviel heats up very quickly, taking just 23 seconds to reach 200°C on our electric hob, so this pan is ready to start cooking almost immediately. This thing is almost microwave fast!

We really like the shape of the pan. It is perfect for sauces and stir-fries, and we found that accessing food with a spatula was easier with the Mauviel than with any other pan in our test.

We think the Mauviel is beautiful, and maintaining the shine takes a lot of work, but the darker patina that it takes on after a few cooking sessions has its own unique charm.

If you are in the market for a copper pan, and you want to add a thing of beauty to your kitchen that will last a long, long time, then we recommend the Mauviel 1830 copper pan. Your dinner guests will all be delighted with food served in quality, naturally beautiful, genuine copper.

Carbon Steel Pans

Best Carbon Steel Pan: De Buyer Mineral B 26 cm

The De Buyer Mineral B is a highly reviewed and respected carbon steel pan that gave us great cooking results at a decent price point.

The pan is made of raw carbon steel, which means that you have to season it before you use it, and continually keep it dry and oiled after using to avoid rust.

Once seasoned, the nonstick properties of this pan were simply amazing, giving us better release than any other metal pan in our test.

It is a bit lighter than a standard cast iron pan, but it still felt heavy at just under 2 kilograms. It also shares the lack of evenness of cast iron, heating up quickly right where the hob touches the pan, and taking a while for the heat to even out.

We liked the build quality and design of the Mineral B—it looks and feels very solid. The shape is practical with the deep side walls, and it is versatile and easy to access with a spatula.

One of the most striking features is the signature long, high, flat steel handle. The shape and angle make it a bit awkward to handle, and it was one of the least comfortable handles in our tests.

Another issue was that this pan sometimes heated unpredictably, especially on our induction hob, getting too hot too quickly.

We love the concept of the Mineral B. It is a hunk of indestructible carbon steel that is designed to be an industrial all-purpose pan that will serve most of your needs. We think it is a good fit between stainless steel and cast iron with a great nonstick surface and versatile shape.

How we chose our test frying pans

When we decided to choose the best frying pan, we knew that we were entering an enormous niche. There are literally thousands of frying pans to choose from, and we had our work cut out for us.

We began by reading dozens of international professional reviews to see which pans were making the lists time and time again looking for patterns. We consulted professional chefs to see which pans they would recommend and what features were most important to them when cooking at home. Then we researched the top manufacturers to see what their pan lineups looked like. We cross-referenced professional reviews with user reviews seeking the highest quality and best value.

It took a long time to understand all the different nonstick surfaces, pan materials, and how they are made. We wanted to try at least one of each main type of pan to really understand the differences in cooking quality based on materials and styles.

We narrowed down our choices and focused on the following criteria:

• Materials: We wanted to test pans of every type including nonstick (Teflon and ceramic), stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, and copper.
• Durability: We looked for pans with good long-term reviews and nonstick pans with great track records.
• Value/Cost: We tested pans in various price ranges to get an understanding of what you get if you pay more or less.
• Brand Reliability: We focused on major manufacturers with a track record of quality.
• Size: We tried to get as close to 25cm (10 inches) as possible for standard testing and to test a popular pan size.

Ultimately, we narrowed our list down to about 30 pans, and then we ordered 22 of the best to test. Availability was our final criteria. If a pan couldn’t be found in European online stores, then we didn’t order it. One example of this is the All-Clad pan which is an American-made pan that is highly reviewed, but availability is very limited in Europe.

How we scored frying pans

Comparing and scoring all of these different pans was challenging because we were comparing all pan types to one another. Comparing nonstick to cast iron is definitely an apples to oranges analogy, but we wanted to create the ultimate guide for everyone trying to find the best overall pan. We wanted to help explain the pros and cons of each pan type. We know that our hard work will help the average home chef make the best choice for their cooking demands.

