Stainless Steel Frying Pans

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.

Cooking Surface Applications: The spacious cooking surface of big black cast iron skillets allows for the preparation of large quantities of food, making them suitable for family meals, entertaining, and batch cooking. They can handle everything from searing steaks to cooking pancakes and deep-dish pizzas.

Enamel Fondue Set

 Enameled cast iron cookware has become a popular choice for home cooks and professional chefs alike.  This type of cookware offers the durability and heat retention of traditional cast iron, while the enamel coating provides a nonstick surface that requires no seasoning.  Whether it's a pan, pot, or skillet, enamel-coated cast iron cookware is a versatile addition to any kitchen.

Aluminum is one of the most easily available natural elements, so aluminum frying pans are quite affordable. It is an excellent conductor of heat and heats up faster than stainless steel. In fact, aluminum is sometimes incorporated in stainless steel pans to improve their conductivity.

    One of the great things about cast skillets is the versatility of Cast Griddle Plates size.  From small cast iron griddles to large cast iron griddles pan, there's a size to suit every need.  Mini cast iron griddles are great for single servings or small dishes, while large cast iron griddles are perfect for cooking for multiple people.  Regardless of size, these  cast iron pans can withstand high temperatures and provide even cooking, making them a solid choice for any meal.

    Cast iron cooking griddles are versatile and essential tools for any kitchen or outdoor cooking setup.  Whether you want to grill steaks, pancakes, or roast vegetables, a cast iron cooking griddle is perfect for delicious results.

There aren’t many distinctions between the two cookware, but they are designed for different purposes. Some regard the differences to be minor, while others view them to be significant. Well, you can keep both so you can efficiently prepare tasty dishes.

A frying pan's thickness is measured in either gauge or mils. -1 mil is equal to 1/1000, so the higher the mil, the thicker the metal. The gauge works oppositely - the higher the gauge, the thinner the metal. A thick pan is more durable than a thin pan but may not conduct heat as quickly. Most commercial frying pans will fall between a thick 10-gauge construction and a thinner 22-gauge construction.

Here’s where things may get a little confusing, so we’ll start with the basics. For one, both frypans and skillets have handles attached to its side. One difference is that frypans usually have shorter handles compared to the longer one on skillets. The skillet’s longer handle allows for an easier time to move the pan around the stovetop or to transfer it into the oven for baking.

Saute pans have straight sides and usually come with lids. French skillets, on the other hand, have slightly sloped sides and are typically smaller in size. They also do not usually come with a lid, unlike saute pans.

    When it comes to using a cast iron Dutch oven, the possibilities are endless.  From soups and stews to roasts and breads, this kitchen workhorse can do it all.  Dutch oven ability to evenly distribute heat makes it ideal for slow cooking and stewing, resulting in tender, flavorful dishes.  Plus, the Dutch oven's tight-fitting lid helps lock in moisture and flavor, making it ideal for making delicious one-pot meals.

The simplest way to understand the difference between these types of pans is to look at the sides of the pan. If the sides are slanted, the pan is a skillet, which is also sometimes called a frying pan or fry pan. If the slides are straight, it’s a sauté pan.