In relation to essentially the most trusty tools in our culinary arsenal, a good frying pan is a should. Whether or not you’re keen on whipping up wholesome omlettes, a tasty fry-up or fluffy pancakes, there’s little or no they’ll’t do – purchase the appropriate one, they usually’ll come in useful for all the pieces from curry to coq au vin.
Not each frying pan sizzles the identical, nevertheless. At the beginning, be sure it’s appropriate for the type of hob you will have – you probably have an induction hob, the pan must be designed for one, or it merely received’t work. You’ll have the ability to get essentially the most out of a pan that may deal with numerous cooking methods with completely different meals, from sautéing to searing and even braising, whereas some pans can go within the oven, grill and even the barbecue.
There are all kinds of frying pans that can be purchased, however most fall into three important classes. Cast iron pans will final a lifetime and are glorious at retaining warmth however want just a little care to wash correctly and preserve seasoned. Additionally they are typically heavy to make use of. Chrome steel pans are lighter and very sturdy, so typically utilized in skilled kitchens, however it may be tough to cease meals from sticking to them. Lastly, non-stick pans are essentially the most generally used and are very simple to prepare dinner with and clear however are unlikely to final so long as iron or stainless-steel pans.
For those who do select a non-stick pan, be cautious of utilizing metallic utensils whereas cooking, even when it says you may. They’ll scratch the floor and injury the non-stick coating, shortening its lifespan. Keep away from the dishwasher, too as this will put on the non-stick coating away. The slippery floor will imply the pan is simple handy wash anyway, and meals ought to slide off in moments. Watch out for very low-cost non-stick pans which can have a skinny floor that can rapidly put on away and want changing.
Lastly, purchase the appropriate dimension pan to your wants. Most are available a spread of sizes between 20cm and 30cm, however the smallest received’t ship a decent-sized pancake and the largest is pointless in case you reside alone. Select correctly, and also you’ll marvel the way you ever lived with out this hard-working kitchen important.
How we examined
We used all these pans in our kitchen to search out the one we’d flip to for each meal. For each, we cooked a wide range of dishes together with steak, pancakes and naturally, the quintessential fry up. We judged how evenly every pan cooked our meals, how nicely any non-stick surfaces cleaned and the way good the meals tasted on the finish. We additionally thought of how heavy the pan was, how a lot oil we would have liked to make use of when cooking with it and the way simple it was to wash afterwards to find out which one was actually the proper pan.
Why you may belief IndyBest opinions
The Impartial’s product guides are rigorously curated, that includes gadgets that our skilled procuring group has personally examined and authorized. For non-stick frying pans, we known as on the experience of Siobhan Grogan, a specialist in food and drinks testing. Siobhan has additionally sampled a spread of recipe boxes to judge their high quality, in addition to different food and drinks merchandise, like the very best reusable water bottles and non-alcoholic wines.
The very best frying pans for 2025 are:
- Finest total – Ninja zerostick stainless-steel 30cm frying pan: £59.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Salter megastone collection non-stick forged aluminium frying pan: £15.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best stainless option – Dexam Supreme 26cm Non-Stick Frypan: £49.45, Hartsofstur.com
- Best griddle pan – Samuel Groves 26cm Britannia cast iron square griddle: £132.50, Samuelgroves.com
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