We used 6 criteria to rate each pan as we tested and weighted each one based on importance. Each main category included several subcriteria which are explained in the Testing and Scoring section that follows. Main criteria:

• Cooking Performance (40%): How well this pan prepared food.
• Durability (20%): How well the pan will survive over time.
• Ease of Use (15%): How easy it is to use.
• Cleaning and Maintenance (15%): How hard it is to clean and maintain the pan.
• Versatility (5%): How the design of this pan allows it to be used for multiple cooking tasks.
• Design (5%): How the pan looks and how easy it is to store.

Table notes:

Overall score: In our tests, we considered any pan that scored a 3.5 or higher to be a pan worth recommending, so only 3 of our test pans did not make the cut.

Cooking performance: Most of the pans prepared food relatively well. The main outlier was the Burnhard which was uneven, sticky, and tended to overheat.

Durability: Pans that were damaged during testing got the lowest scores for durability. We saw handles breaking off, and in the case of nonsticks, some scratched, and the Zyliss lost its nonstick ability completely.

Ease of use: We found that most pans were easy to use. The lowest scores went to pans with handles that got dangerously hot like the Lodge and Le Creuset. These cast iron skillets were also heavy.

Cleaning and maintenance: In this category, again, cast iron skillets earned the lowest scores because they take regular maintenance and they can be hard to clean.

Design: We tended to favour pans with clean lines and uniform materials. We took points off for pans that were harder to store as well. The Kavalkad earned the lowest score because it looks cheap.

Testing frying pans

Frying pans have one job, and that is to cook your food to perfection. So to see if these pans were up to that task, we did a lot of cooking!

Prior to their arrival, we spent weeks researching pans to understand how they are made, what they are made of, and what kinds of tests we should do.

Our team consisted of 3 cooks ranging from a complete novice to an experienced, albeit untrained, chef who is a reigning chili champion. We know that our readers also have various levels of expertise in cooking, so we wanted to see which pans work best for most people.

As a team, we spent hundreds of hours cooking with 22 pans in our home and lab tests. We cooked a wide variety of foods to get a real-world experience of what these pans could do best, and what they couldn’t do so well.

We then brought them into our TestHut kitchen to put them through many more hours of structured, standardized testing. Our goal was to find out not only which pans performed the best but why. We tested them on different hobs (gas, electric, induction) and cooked literally hundreds of eggs and pancakes to gauge their performance and abilities.

Spending hours sweating over various hobs, we seared steaks, stir-fried vegetables, fried chicken, and prepared dozens of other foods. We cleaned these pans over and over, scrubbing and scraping burnt food from failed tests.

Truthfully, we went further than any other test site to try to learn about the properties of heating on different hobs and how and why each pan was working and not working in various tests. Through these tests, we learned a great deal about how pans were conducting heat and why some cooked better than others. We found patterns in the way disc pans work and how clad pans distribute heat. We also found out how slight alterations in heating can make a great difference in results, especially when it comes to avoiding a sticky mess in a stainless pan!

In the end, however, we came to the conclusion that there are many variables when cooking with a frying pan (size, shape, construction, materials, ingredients, hobs, etc.). Understanding exactly why one pan cooked better than another meant taking all of these into consideration. We came to the logical conclusion that the best way to test for the best pan was to compare the final cooking results when preparing the same foods in exactly the same way. After cooking, we rated appearance, taste, and texture. This gave us conclusive evidence demonstrating that one pan was superior to another. It was clear from these results that some pans simply cooked better than others.

How we tested: Cooking performance

The main question we focused on during our tests was how well does it cook our food? This is the most important factor in buying cookware, so we weighted this as 40% of the total score.

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This seems like an easy question to answer, but we wanted to break it down and determine why one frying pan cooks better than another.

Gauging the overall cooking quality of these 22 pans was indeed a challenge. When we made our initial ordering selections, we knew we had already picked some of the best pans you can buy, so, as expected, most of them did very well in our head-to-head cooking challenges. But even after all the testing, it really came down to taste and appearance. Which pans were able to make us feel like professional chefs giving us great results time and time again?

In the end, we focused on 5 subcategories to determine how well a pan cooks:

• Cooking quality tests (50%): When comparing prepared foods, which pans gave us the best final results?
• Food release (20%): How easily did food release from the pan?
• Evenness (15%): How evenly did the pan surface heat from edge to edge?
• Temperature steadiness (15%): Once the pan is heated, how well did it maintain a proper and safe temperature?

