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what is the best frying pan??

9 years ago

it can be expensive, but i just need something that is really high performing, preferably stainless steel, and that is easy to clean. my pans all get a patina..

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Comments (3)

Gooster
9 years ago
The best SS clad pan, with no budget, is the Demeyere Proline. It is very thick and thus very even heating. It has no rivets inside, so it is easier to clean. The Silvonix surface treatment helps reduce sticking (follow their seasoning instructions) and also minimizes the discoloration that can happen with other brands. The downsides are the price and the weight. (Note that you can generally use Bar Keeper's Friend on your stainless clad pans to clean them up; Demeyere makes an excellent cleaner that is a bit gentler but does even a better job on baked-on oil). I first found out about these pans here -- and promptly ditched my All-Clad d5 frying pans.
Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bodeux. Got my set on Overstock. Stainless perfection and it works with induction. Oh, and if we are talking cleaning, Baking Soda is much gentler and more efficient than Bar Keepers friend.
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Just to let you know, the Cooks Illustrated recommendation was NOT for an oval fry pan. Are you talking about their equipment review for saute pans? If so, their recommended manufacturer, Gourmet Standard, makes a 12" saute pan in their Professional Series Tri-ply line, #AS11115 with lid . You may have gotten their 12" oval fry pan in the same line, #AS11117. You should check your order to see whether it was your mistake or the vendor's. BTW, if you want a Gourmet Standard sauate pan, but don't need the 12" size, or don't want to pay so much for a pan, they also make the saute style in a 10" size (round), #AS11114, or a 10" fry pan (not saute), #AS11113 .
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Mary, I'm very happy with my 11" cuprinox style fry pan. But like you, I've spent time reading all the cookware articles. If there is one pan in your arsenal that you want to be thick and heavy, it would be the frying pan, (at least for some cooking). I think the Demeyere Atlantis skillet would be a great choice because it is lighter,(than copper or iron) but still thick and would never warp at high heat-thanks to the stainless. Good cookware will sometimes make up for a less than perfect heat source. I have a powerful gas range with nice big star shaped burners, so I don't really need the thickest pan. But if you were to sear a steak with a weak burner, you would like a nice thick pan to hold more heat - once you preheat it. Otherwise, the meat would 'suck' the heat out of the thiner pan, before the burner could catch up and supply enough heat to get it hot again. I remember you saying you weren't sure on what you were cooking with, but wanted a good fry pan that's not too heavy. I think the Demeyere would be a good choice, I don't own it but I've seen the fry pan and it looks good.- should be easy to clean and is induction capable. I like the inside silvernox finish as well. Price is tough to swallow, but I saw one on sale that was the floor sample at a Sur La Table store...- so if you look long enough? What do I think about the All Clad copper core stuff? It is bomb proof, and I'm really impressed with it. It's not induction capable, and it's not particularly light (because of the copper). Total thickness at the edge, even with all those plies is not very thick. My guess is that the Demeyere Atlantis would do better as a fry pan, even without the copper, because the aluminum is so thick, - while remaining fairly light. Sure copper heats a little faster.. but the race isn't always won by the fastest and fry pans are one item that thickness and therefore heat capacity is just as important.
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I agree that the older cast iron pieces (Griswold and Wagner) are nicer than the Lodge pieces, especially because of the smooth surface you mentioned. I have a couple of Griswold, at least one Wagner, a bunch of other old (smooth) non-name cast iron skillets. However, I have found that as far as functionality is concerned, once they are properly seasoned Lodge pans work just about as well as the Griswold and Wagner pans, despite the much rougher surface on the Lodge pans. I prefer the smooth pans, but the difference is mainly asthetic. By the way, an angle grinder can be used to smooth the surfaces of cast iron pans. I did it on a cheap ($5) griddle from Harbor Freight and is worked fine.
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I'd vote for a small cast iron, too, especially since that's what she's requested. I'm old. And I have a daughter who, most of the time, thinks she's smarter than me. And I have to admit, she IS pretty smart. She got her smarts SOMEWHERE, and I think it was from me, so sometimes her attitude rankles me a little. If she was smarter than me, she'd hide the fact that she thinks she's smarter than me as well as I hide the fact that she annoys the heck out of me sometimes. But I do use cast iron skillets and I love them, even though with arthritis in my wrists, the bigger ones are hard for me to manage. Here's an idea, though. Get her a cast iron skillet, which she requested, and then get her something else that you might think she'd like better. Let her use both. If it's her decision, she might well be won over!
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User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The Demeyere 'Proline' is the best stainless steel skillet made. I agree with everything Gooster stated so well. There are of course many 'good' skillets out there.

If you needed quick heat response then Matfer Bourgeat makes a great stainless lined copper frying pan, as does Falk or Mauviel M250. The Falk is available with stainless handles as an option. These are top tier but if you want the copper to look nice they'll need to be polished often. These are also heavy and expensive, even by Demeyere standards,

For a couple thousand $$ you can get solid pure silver skillets. A company called Soy makes them- select your size and pay - https://www.etsy.com/listing/229225881/25mm-pure-solid-silver-999-frying-pan?ref=shop_home_feat_4

And depending on what you want it to do, bare cast iron is loved by a certain fan base. It's not as even or as quick to heat up, but it has some other pluses over stainless clad.

The two biggest advantages are that it's much less sticky, especially for things like eggs, AND it's easier to clean and maintain IF you sear things that cause fats or oils to cook onto the surface. That's because it aids in the seasoning of the pan's cooking surface. And you want that patina, and you don't 'see' it, except that your pan slowly becomes darker and slicker.

If you go that route, the older vintage cast iron is smoother and sometimes a little lighter. The Japanese make modern good quality cast iron as well. It is not anywhere as evenly heated along it's surface as a good stainless clad fry pan.

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