Equipment Review: The Best Stainless Steel Skillet, Our Testing Winners and Why All-Clad is Worth It
Perfect searing, flavorful sauces, and stove-to-oven versatility make stainless-steel frying pans a hot item. But can you get a great one for less than $100?
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Behind the Testing:
Full Testing Details and Ranking Chart:
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Bottom line: We can’t fully recommend any of the pans that cost less than $100.00. None of the truly cheap pans met our standards. A few of the pans closer to the $100.00 mark were OK, but none was as good as our longtime favorite, which also comes with a useful lid. If you can spend a bit more, we highly recommend the original fully clad skillet, which our tests proved is still the best: the All-Clad d3 Stainless Steel 12″ Fry Pan with Lid ($119.99). It’s an investment, but it will last a lifetime.
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.
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I understand that All-Clad is best over all in this video but what about the runner up? It was mentioned that there were a few pans to recommend but the whole video focused on All-Cald.
Strange video. They tested 15 pans but didn't say which ones or list them from best to worst. Seems like they just want you to buy the all clad D3.
I use my Demeyere stainless steel (Athena 5) for about 22 years now. Still looks as new!
this is a terrible way of reviewing, we dont know names of the product they used, no actual charts or data to take objective asssessment, just simply stating d3 all clad is best… best at what? all i can see is that this is another way of paid review from all clad
I was just at the store and looked at these. Very disappointed after everything I've seen and read about them. The handles were uncomfortable in any grip to me and my girlfriend. We also both found them to be too heavy (she did body building for many years and still goes to the gym several times a week, to paint a picture). The display pan was loose at the rivets and the handle had significant play but no dings from what would likely have resulted from dropping.
Great test, and thank you for sharing! How did the de Buyer Affinity fare in your test? (And for using metric so that the test of the world can understand what you're talking about. 😉)
Should a fry pan have a perfectly flat bottom?
Interesting…. I watched this review AFTER I bought the All Clad D3. Nice to know I probably made the right choice.
All Clad is fine other than the uncomfortable handles. There are other top quality clad pans made by other makers with more comfortable handles.
important question: i wasn't sure if you mentioned any other brand by name besides the all clad pans nor did you even recommend a runner up. even in the description no other brand is named.
is this a paid promotion for all clad?
If I put a ding in a pan is from washing them and they slipped out my hand and hit the counter . So I stopped trying to catch the pan between the counter and my body I just let it hit the floor no dings but it's a wooden floor with vinyl covering
Did I miss where they ranked the pans? Or even listed them all? Edit for people wondering like me: It’s not in the video. But the description links to an article that has the info I was looking for.
Absolutely love my all clad.
Worth ever penny especially when you buy them on sale around Christmas
With the layer of aluminum, that won’t leach out into the food?
Somehow they did not test Vikings, 360 Cookware, and Heritage…
I saw your video on the Victorinox chef's knife that you also took to the MIT Material Science people and I was very impressed by that. I just bought the D3 today and feel very confident in my purchase thanks to ATK!
You hit pans against things for me?
Hello, I see that the stailess steel used in was 18/10 which means that it contains and leaches nickel into the food. Are there nickel-free alternatives?
Why don't you add the Kirkland stainless steel multiply pans here? They are so cheap and give you almost the same performance of all clad. Is it because you are sponsored by this winners?
I bought a Misen 12" . In love with it!
Jesus. They put a LOT of effort into this. I truly appreciate it.
You know give us all these details but you don't tell us what pans are doing what do not helpful
I trust anyone with the last name of the Broncos kicker 🫡
d3 for me! (just wish I was a great enough cook to justify my last Xmas gift!!
Thanks for the information. I almost purchased the wrong cookware with the disc on the bottom.
plunge a 500 degree pan in ice water while holding the handle bare hand? i's a joke lady…6:14
I am sure this All-Clad 12 inches pan is great but once I went Carbon Steele for my pans I never, ever, looked back
Too bad the AllClad is twice as expensive in the EU.