The Ultimate Guide to Skillets | Gear Heads
We have tested almost every size and type of skillet out there, from cast iron to carbon steel to nonstick and more. So which skillets should you stock in your kitchen? Lisa and Hannah are here to give you a crash course in skillets so you can decide for yourself.
Buy our winning nonstick skillet:
Buy our winning ceramic nonstick skillet:
Buy our winning carbon steel skillet:
Buy our winning cast-iron skillet:
Buy our best buy cast-iron skillet:
Buy our winning enamel cast-iron skillet:
Buy our winning clad skillet:
Follow Lisa on Instagram:
Follow Hannah on Instagram:
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:
What is the black coloring around the edges in the carbon steel pan? – thanks
I definitely listen to Hannah and Lisa's straight forward advice, it's fair unbiased and intelligent testing, my range is the best cookware at the best price, they hit that range everytime, thankyou
Sorry, I love my light weight cast iron pans. They perform very much like a carbon steel pan and I paid a ridiculously small price for them. They have a little more texture than carbon steel and seem to hold on to their non stick surface a little better than carbon steel.
For the record, what we call carbon steel and what we call cast iron both contain carbon.
I would love to hear what you think about HexClad pans
Love my Fields cast iron
This channel and all the hosts never disappoint. Thank you all for sharing your unparalleled expertise in such an engaging, fun and accessible style. You all make cooking so much fun.
Please review higher end nonstick from Demeyere
Over time, stainless and cast iron are the best choice, still.
It's great that each one of these has pros and cons but my favorite has to be stainless steel
I love making pan sauces while cleaning up the pan at the same time!
6:05 Just checked eBay for the Mafter Bourgeat skillet. That $45 price point must have been at the half-price store. I'm not finding the 12-inch class pans under $100.
I have an 8” and 10” carbon steel. Love them! Also have 2 Le Creuset enamel cast iron Saucier and 3.5 qt Dutch oven and 1 lodge round griddle pan.
Those are frying pans. Skillets have raised ridges on them and you use them for Steak. If you call frying pans wrong as "skillets" what do you call a skillet, then? That's why I don't get you guys speaking English wrong all the time.
Don't need Hannah too actressy. Like Lisa.
i love her
What's the health cost of different coating. What's OFF GASSING ?
I have that All Clad fry pan. I just love it and I highly recommend it!
NONSTICK GIVE YOU A FULL DOSE OF FOREVER CHEMICALS INTO YOUR BODY…NEVER USE THESE PANS…EVER!
I like cast iron
I was always warned tomato-based recipes will eat through your cast iron's seasoning bc the acid. Does the Test Kitchen have a favorite skillet for Taco Tuesday 🌮?
Why do I get motherly vibes from every one of these ladies? Great stuff.
I have all of these and they all do something a bit different. What I want to see is the different shapes and best in a shape? I love a handful of shapes and some of those are hard to find. A pan that's about 5" deep with a flat bottom, to help one pan wonders, is hard as heck to find.
Im a noob cook trying to move away from non-stick but Im completely confused on whether to choose cast iron. stainless steel, or carbon steel. How am I supposed to decide what will work best for me? No problem buying high end stuff but I want to buy it ONCE. Any help?
My favorite is my carbon steel 10 inch Lodge pan. I grab it for almost everything. I live with my daughter and any skillet larger is just too big for the 2 of us
I use both cast iron and carbon steel………..both have their place in the kitchen. My 30 year old Lodge is simply awesome, I also have a Stargazer that I love to cook in but it is VERY heavy. I have two very inexpensive carbon steel skillets that are also excellent !
Most nonstick pans are disposable.
Ceramics will lose their nonstick surface first ~2 years depending on how they're abused…
Not even mentioning the environmental side of non-stick?
What's the best Carbon steel pan available in the market today, not matfer something else because its 75$ and I will have to pay extra 140$ to get to my country, are there any good Alternatives??
Absolutely no coated pans for me. I have well seasoned cast iron and steel pans, including a beautiful stove top carbon steel wok. I have lots of stainless for for more acidic purposes.
Found a vintage cast iron 12" pan in a scrap yard. Spent hours cleaning, stripping (vinegar and water), wet sanding-yes, a lot of sanding, using a circular sander with grit grade up to1000. Cleaned, cleaned and cleaned some more. Then did a six stepp heat/cool seasoning with food grade flaxseed oil. A beautiful, durable, and very smooth surface, but a lot of time and work.
Great Science. Lisa and Hannah have taught me a lot. Dedicated, honest. I'm reticent to go for brands, but learning the concepts certainly helps my consumer choices.