The 2 Best Stainless-Steel Skillets of 2024, Tested & Reviewed
The finishes on this pan were nice—it had flushed rivets, a nice ergonomic handle, and a balanced weight—but the rough surface designed to allow metal utensil usage ultimately made it much less nonstick than smoother PTFE-coated pans. Oil is pretty necessary with this type of nonstick pan, which sort of defeats the purpose of a buying a nonstick pan. Like the other top performers, the All-Clad Nonstick Pan has a stainless steel handle, aluminum core and multiple layers of PFOA-free coating. It’s a solid choice, but the Zwilling Madura Plus felt more durable in testing. The ceramic Five Two Essential Nonstick Skillet has a heatproof welded-on handle—meaning no rivets where scrambled egg gunk can get stuck.
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However, after testing a number of ceramic pans, the GreenPan Paris Pro emerged as the clear winner. The pan heats evenly and has a Thermolon Minerals ceramic nonstick coating that’s PTFE- and PFOA-free. It’s scratch-resistant, induction-compatible, and oven-safe up to 600°F—a huge benefit if you often would like to transfer your nonstick pan from the stovetop to the oven (hello, baked eggs). However, given its low price, it’s a worthwhile purchase if you’re often cooking for more than two people at a time. Just don’t expect it to last; Vaculin said it lost its nonstick abilities at about the two-year mark.
Tramontina’s 11-Piece Aluminum Nonstick Cookware Set offers durable pieces versatile pots and pans for cooking meals of every size. Tempered glass lids allow you to monitor your cooking progress, and ergonomically designed cast stainless-steel handles are riveted for extra support when handling cookware. This scratch-resistant, nonstick cookware is compatible with gas, electric and ceramic glass cooktops and can be used in the oven up to 350°F. The premium 18/10 stainless steel set of pots and pans features tri-ply-clad construction for even heat distribution from all sides of the pan.
I did tossing tests to determine which skillets made sautéing foods easier or harder and had several of my colleagues of varied body types and levels of cooking experience repeat those tests to account for personal differences. I also roasted chicken in each skillet, then sautéed tramontina pans vegetables, and finally deglazed the pan as one would to make a pan sauce, just to run them through a more real-world cooking exercise. Many major manufacturers offer a limited lifetime guarantee on stainless steel cookware as long as they are purchased from an authorized dealer.
As with kitchen pots, find pans treated with a non stick coating or ones without. We put about two tablespoons of water in each pan before turning on the burner. We Tramontina online discount store timed how long it took for the water to boil or start “dancing around the pan.” We took note of the pans that were remarkably fast or insanely slow to heat up.
Now, I wouldn’t normally cook a sticking-prone food like crêpes in a stainless-steel skillet; I’d sooner reach for a well-seasoned carbon steel or nonstick pan for that. In some cases, the crêpes did stick and tear slightly when I flipped them, but I was able to get a usable heat map from each one. I’m not talking about cast-iron skillets or carbon-steel ones, and I’m not including nonstick options nor the inexpensive aluminum dealios you’re more likely to find in a restaurant supply store. Stainless steel is great for all-purpose cooking—it can be used for braising and browning as well as creating sauces and soups.
Oftentimes, the grade of stainless steel is stamped on the cookware, with 18/10 being the most commonly used grade for good quality cookware. This fraction tells you the percentage of chromium and nickel in the alloy used—18/10 contains 18 percent chromium and 10 percent nickel and will resist rust while also retaining its shine and polish. Get everything you need to cook elaborate home meals for the family, or to pull off show stopping dinner parties or holiday affairs with affordable kitchenware from IKEA. Find cookware and kitchen accessories featuring a smart design right down to the materials they’re made with. This pan performed decently—eggs released themselves from the surface and rolled with a tilt of the wrist.
We also checked if the pan conducted heat evenly across the surface. When we flipped our pancakes, we looked for areas that were lighter and darker, which would indicate cool spots and hot spots, respectively. We also gave props to pans that were induction cooktop friendly, but as most pans are actually induction compatible, that did not make or break any decisions. Generally speaking, ceramic nonstick surfaces aren’t known for their longevity, with the nonstick qualities of the Sol-gel surface degrading with each use. We’ve spent several years searching for the best nonstick pans, and have put many different models through our comprehensive testing process in the kitchen.