Best Frying Pans for Every Food

It’s easy to see why nonstick cookware is wildly popular: Food slides right off its surface, and it’s one of the easiest types to clean. There are two main types: traditional PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) nonstick—often known by the brand name Teflon—and newer ceramic coatings.

What it does best. A nonstick pan might be an obvious option for eggs, but it’s ideal for pancakes as well, allowing you to flip them without tearing, says Breann Chai, who oversees CR’s cookware testing. It’s a smart choice for food where easy release matters, such as delicate fish, tofu, and chicken.

What to watch out for. PTFE belongs to a group of chemicals called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that have been linked to a range of health problems, although manufacturers say PTFE pans are safe (more on that below). Ceramic coatings have stellar nonstick properties but are not as durable as PTFE coatings that are properly cared for. GreenPan, a maker of ceramic nonstick cookware, says its pans can be expected to last two to five years. PTFE pans can last far beyond that, depending on their construction, says Fran Attilio, managing director of the Cookware and Bakeware Alliance, an industry organization.

Make it last. Save the slick surface of these pans for delicate foods that require low to moderate heat. Opt for silicone or wooden utensils to avoid damaging the coating. Also, avoid aerosol cooking sprays like Pam; their propellants can make nonstick coatings sticky. Many manufacturers say nonsticks can go in the dishwasher, but hand-washing is best; dishwasher detergents can more quickly degrade the pan’s coating. For stubborn, stuck-on food, Chai suggests adding water and dish soap to the pan, briefly heating it, then letting it soak.

This material is a go-to choice in commercial kitchens because of its versatility, durability, and ability to handle heavy use, says Paul Hope, a CR home editor and trained chef. Stainless steel cookware is often clad, meaning it’s composed of several layers of metal to improve heat conductivity. The type of metal used is more important than the number of layers. A three-ply stainless pan with a copper core could provide more uniform heating than a five-ply pan with an aluminum core because copper is a more conductive metal.

What it does best. These pans can handle high temperatures, so they’re great for searing and sautéing. They’re ideal for stove-to-oven cooking, letting you sear thick cuts of meat like pork chops first, then finish them in the oven. Some we’ve tested are safe up to 600° F. Stainless steel is also nonreactive, so it’s excellent for simmering acidic foods, such as tomato sauce.

What to watch out for. It’s all too easy for food to stick to a stainless steel surface, so don’t skimp on the fat or heat. How much is enough? The typical advice is to add enough oil to form a thin film across the frying pan, Chai says.

Make it last. It’s generally safe to wash stainless steel in the dishwasher. If you’re hand-washing, use a nylon or other soft abrasive cleaning pad to clean the surface. Stubborn, burned-on food should be soaked in soapy hot water for several hours. You can also try a dedicated cleaning product, such as Bar Keeper’s Friend. Steel wool or scouring pads are a last resort. And be wary when using salt: It can pit steel surfaces. Before adding it to the pan, stir the salt into a liquid until it dissolves completely, says the Cookware and Bakeware Alliance.

It’s not as well-known as nonstick or stainless steel, but carbon steel is a favorite of pro chefs for a reason.

Made of an alloy of iron and carbon, these pans are more conductive than those made of stainless steel, so they heat more evenly. Like cast iron, carbon steel needs to be seasoned to achieve a nonstick finish. But it’s lighter and thinner than cast iron, and it responds to temperature changes more quickly. This makes it an ideal material for woks, says Grace Young, author of the James Beard Award-winning book “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge” (Simon & Schuster, 2010).

What it does best. Because it conducts heat so well, carbon steel is the perfect choice for food that benefits from a quick cook at a high temperature—stir-frying in a skillet or wok, for example. You won’t need much fat, either. “The stir-fry action constantly tosses the bite-sized ingredients in a small amount of oil,” Young says, “so the food sears lightly while also cooking evenly.”

What to watch out for. Carbon steel heats up so quickly that it’s easy to burn delicate foods. Think twice before using it for acidic foods, too—the acid can damage the pan’s seasoning, Chai says.

