Fry, Simmer, and Sear—These Are the Best Frying Pans of 2024

Our Top Pick: Anolon Advanced Home 12.75-Inch Hard-Anodized Nonstick Skillet

There are several reasons why this frying pan earned a spot at the top of our list. First, it heats evenly across its surface, so you don't have to manage hot and cold areas while cooking (in other words, there is less chance of undercooking some parts of the food while burning others). Second, the pan's shape makes it suitable for a variety of cooking situations since it has high enough edges to keep sauce in, but still has great curvature for tipping food on to a plate.

A frying pan isn't just great because of how it handles food, it's also important how comfortable it is for you to use. Made from hard-anodized aluminum, this frying pan strikes the balance of being sturdy without feeling cumbersome to wield. It also has a silicone grip on the handle that makes it easier to hold as you're moving around the kitchen.

The only drawback is that it's not dishwasher safe. However, because of its durable nonstick coating inside and out, it's no big trouble to clean the pan by hand. We love the 12.75-inch size, but if you're looking for something smaller, there is also a 10.25-inch option.

The Details: Hard-anodized aluminum; 12.75-inch diameter; oven safe up to 400° Fahrenheit

Best Budget: Carote Nonstick Frying Pan Skillet

For how often you'll probably use this nonstick pan, it's hard to beat its price. Its affordability doesn't take away from its quality though, as you can count on it to not only heat up evenly, but also quickly thanks to its interior layer of aluminum. Make some fried eggs for breakfast, and you'll see just how nice it is cooking on the pan's smooth, nonstick surface. That nonstick granite material also means that you won't need a lot of elbow grease to keep it clean—instead, it should just take some light wiping down.

Another big plus with this frying pan is that it works on all cooktops, induction included, so you can count on it even if you move into homes with different kitchen equipment over the years. What you do want to be careful with, however, is putting it in too hot of a cooktop since that could potentially damage the Bakelite handle. Stick with low and medium heat, and it'll continue to look good.

The Details: Aluminum; 8-inch diameter; oven safe up to 350° Fahrenheit

Best for Beginners: Tramontina 10-Inch Professional Restaurant Fry Pan

While this frying pan may be marketed with words like "professional," "restaurant," and "commercial-grade," don't let that scare you off from using it as a beginner. It's made from thick aluminum for fast and even heat distribution, and it has a reinforced nonstick coating, which means food will slide right out of the pan when you're transferring it to a plate. In other words, you don't have to fuss with most of your meal getting stuck to the bottom, which, sadly, can happen with other types of pans as you're getting familiar with how to fry, sauté, and sear.

The frying pan is also a nice medium size, so you can comfortably use it to make a meal for just yourself or for multiple people without it becoming too unwieldy. The removable silicone grip on the handle also adds to the pan's safety and ease of use.

Aside from its design and effectiveness, another reason this frying pan is great for novice cooks is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. By investing in this pan at the beginning of your culinary journey, you're setting yourself up for many years of success in the kitchen.

The Details: Heavy-gauge aluminum; 10-inch diameter; oven safe up to 400° Fahrenheit

Best Ceramic: GreenPan Rio Healthy Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan Skillet

Ceramic is a popular choice for cooks who want cookware free of PTFE, aka Teflon. Instead, the nonstick coating here is made from silica (sand) and reinforced with diamonds.

Given the ceramic material, you shouldn't have to deal with food sticking, but even if things get a little messy, this frying pan can be put right in the dishwasher for easy cleanup. However, keep in mind that the nonstick ceramic finish doesn't make it the best choice if you want to do some high-heat cooking in the oven.

The pan's thoughtful design extends to the handle, which won't get hot while you're cooking and is comfortable to hold. It's great for those who like to keep things simple with their cooking tools and for those who like bursts of color in the kitchen, as it comes in black, turquoise, pink, and red.

The Details: Ceramic; 7-inch diameter; oven safe up to 350° Fahrenheit

Best for Stainless Steel: All-Clad D3 Stainless-Steel Fry Pan

All-Clad is known for its quality stainless steel cookware, including saucepans, sauté pans, and stock pots; this All-Clad frying pan is no exception. There are three layers at work here (an aluminum core surrounded by two layers of stainless steel), meaning the pan heats up quickly, distributes heat evenly, and is highly durable.