Cooking performance results

Cooking quality tests (50%)

The most important feature of any frying pan is that it cooks well. We performed several cooking challenges in our TestHut lab comparing the results side by side, as well as home tests with each pan.

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In our home tests, we cooked hundreds of different dishes on all types of hobs (gas, electric, induction) comparing results side by side between test pans. This gave us a very good indication of which pans produced the best food time and time again.

Then we brought the pans to our lab so we could test them under the same circumstances cooking the same foods. We prepared several cooking challenges:

• Steak and sauce (metal pans only): For this test, we seared steaks in each of our metal pans, and then used the fond to make a reduction sauce.
• Crepes: We made 3 crepes in each pan, heating them first to temperature and then comparing the 2nd crepe to all the other pans in the test.
• Full-pan omelettes: Here we poured in a thin layer of egg to test how well the pans cooked evenly and released.
• Chicken breasts: We cooked a single breast on medium heat to test for browning and juiciness.
• Stir-fired vegetables: We cooked a combination of onions and carrots to see how well each pan could finish up a stir-fry.

The two pans that earned the highest marks for cooking quality were the Swiss Diamond XD and Circulon Infinite. These pans cooked everything very well, and in our home tests, they were our favourites. Crepes were crispy and delicious, and the chicken browned very well while staying juicy inside.

Other excellent pans were the Fissler, Ozeri, Skeppshult and Lodge, performing almost as well as our top contenders, but results were not as consistent, and not all foods turned out perfectly.

We found that all of our pans performed relatively well giving us mostly good results except for the Burnhard which got too hot in the center and often burned our food. The Tefal Comfort Max and Kavalkad also earned marginal marks for their inability to give consistent results—these pans were hard to keep at a consistent temperature.

Food release (20%)

To test food release, we made notes during all of our cooking tests about how well food released from pans. For the nonstick pans, we cooked without oil to see how well the nonstick surfaces released food. With metal pans, we used some form of fat like butter or oil, so they did not score as well as the nonstick pans.

The final test was the full-pan omelette test in which we spread a very thin layer of egg on all the pans to see how they would release. This was after all of our other durability tests, so it really showed how well the surfaces had stood the test of time.

Again, our top scorers were the Swiss Diamond and Circulon. These were the only 2 pans that consistently released food leaving very little residue after cooking. Other pans had good nonstick qualities, like the Tefal pans, AmazonBasics, and the ceramic Ozeri and GreenPan, but none were quite as good as the top 2.

As far as metal pans go, the two best were the Skeppshult and Mineral B pans. These both performed a step above the others, giving us fantastic fried eggs and leaving very little behind.

At the bottom was the Burnhard again, which struggled to release just about any food for us with its rough cast iron surface and challenging temperature control. We also struggled with some stainless pans like the Ikea Sensuell, Made In, and Demeyere. The Fissler was the best stainless pan when it came to food release, and it still scored only a 2.5.

Evenness (15%)

We found that even heating pans were also pans that cooked well, so we tested this by performing several tests including a flour test where we could see the heating pattern of the pan by browning white flour over a hot hob. This gave us an initial look to see which pans were equally distributing heat.

Using infrared thermometers, we tested heating times and evenness as we cooked in various pans on different hobs. However, we soon discovered that infrared readings were not accurate, especially on metal pans because of their emissivity (shiny reflective surface). We purchased 3 different IR devices, including one with multiple emissivity settings, but the results were still inconsistent. So we bought a professional, high-precision, industrial thermometer with special probes to get more consistent results which showed that our initial infrared readers were inaccurate, often by more than 10-20°C.

After confirming the inconsistency of infrared thermometers, especially on steel pans, this made us also question other test sites that are using only IR thermometers.

Once we calibrated our devices, we checked the evenness across the pan during our 7-minute chicken breast test, measuring various points inside the pan to see how much difference there was across each pan’s surface.