Make it last. Many carbon steel pans come preseasoned, so they’re ready to use. If you buy an unseasoned pan, wash it to remove any manufacturing residue, Chai says. Then add a thin layer of oil with a high smoke point (such as canola or avocado oil) and heat it on your cooktop until the oil begins to smoke. Let it cool, then repeat the process, adding fresh oil each time, two to four times to create layers. To clean, Young recommends using a gentle sponge and dish soap. For stuck-on food, soak the pan in hot water for a few minutes to loosen it, then wipe it with a soft sponge. Never clean carbon steel with a metal scouring pad, Young says. It can damage the seasoning.

Cast-iron pans are versatile and can last a lifetime. Plus, they’re not as tricky to maintain as you might think. There are two main varieties: enamel-coated and uncoated. A coated cast-iron piece serves as heavy-duty cookware and a pretty addition to the dinner table. Uncoated cast-iron comes either unseasoned or preseasoned by the manufacturer. Seasoning gives the pan nonstick properties.

What it does best. Some cooks choose cast-iron for its ability to retain heat and sear, but it works well for a wide range of tasks. “I love using my cast-iron skillet on the grill to caramelize onions, for smash burgers or brats, to sauté mushrooms, blister peppers, or [make] grilled skillet pizza,” says Kris Stubblefield, Lodge Cast Iron resident chef. Even rice-based dishes meant to have a crispy layer at the bottom of the pan, such as paella or concón, benefit from the heat retention of cast iron.

What to watch out for. Cast-iron can be heavy—the heaviest skillet in CR’s ratings weighs more than 9 pounds. And it isn’t suitable for all foods. Cooking very acidic ingredients, such as a vinegar-heavy barbecue sauce, can break down the pan’s seasoning.

Make it last. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan often needs to be cleaned only with a wet sponge or cloth. It’s okay to use dish soap, too, Stubblefield says. “The old ‘no soap’ lore dates to when soap contained high concentrations of lye.”

Reserve more abrasive cleaning tools, such as steel wool and chain mail scrubbers, for stuck-on food or rust. Avoid putting cast iron in the dishwasher because it can promote rust. And always dry the pan before storing it. If you see the seasoning wearing off, reseason it by wiping the entire surface with a very thin layer of cooking oil, then placing the pan upside down directly on a rack in an oven set at 450° F to 500° F for 1 hour, Stubblefield says. Let it cool fully before using it again.

If you are, you’re not alone. An April 2025 nationally representative CR survey of 2,158 adults in the U.S. found that 65 percent of home cooks were at least somewhat concerned about chemicals such as PTFE (Teflon), PFOA, and the broader class of PFAS chemicals in their cookware. PFAS are also known as “forever chemicals” because they can linger in the body and the environment indefinitely.

“Exposure to various PFAS has been linked to a number of adverse health effects, including liver and kidney disease, thyroid disease, higher cholesterol levels, metabolic changes in children, and pregnancy-induced hypertension,” says Eric Boring, PhD, an analytical chemist at CR. Manufacturers say that when used properly—over low to medium heat—and discarded when scratched, pans made with PTFE are completely safe.

Concerns about PTFE have boosted the popularity of ceramic-coated cookware. This type claims the top spots in CR’s nonstick frying pan ratings. But while the coatings are marketed as PTFE-free, there’s been some concern that they could contain heavy metals.

Fran Attilio, managing director of the Cookware and Bakeware Alliance, says ceramic nonstick coatings undergo routine testing for lead and cadmium.

Caraway, which makes CR’s top-rated nonstick frying pan, says it takes several measures to ensure that its product is free of heavy metals, including testing. “Caraway maintains robust supplier requirements and safety measures throughout its supply chain to ensure that raw materials—and the final articles—do not contain detectable levels of lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals,” says Aleksandra Cepulska, Caraway’s marketing manager.

Spokespeople for Beautiful by Drew Barrymore and Our Place say their nonstick ceramic coatings are also tested to ensure that they’re free of lead and cadmium.