Fry pans are specifically designed for frying and can be used to fry almost anything with less oil than deep-frying. They can also be used for other cooking methods and are versatile enough to replace other pots.

If you fill the French skillet with food, it will cook rather than fry it. However, the extra depth of these skillets can make them a bit more burdensome to store.

3 – Hard-Anodized Frying Pans

Ceramic-based pans are also popular due to their non-stick and chemical-free surfaces, but they may not last as long and can be prone to breakage or chipping.

Skillets and sauté pans are offered in similar sizes, ranging from 3.5-inch to 17-inch diameters. The most popular are 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch diameters, with most home stoves comfortably accommodating a maximum of 12-inches.

    Enameled cast iron pots with lids are known for their durability and heat retention properties.  They are great for slow cooking, stewing and baking.  The heavy-duty construction of these pots ensures even heat distribution, making them suitable for a variety of cooking techniques.  The lid helps lock in moisture and flavor, keeping dishes tender and flavorful.

If you were to buy only one of these skillets, it should be stainless steel. Stainless steel is your everyday hero. There's a reason why stainless steel cookware sets are so coveted. It can cook everything and doesn't need any special treatment. No time to wash? It's ok to leave stainless steel soaking in water.

Recipes that you plan to grill up fast under high heat, meats that need to be seared, or foods that require constant flipping and stirring with a spatula are most conveniently prepared in a frying pan. The nicely sloped sides of a frying pan also make it possible to toss up a small portion of stir-fry. However, to achieve a perfect finish on this type of shallowly fried dish, a bowl-shaped Wok works best. 

However, as cookware diameters are measured at the opening (i.e., from side to side of the top), a 12-inch skillet means roughly 10-inches of real cooking surface. Any food that leans on the curved edges is not in direct contact with the heat and won’t cook as quickly as food on the bottom surface. However, the wide opening and relatively light weight of skillets makes them very easy to maneuver so food can be quickly shifted inside. 

Both pans are typically made of stainless steel, but fry pans often come with non-stick coatings, while French skillets do not.