This article will provide an in-depth comparison of fry pans and French skillets, including their designs and uses, so you can understand the differences between them.

While on the other side, we have the skillet which is best for cooking food at high heat such as searing, reducing, sauteing, and shallow frying. That’s because of its common construction of cast iron or stainless steel, which causes slow and even heat distribution but excellent heat retention. 

When it comes to the materials used in frying pan production, stainless steel is the most commonly used, although ceramic and aluminum pans are also available. Stainless steel is an excellent anti-corrosion metal that distributes heat well and is very durable.

Pans are open to even more interpretation. While most cooks consider a pan to be a sauté pan, the term often refers to all types of cooking vessels. The phrase “pots and pans” is synonymous with general cookware, and “pan” is commonly used when describing other pieces — crepe pan, sheet pan, roasting pan, and the like. 

Best for: Almost any food that needs searing, including steak and burgers. Cast-iron pans are ovenproof, so you can use them to roast meats like beef or pork and to bake cornbread, deep-dish pizza, shepherd’s pie, and more. And they retain heat so well that they’re a good choice for deep-frying chicken, doughnuts, or other foods because they keep the oil at a constant temperature.

The details: Cast-iron frying pans are practically indestructible, and they’re handed down for generations in many families. That makes their typically low price even more attractive. And if well cared for, cast iron develops a patina that releases food almost as well as nonstick. But the pans are heavy, and you have to be patient when heating them up because they don’t come up to temperature fast. Once they do, however, they retain heat.

Our tests of coated and uncoated cast-iron pans show how versatile this cookware can be. We sear steaks, brown scallops, and bake cornbread to see how well a cast-iron pan works for home cooks. The best pans ace all these tests. We also judge how easy they are to clean. Because of the enamel coating, the coated pans are a bit easier to clean than the uncoated ones.

Here are two recommended cast-iron pans from our tests.

Stainless steel frying pans are also induction-ready. This means that they can be used on an induction cooker, which uses magnetic energy to heat the pan directly.

    For those who want more cookware options,13-piece cookware set and 20-piece cast iron cookware sets  offer a wider variety of pots, pans, and accessories. A 13-piece cookware set and 20-piece cast iron cookware sets are perfect for individuals who like to experiment with different cooking techniques and recipes.

Many cooks have a variety of skillet sizes to handle diverse dishes and portion sizes. If they buy just one French skillet, they generally choose a larger size to have additional cooking possibilities.