The one innovative Dutch oven we recommend:
Favorite saucepan:
Favorite nonstick skillet:
Favorite cast-iron skillet:
Favorite Dutch oven:
Read our testing notes:
Lightweight Cast-Iron Skillets
Innovative Nonstick Skillets:
Innovative Saucepans:
Innovative Dutch Ovens:
Our traditional winners trumped the future-forward designs.
We tested 3 lightweight cast-iron pans:
ExcelSteel by Cook Pro 12-Inch Super Lightweight Cast Iron Frypan
Starfrit Light Cast Iron Fry Pan
Guy Fieri 12-in. Pre-Seasoned Light Weight Cast Iron Fry Pan
We tested 3 innovative nonstick pans:
Moneta Padella Whitech Frypan, 28 Cm (11 inches)
Berndes SignoCast Pearl Ceramic Coated Cast Aluminum 11½-Inch Open Fry Pan
Gunter Wilhelm 12-Inch Fry Pan with Standing Lid
We tested 3 innovative saucepans:
ABCT Low Casserole with Universal Handle and Mahogany Lid
Cristel MultiPly Stainless 4.5 Quart Sauce Pan with Glass Lid
Twiztt by Joan Lunden 2-Quart Cook, Strain and Serve 3-Piece Set
We tested 3 innovative Dutch ovens:
Pauli Cookware Never Burn Sauce Pot, 10 Quart
Turbo Pot by Eneron Stainless 7 5/8-Quart SaucePot
Twiztt by Joan Lunden 5-Quart Cook, Strain and Serve 3-Piece Set
Can newfangled designs improve on—or even stand up to—the tried-and-true pots and pans we’ve used for years? We tested lightweight cast-iron skillets (we shallow-fried breaded chicken cutlets, seared steaks and made pan sauce with acidic tomatoes and capers to see if it would react with the iron surface, baked cornbread, cooked crêpes to check browning patterns, and scrambled batches of eggs), innovative nonstick skillets (we made a series of single fried eggs without fat, not stopping until an egg stuck, and then we made crêpes to test for even browning and then moved on to beef stir-fry; frittata; and, lastly, scrambled eggs, which we also made without fat), innovative saucepans (we made pastry cream, sautéed onions, and rice pilaf), and innovative Dutch ovens (we browned meat and made it into stew, deep-fried a pound of frozen French fries, steamed 4 cups of rice, and timed boiling water).
Each week, the cast of America’s Test Kitchen brings the recipes, testings, and tastings from Cook’s Illustrated magazine to life on our public television series. With more than 2 million viewers per episode, we are the most-watched cooking show on public television.
More than 1.3 million home cooks rely on Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines to provide trusted recipes that work, honest ratings of equipment and supermarket ingredients, and kitchen tips.
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
42 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Good to know on the lightweight cast iron. I only use my 52 year old ones if someone who can lift is in the kitchen as my wrists can no longer handle the weight. So I bought a small cast iron skillet to cook eggs as I just can't get them cooked right in nonstick.
ATK: Our favorite 7.25 qt LeCreuset, which is $249
Me: Checks price of LeCreuset, sees it is indeed $420, is disappointed
Reviews later videos gave bad marks against "long handles" "handles that stuck up in the air versus horizontal" and needless "helper handles" that added extra weight and all them negatives ended up being the test kitchens top pan ( sauce pan ) All Clad. 😂😂😂
I really don't understand some of these reviews.
I have a ceramic coated cast iron pan at home with a removable wooden handle. I love the handle. It's not super stable, but it stays cool. And it's screwed in the base metal handle, way more solid than just clipped. I love it because I like to hold my pans while I cook
That allclad, 🤤
My #1 complaint about all pots, pans, utensils, etc. is any kind of a SOFT material on the handles. We've had several over the years … they ALL get soft and sticky over time. Now I will NEVER buy ANYTHING with a soft grip material on the handles.
Thank you, very informative!
$250 for a Pot ! … Who can afford $250 for a Pot ? … I Paid $100 Bucks for a Whole Set and they Cook just fine … But most of my food is Nuked , Air Fried or Toasted … and my microwave has a convention oven too … I hardly use the Stove ……
I want my handles permanently attached. If my life has proved anything it has shown that if it can detach, it will. At the worst possible moment to do the greatest possible mischief.
When will you be be reviewing pans that combine non stick with stainless steel surfaces such as the WMF Profi Resist?
This just goes to show that the best approach is to just keep it simple.
Solid construction + simple design = Win.
How many of these gimmick pots and pans are still around?
WHY no One Chef wears hair net..??????
Who gets to eat all the food you make? Need volunteers?
That pot is no longer $249 lol
How to order
3:25 "Just over 7 lbs"
Can you review granite pans, pots, cookware?
All of these videos end like this: “In the end we like the super expensive one we’ve always used here in the test kitchen.”
keep up the good work
enjoy and look forward to your reviews
Innovation just sort of took a plateau. Looks like you'll have to do it the old school way…. learn how to actually cook.
OXO good grip 12" is the best non stick
https://www.facebook.com/Jeetee-Cookware-104681474657206
sorry but teflon alternatives don't need to beat teflon to be viable, teflon is an environmental catastrophy
Whoever said being BASIC was a bad thing, never watched ATK!
Is that Joshua Weismann in the back? Lol
I have a cast iron Japanese made griddle. It was sold by Williams Sonoma. I have never liked it as much as Lodge. I can never season it as well as Lodge and it ends up rusting.
I purchased a Crofton white ceramic skillet for $12 AU over 3 years ago from ALDI. I have used it 3-4 times a week and its still like new. I always use a little oil/butter and cook on medium low. Chicken breasts & eggs (even poached eggs) come out beautifully to this day. I cannot fault it. I stained it once but a scrubby fixed that.
"These aren't your grandma's pans" My grandma's old Wagner ways probably 3 pounds or so, well below half that of my modern Lodge. Cooks like a charm, of course! Great video as always.
Why didn't you review the 'copper' and the 'granite' non-stick cookware? You also didn't mention which non-stick coating these were using. A couple of them looked very much like Teflon which I won't use. I've used them in the past and since most of the coating has come off, I must have eaten the Teflon. Yummy.
Thank you lisa! You are a total pro!👍⚘
Great review of the "newest and greatest" and it looks like the old fashioned equipment work very good for all of us.
Still my favorites are (heavy) cast iron skillets and pots (as long as you don't cook acid stuff for more than ~20 minutes (when the produce may turn grey)). But sure, if those new ideas turn out great I will try them.
Thanks ATK for this clip!
A removable handle??!!! Oh, hell no!
No such thing as a good no stick pan and skillet. Nothing beats a well seasoned cast iron and seasoned carbon steel. Non stick surfaces never last past 6 months even with the softest no stick certified sponges and soft plastic utensils.
2 minutes of Lisa on the regular ATK is not the same as Lisa resting. I am loving her?
Nope, not buying All-Clad no matter how hard you push it. It's WAY too expensive for what it does.
I've noticed that each time these folks review the All-Clad pots, etc., they NEVER mention that the rims aren't flared, so anything you pour out of them drips down the sides of the pot and makes a mess. That's pretty important to me and, I should think, to anyone else. I can't believe none of the testers ever noticed it, so why don't they mention it–certainly not my idea of an objective or thorough test.
Love the testing you do.
Operator error at least on the lightweight cast iron. The weight has literally ZERO to do with the stickiness of the surface. You do not discuss how – or even if – you seasoned these pans. So you lose credibility with me on everything else you review here.
Test Kitchen, you guys are great. ⭐️
I'm getting that finned pot for all the deep frying I do.