Two nonstick pans earned the highest marks in this test, the Ikea Trovãrdig and Tefal Comfort Max. The Trovãrdig had the best showing in the test with only a 1° difference across the surface, while the Comfort Max was within 5°.

Our stainless pans with thick discs also performed very well—the Fissler and Lagostina. Both browned the flour beautifully and only had a 4° difference across the surface.

Many pans earned 4 points staying within 20° of the center temperature. Other pans earning 3s were over 20° off.

The lowest scoring pans were the biggest cast iron pans like the Le Creuset and Burnhard, both showing a difference of about 40°. The Skeppshult, with its thick cast iron, also struggled a bit.

Temperature steadiness (15%)

Steadiness was how much the temperature in the pan fluctuated over steady heat. We noticed right away that some pans seemed to get hotter and hotter while others maintained a steady temperature making the cooking results more predictable.

To test this, we put pans over medium heat with a single chicken breast in the pan, and then measured the temperature after 5 minutes and then each minute after that taking notes of the fluctuations in temperature.

The best pan in this test was the Swiss Diamond which stayed at almost exactly 200°C during the entire test. The Skeppshult, Lodge, and Le Creuset cast iron pans also proved to be quite steady, albeit at a higher temperature of 230°C during the test.

Most pans did well in this test fluctuating about 10° in our test and these earned 4s and 4.5s. Lower scoring pans climbed to higher heats or lost heat while cooking.

As in most tests, the Burnhard was our lowest scoring pan fluctuating 15° up and down while cooking, making it hard to maintain a steady temperature.

We also saw high heat from the Mineral B pan which shot up to 240° during the test again and again. The Comfort Max was also hard to control, reaching 247° during our test.

How we tested: Durability

We felt that the quality and durability of these pans was so important that we made this a stand-alone category worth 20% of the total score. When you buy a frying pan, you want it to last and be able to cook what you want without worry.

To be honest, we put these pans through torture that you should never put your own pans through. We got them way too hot and cooled them way too quickly. We tried burning foods like rice, sugar, cheese, and eggs to see what damage they would do.

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After each test, we cooked with the pans noting any changes. Some pans started to warp, handles became loose or broke off entirely, while others started to lose their nonstick coating. We rewarded pans that survived all our tests without any major damage with the highest durability scores.

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For this category we focused on one feature:

• Durability: How long will this pan last? Will it stand up to any cooking job? Will it survive accidental kitchen mishaps?

Durability results

Durability score (100%)

To test durability, we made notes throughout the entire testing process of any problems the pans had, and we performed a series of “torture” tests to really get to understand how durable they were.

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These included:

• Hot to cold test: Heated the pans to 200°C then submerged them in cold water.
• Burnt rice test (nonstick pans only): Burned rice until it was black and then cleaned it off the bottom of the pans.
• Scratch test: Scraped the surface lightly with a fork to see how easily the coating scratched.
• Drop test: Dropped pans on the kitchen floor to see if they dented or if the handle broke.

All the pans that scored the highest in our durability test were metal pans. We found that these pans are built to last, and you would have to work really hard to destroy one of them. All the pans with top scores have metal handles that are either cast as part of the pan (Lodge and Burnhard) or sturdily welded or riveted to the body of the pan (Fissler, Demeyere, Made In, Mauviel, and DeBuyer).

Some metal pans lost half a point or a full point based on the quality of the handle. While the body of the pan will likely last forever, the Skeppshult’s wooden handle may wear out over time. The Lagostina’s plastic handle cover will not outlast the pan. We even saw the silicone handle iof Ikea Sensuell becoming separated from the metal while testing.

The Le Creuset lost a point because the enamel surface can crack or become damaged with misuse, so it is not as impervious to damage as a true cast iron pan.

We came to the conclusion that all of the nonstick pans will wear out after a few years, so the highest rating we gave them was a 3. The pans with the best nonstick surfaces and quality construction were the Swiss Diamond and Circulon pans. These showed no signs of wear after all of our torture tests, and the handles are well-constructed.