The D3 pan features the right balance of flat and flare in its base shape so you can work easily within the pan, flipping and frying. Plus, the pan is versatile in terms of temperature and cooktop; it can handle super high heat in the oven (feel free to use it under the broiler safely), plus any kind of cooking surface.

For all that this frying pan does, you do end up having to shell out more money. But while the price tag is higher than many other options listed here, it's truly designed to last for years and has a limited lifetime warranty, so you can consider it a worthwhile, long-term investment.

The Details: Stainless steel and aluminum; 12-inch diameter; oven safe up to 600° Fahrenheit

Best for Carbon Steel: Made In Blue Carbon Steel Frying Pan

Carbon steel frying pans are best described as a cross between a stainless-steel frying pan and a cast-iron skillet. Chef Kim loves this frying pan because "it's lighter than a cast iron and flips really well."

With this high-quality carbon-steel pan, you can experience for yourself how it brings together the advantages of other types of pans. It's highly durable, can withstand incredibly high temperatures in the oven, and has a slick, natural surface that can function like nonstick if handled properly. Plus, the pan is even compatible with induction stovetops, so you can turn to it time and time again, no matter what kind of cooktop you're working with.

This particular pan's depth and shape make it suitable for cooking an array of recipes, from searing some steak to sautéing vegetables. Before you get going on any of that though, you'll need to take the time to properly season the pan. Once you've seasoned it, you should protect it with hand-washing, but you can most likely get any residue off without much grunt work.

The Details: Carbon steel; 10-inch diameter; oven safe up to 1,200° Fahrenheit

Best Cast Iron: Lodge 10.25-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

Due to its incredible durability and excellent heat retention, a cast-iron skillet is a true workhorse that you can use just as well on the stove as you can over a campfire. For those looking to work with cast iron, Lodge has long been the go-to brand for years. This 10.25-inch skillet keeps the heat steady for longer, making it the go-to choice if you're doing more tedious jobs, like whipping up a batch of skillet cornbread or chicken-fried steak.

Yes, the cast iron definitely makes the pan heavy—it weighs in at almost 5.5 pounds—but the trade-off is that it's exceptionally tough. There's a reason cast-iron skillets get passed on from generation to generation! Plus, this one comes with a silicone handle holder, so it's at least a little easier to pick up safely. You can put the holder in the dishwasher, but to keep your pan in the best condition possible, make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning and seasoning. It's not hard maintenance, but it is a little more to keep in mind than a quick wipe-down with a sponge.

The Details: Cast iron; 10.25-inch diameter; oven safe up to 650° Fahrenheit

Best Copper: Williams Sonoma Thermo-Clad Copper Fry Pan

Between its beautiful design and durable construction, this copper frying pan from Williams Sonoma is sure to become a family heirloom. The pan combines solid 1.2mm-gauge copper—a fast heat conductor that makes it easier to get an even sear—with a thin interior layer of 18/10 stainless steel. The copper is mirror-polished for added shine, but the pan itself is still simple to clean and maintain thanks to the steel components.

We used both the 10-inch and 12-inch frying pans in the Allrecipes kitchen while testing copper cookware sets (hint: this collection won our top spot), and found each of them to have excellent heat distribution. The ergonomic handle is heavy, but it was also comfortable to hold and super sturdy during tests. Although the frying pans won't be compatible with induction-style cooktops, they were overall the best copper frying pans we tested. It's pricey, but we think this "buy for life" line is well worth the investment.

The Details: Copper, stainless steel; 10-inch or 12-inch diameter; oven safe up to 450° Fahrenheit

Best Set: All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Fry Pan Set

We love All-Clad's D3 stainless steel collection, but there's no denying that it's pretty pricey. Luckily, the brand also offers a much more budget-conscious line that offers the conductivity and durability of stainless steel alongside the ease of nonstick.

The set includes a 10-inch pan that's perfect for larger meals like vegetable stir-fries and a smaller 8-inch pan that's great for heating up leftovers or frying up a couple of eggs. Plus, if you're ready to give your kitchen collection a bigger overhaul than just a two-piece replacement, the set also comes in a larger 5-piece collection that includes an additional 12-inch pan with two matching glass lids.

To keep the pan's nonstick coating in good condition, it's best to hand wash the pan rather than using a dishwasher. But again, it is nonstick, after all, so you won't have to scrub hard to remove any leftover bits of food.

The Details: Stainless steel; 8-inch and 10-inch diameter; oven safe up to 500° Fahrenheit