Most of the other nonstick pans lost a half point for problems we had in our durability tests. The Ozeri, Comfort Max, and GreenPan all had broken handles after our drop tests. The Ikea Trovãrdig and Scanpan scratched very easily. Both the Ikea Kavalkad and Tefal Precision Plus pans became scratched under normal testing conditions, and their coating is very delicate.

The lowest score went to the Zyliss which completely lost its nonstick coating after our rice burning test. It also warped at some point during our testing, and the handle was often loose needing to be tightened time and time again.

How we tested: Ease of use

When you use a pan day in and day out to prepare your meals, you want it to be a hassle-free experience. We tested each pan and rated them for their ease of use. This counted for 15% of the total score.

This is where the big trade-off between nonstick and standard pans comes into play. On one hand, you have the nonstick pan, which is ultimately going to be easier to clean and maintain than a metal pan, but on the other, the nonstick pan will eventually fail, and you have to baby it to keep the surface pristine.

We have six subcategories for how easy pans were to use:

• Handle safety and comfort (40%): Does the handle provide a good grip and stay cool? Does it fit well in the hand?
• Weight and balance (25%): How heavy is the pan, and is the weight distributed evenly?
• Utensil Use (15%): How easy is it to manoeuvre a spatula or other tools in the pan?
• Heat Climb (10%): When heating, does the pan maintain a safe temperature?
• Heating time (10%): How long does the pan take to warm up?

Ease of use results

Handle safety and comfort (40%)

We think that the handle is the most important single feature of a pan when it comes to ease of use. Every single time you use the pan, you will interface using the handle.

We tested the safety by measuring the temperature of the handle at various points while cooking. Then we noted whether there was a thumb rest, or at least something to keep your hand from sliding too close to the body of the pan.

We compared grips to see which ones were the most sure and comfortable. You do not want a hot pan to slip out of your hand while pouring or moving from the hob to the table.

True to its name, the Tefal Comfort Max had the safest and most comfortable handle in our test. This rubber coated handle gave a sure grip and did not heat up at all while cooking.

Other pans with handles we liked included the GreenPan with its comfortable plastic handle with a firm grip; the Zyliss and Tefal Precision Plus also had comfortable safe handles.

Of the metal pans, we liked the Fissler handle the best. It did get a little warm while cooking, but it never got hot. It gave a nice firm grip.

Most pans had decent handles scoring 3-4 points.

The lowest scoring handles were the cast iron pans with short handles that got hot in our test including the Lodge and Le Creuset. These handles will burn you quickly if you do not use an oven mitt or towel. The Ozeri GreenEarth pan also has a relatively unsafe handle because it attaches to the pan via a cast aluminum base which got very hot in our tests, and it was very easy for our thumb to slide down and get burned.

Weight and balance (25%)

For this test, we held each pan by the handle during our pouring tests and felt how easy it was to balance food and move from hob to hob. We found that there is a sweet spot of about 1kg when a pan is heavy enough to be stable on the stovetop but light enough to be maneuverable.

The highest marks here went to the pans that we felt were perfectly balanced: Comfort Max, Fissler, Made In, Swiss Diamond, Demeyere, and the Circulon. All of these pans were stable and easy to move around.

Most pans were, again, in the middle of the pack earning 3-4 points. The lowest rated pan in our test was the Skeppshult because it is very heavy and the long wooden handle feels unbalanced unless you hold it with 2 hands. The other heavy, cast iron pans like the Lodge and Le Creuset felt better balanced with the short handles. They also offer helper handles for pouring which helps to balance the weight.

Utensil use (15%)

When you use your frying pan, it is likely that you will use a spatula and other utensils. We found that some pans offer much better access than others because of their shape. Pans with sloped sides and rounded corners were much easier to reach in and flip eggs with than pans with steep sides and squared off corners.

With this in mind, we found that the Mauviel pan had the best overall shape for using utensils. It has pleasantly curved sides with rounded corners that made using any utensil easy. Other pans that earned the highest mark were the GreenPan, Made In, AmazonBasics, Circulon, and Mineral B. All of these pans had similar rounded corners with sloped sides.

Most pans earned at least a 4 in this category, and the only ones with lower scores were the Swiss Diamond with its sharp corners, the Lodge with steep, high sides, and the Demeyere which also had high sides.

The lowest score was given to the Lagostina Tempra which had both high sides and very sharp corners. Here, we saw food accumulate in the corners that was hard to stir or remove with any utensil.

Heat climb (10%)

When you are using a pan, you want to set the temperature and cook without having to adjust the heat up and down to accommodate the pan. To test this, we cooked a chicken breast for 7 minutes on the same hob set to medium heat to see how pans would perform. We found that many pans would get hot and keep getting hotter without lowering the power, while other pans stayed stable on all hobs.

The Swiss Diamond was the most stable pan in our tests when it came to heat climb. In our test, it got up to 200°C and just stayed right there. We didn’t have to adjust the heat at all.

Other pans that earned the highest marks were the Zyliss, Circulon, Scanpan, Ozeri, and the Ikea Trovãrdig. All of these pans were very steady in our tests.

Most pans were okay, showing signs of some heat climb, but others got dangerously hot.

The lowest scores went to the Tefal Comfort Max, which climbed up to 250°C which is dangerously hot for a Teflon coated pan. The Ikea Sensuell and Mineral B were also hard to keep at a steady temperature.

Heating time (10%)

The final subcategory to test Ease of use was to see how fast the pans heat up on various hobs to see which ones are the quickest to cook with.

The copper Mauviel pan lived up to its legendary status, heating from room temperature to 200°C in just 23 seconds.

Other pans were also impressively fast including the Made In (:28), the Demeyere (:40), Tefal Precision Plus (:53), Ikea Sensuell (:53), and the Kavalkad (:55).

Most pans took between 1-2 minutes and earned 3 or 4 points.

The slowest pan in the test was the Circulon which took a full 4 minutes to get up to 200° on our electric hob.

How we tested: Cleaning and maintenance

We feel that cleaning and upkeep are such an integral part of pan ownership that we made this a separate category. After all, you will have to clean the pan each and every time you cook with it. Professional chefs we consulted also noted that ease of cleaning was of utmost importance. This counted for 15% of the total score.

For this category we focused on one criteria:

• Cleaning and Maintenance: How easy is it to clean the pan inside and out? What is required to keep the pan in good condition over time?

Cleaning and maintenance results

Cleaning and maintenance score (100%)

Testing cleaning was fairly straightforward. After we cooked, we washed the pans carefully making notes of which ones were easier and which ones were more difficult. We did this literally hundreds of times!

To test maintenance we considered anything extra that we had to do with the pans in addition to keeping them clean. For nonstick pans, this meant paying attention to storing them carefully to avoid scratches.

The most maintenance-heavy pans are the cast iron and carbon steel pans because they need to be cared for after each cleaning along with an occasional seasoning.

Most of the nonstick pans were easy to clean, and we only took ½ a point off for storage considerations. The Swiss Diamond earned top marks with its easy-to-clean nonstick surface that coats both the inside and outside.

A few nonstick pans lost a full point because they had harder to clean exteriors like the Amazon and Comfort Max, or they had hard to reach areas on the handle like the GreenPan.

Next on the list are the stainless steel pans earning between 3 and 3.5 points. These were harder to clean after cooking in general, often requiring scrubbing or soaking.

The hardest pans to clean and maintain are the cast iron pans, all earning a 2 except for the Burnhard which scored lower because it needed a few rounds of reseasoning, and always had burnt food stuck to it. The Mineral B was easier to clean and maintain than the cast irons, but it still took extra work. For all of these pans, there is the added step of drying after cleaning on the stovetop and adding a few drops of oil to keep the pans from rusting.

How we tested: Versatility

A good all-purpose frying pan should also be able to prepare various sauces from an Italian salsa di pomodoro to a French béchamel.

Because your frying pan is going to be the workhorse of the kitchen, you want to make sure that it will do everything you need it to do. We tested versatility by cooking a wide range of foods in our pans to see what they were and were not capable of. We counted versatility as 5% of the total score.

The low weight can be attributed to the fact that many pans we tested can be found in different sizes and shapes meaning that you can increase versatility by choosing the pan that best fits your cooking needs.

In the end, we narrowed this down to 7 subcategories:

• Usable cooking area (30%): How much can fit on the surface of the pan?
• Volume (25%): The more a pan can hold, the more things you can cook with it and the more people you can feed.
• Pouring (15%): How easily do liquids and solids pour from the pan?
• Oven use (10%): Is the pan rated for oven safety? Can you go from stovetop to oven?
• Flipping (10%): How easy is it to perform the chef flip?
• Sauce preparation (10%): Is the pan suitable for making a variety of pan sauces?

Versatility results

Usable cooking area (30%)

In general, you might think “the bigger the pan the better” but what we tested here was to see how much actual usable surface area each pan had. Because each pan has a slightly different shape, we found that some pans used space more efficiently than others. To test this, we used chicken legs and chicken wings to see how many of each we could fit on the pan’s surface at once.

The pans with the most usable cooking area were the Ozeri, Le Creuset, Comfort Max, Lagostina, Burnhard, and Skeppshult. The Skeppshult was the most surprising because it doesn’t look like a big pan, but it uses space very efficiently. The Le Creuset was the winner in this category, being able to cook an entire kilo of 13 chicken wings at once.

Most pans were able to fit 4-5 drumsticks and 9-10 wings earning 4 points. The least usable space of any pan was the Ikea Kavalkad which could only fit 8 wings. Other smaller pans were the Ikea Sensuell, Made In, and Mineral B. The Mineral B seems like a big pan, but the surface area is relatively small.

Volume (25%)

If you are planning on cooking stir-fries and casserole dishes, you want a pan that can hold large portions, so we tested the actual volume of each pan.

To test volume, we filled each pan up to the rim with water to measure how much it could hold.

The Ozeri was the winner at 2.5 litres. Other pans above 2.2 litres included the Demeyere, Le Creuset, Comfort Max, Lagostina, Fissler, and Burnhard. Most other pans were between 1.5-2 litres.

The pans that could hold the least were the Kavalkad (1.2l) and surprisingly the Skeppshult (1.2l) because of its very low sides.

Pouring (15%)

When you have a frying pan, sometimes you will pour out liquids from the pan, and we tested to see how easy this was with each pan. We tested using both water and sticky tomato sauce. The results were messy, but it was easy to pick winners. In general, nonstick pans are easier to pour from than metal pans because the slick surface allows the fluid to flow easily. We also noted that pans with lips were much easier to pour from.

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The best pans in this test were the Ozeri pan with its slick ceramic coating and thick lip all around. We also liked the Circulon, AmazonBasics, and Made In pans. All were super easy to pour from with very little mess.

The worst pan to pour from, hands down, was the Skeppshult. This pan has very shallow sides, is extremely heavy, and it has no lip or spouts. Liquid just dumped out making a big mess.

The Burnhard was surprisingly hard to pour from. We found that the small, built-in spouts were relatively useless. The Lodge also suffered with its spouts being more for show than doing any actual good when pouring.

Oven use (10%)

Sometimes, you will want to use your frying pan in the oven. We wanted to test which pans were best for oven use based on their rated temperature use. Metal pans with metal handles all earned the highest marks.

Cast iron is the best for oven use. We used our cast iron pans with no temperature limits to bake Dutch babies and pizzas. The Skeppshult lost half a point because you have to remove the walnut handle before putting it in the oven.

The copper Mauviel pan also has no listed upper limit with its stainless steel surface and all metal design. However, with the longer handle, it might not fit well in all ovens, this also goes for the Mineral B.

The stainless Made In and Demeyere pans also have very high temperature limits and can be used in the oven, but other stainless pans like the Fissler, Lagostina, and Sensuell had lower temperature limits.

Pans with lower than 200° temperature limits earned lower scores which included most of the nonstick pans in our test. Exceptions include the Swiss Diamond and Scanpan (260°) and the Circulon (240°)

The lowest score went to the Ikea Kavalkad which is not supposed to go into the oven at all. Other pans with low ratings were the AmazonBasics (150°) and the Ozeri and GreenPan (both 160°).

Flipping (10%)

We flipped eggs, pancakes and cheese balls using a flick of the wrist to see which pans performed this classic chef’s manoeuvre the best.

The best pan for flipping was the Made In with its great balance and shallow sides. Other pans were also quite good for flipping including the Demeyere, Ozeri, Comfort Max, Circulon, AmazonBasics, Ikea Sensuell, and the GreenPan.

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Other pans could do the flip, but it wasn’t as easy.

A few pans were very difficult because of their size and shape like the cast iron pans (Le Creuset, Lodge, Burnhard, and Skeppshult). The lowest score went to the Skeppshult because its super short sides meant that food just flew out of the pan instead of turning over.

Sauce preparation (10%)

The final test of versatility was to see how well pans could prepare sauces. In general, nonstick pans are not as good at sauce preparation as metal pans because they do not develop a fond on the bottom. We could see evidence of this when we prepared a pan sauce after cooking pork chops. The sauce in the metal pans was darker and thicker, while the nonstick pans produced a white, thinner sauce.

Stainless steel pans are the best in this category because the surface of the pan does not react to any liquids whereas cast iron pans and carbon steel pans have developed a seasoning that can be stripped away by acidic foods like tomato sauces.

The best pan for sauce preparation was the Demeyere with its high sides and rounded corners. Other pans earning the highest mark include the Mauviel, Fissler, and Ikea Sensuell.

The lowest mark went to the Ikea Kavalkad because it is a nonstick pan and the shape makes it hard to stir anything without spilling.

How we tested: Design

Another important criteria for choosing a pan is the way it looks and how well it is designed. Because this is a subjective category, we counted this for 5% of the total score.

You want your pan to fit your style, and the highest mark of a pan’s aesthetic is that it is at home not only in the kitchen but can also be used as a serving dish at your table. Aesthetics are always subjective, and we scored the pans according to how beautiful each one was compared side by side. We took into account materials, colour, shape and the handle.

In the end, this is how we rated each subcategory:

• Aesthetics (80%): How does the pan look in your kitchen and at your table?
• Storage (20%): How easy is the pan to store?

Design results

Aesthetics (80%)

Obviously, deciding which frying pan is the best looking is a subjective category, but we included as many people’s opinions in our final grade as possible.

Most people were drawn to the copper Mauviel pan with its striking lines and clean design. Other high scoring pans were the Mace In and Skeppshult.

The lowest scoring pans were those that looked cheap and poorly constructed like the Ikea Kavalkad and Zyliss pans. We also did not like pans with multiple colors or materials like the Ozeri. The Burnhard looks rough and unfinished and its handle is not as handsome as the other cast iron pans in our test group.

Those pans that looked like typical frying pans earned 3s. Higher scoring pans had features that set them apart like the Swiss Diamonds glimmering nonstick coating or the Le Creuset’s beautiful blue enamel.

Storage (20%)

The final test of design was to try to hang these pans on hooks in our test kitchen to see which ones were easiest to store. We also considered weight, overall footprint, and durability as factors.

High marks went to durable pans with good hanging hooks like the Lodge and Le Creuset skillets. We think the Greenpan, Scanpan, Zyliss and Tefal would also be easy to store because of their small footprint and convenient hole for a hook.

The hardest pan to store is the Comfort Max because of its large footprint and thick rubber handle that makes it hard to hang. The Ikea Sensuell is the only pan that has no hole at all for a hook, but is small and durable, so storing it in a cupboard should not be a problem.

Most pans scored well in this category because they shouldn’t give you much trouble finding a place to store them.

Conclusion

After countless hours of testing, researching, and scrubbing, we understand the world of frying pans much better than we did when we started, and we have all become better cooks. We feel confident in our recommendations, and along the way, we busted a lot of pan myths (not to mention some handles) to bring you frying pan reviews that you can trust.

We will continue to perform long-term tests and update you about the durability of these pans. Honestly, our main concern is to see how long nonstick coatings really last and whether a more expensive nonstick pan will last longer than a cheap one.

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