Finding the best frying pan to buy for everyday cooking
Frying pans are an essential cookware item that can be found in any home cook or professional chef's kitchen. With a flat base, sloped sides and a long handle for flipping and manoeuvring, this workhorse can be used to whip up any number of meals, from fried eggs and pancakes to steaming curries. Before you buy one, consider:
Material. Frying pans can be made from stainless steel, aluminium, copper, carbon steel, cast iron and more.
Size. Will you be using your frying pan to make small batches of food or to cook meals for the entire family?
Thickness. A thicker frying pan will have a more even heat distribution.
Handle. Look for a handle that doesn't conduct heat, such as stainless steel, aluminium and silicone.
Finish. Do you prefer a non-stick frypan that's ready to go and easy to maintain or a natural finish, like cast iron, that needs to be seasoned each time?
Non stick frying pans making life a little easier
A non-stick pan has a special coating on it that allows food to slide off easily and prevents any bits from getting stuck to the inside of it. As such, non-stick frying pans are very easy to clean and cook with. Tefal are leaders in non-stick cookware and you can find a great selection of their frying pans at Kitchen Warehouse, including the Tefal Perfect Cook Induction Non-Stick 28cm Frypan.
Best materials for frying pans - Cast iron, aluminium or stainless steel
Frying pans can be made using a variety of different materials, each with their own strengths. The most common include:
Stainless steel - A stainless steel frypan is long-lasting, durable, lightweight and non-reactive to acidic ingredients. They're also suitable for use with metal utensils.
Cast iron - A cast iron skillet offers even heat distribution and a heavier, sturdier build. It also has excellent heat retention and is naturally non-stick through the process of seasoning.
Aluminium - Aluminium frying pans are super versatile. They are lightweight and affordable, provide even heat distribution and are oven-safe, dishwasher-safe and resistant to scratching and rust.
Carbon steel - Carbon steel frying pans are practically indestructible. They offer even heat distribution and, like cast iron, have a natural non-stick surface once seasoned correctly.
Best frying pans for searing meat
Searing meat requires a high heat to effectively brown the outside and form a crust that seals in the juices. As non-stick frying pans are not suitable to these high temperatures, a cast iron frypan is your best choice. Cast iron is incredibly durable and provides even heat distribution which is required for searing meat to perfection.
Does size matter when you are purchasing a frying pan?
Size is definitely an important factor to consider. We have small 18cm Swiss Diamond frying pans that are perfect for frying an egg for one as well as large 32cm Stanley Rogers frypans for when you need to cook for the whole family.
For cooking soups and stews, go for a deep frypan that can safely hold liquids, such as Essteele Per Domani Deep Covered Skillet with Lid. To sear meat, flip burgers and create thin crepes, a grill pan and crepe pan has a wide and flat surface and will give you the space you need.
Features to look out for when buying new frying pans
These features will make your using your frying pan even more convenient:
Helper handle - A helper handle is an extra side handle that helps with lifting and transporting the pan.
Glass lid - A glass lid will keep food hot and lock flavours in. Consider the Anolon Endurance+ with French Skillet and Bonus Lid.
Non-stick coating - A non-stick frypan releases food easily, prevents food from getting stuck and is easier to clean.
Oven-safe - Easily transfer your food from the stovetop to the oven with an oven-safe pan.
Dishwasher-safe - Cleanup is even easier with a frypan that can be placed in the dishwasher for fast cleaning.
The difference between a frying pan and skillet
For most people, fry pans and skillets are essentially the same thing. There are some minor differences between them - a skillet can be slightly deeper and is more commonly used to describe frying pans made from cast iron, while a regular frying pan will be flat-bottomed and can be made with a variety of materials.
Finding the best frying pan set for you
A cookware set is a great investment if you often cook a variety of dishes that require different shapes and sizes. You can find quality frying pans sets in a twin pack by Le Creuset that are 24cm and 28cm and perfect for shallow frying. We also have the Tefal 3 piece cookware set with induction non-stick frying pans measuring 20cm, 26cm and 30cm for everything from frying one egg to whipping up a family-sized stir-fry.
Cookware accessories and other kitchen utensils to consider when buying a new frying pan
A trusty frypan is just the beginning when you shop at Kitchen Warehouse. Complete your kitchen with these must-haves:
Brands we know and trust
At Kitchen Warehouse you can find the most esteemed brands in kitchenware at prices below RRP, including Circulon, Le Creuset, Scanpan, Anolon, Jamie Oliver by Tefal, Raco, Essteele, Pyrolux and Swiss Diamond.
Buying your new frying pans online with Kitchen Warehouse
From specialised bakeware equipment and accessories to stunning barware and the latest kitchen appliances, we've got everything you need to create a beautifully stylish kitchen that works for you. Save your favourites on a wishlist for later, checkout now with free delivery over $100 or pick up a gift card to show the cook in your life some love and appreciation!
FAQs:
What is the best frying pan for home use?
Frying pans come in all shapes and sizes for cooking every type of meal in the home kitchen. The type of one you choose will depend on a number of factors, including the dish and the amount of ingredients.
A small non-stick egg pan is ideal for cooking eggs for one. A large frying pan can cook everything from omelettes to pasta dishes and pan-fried food. A sauté pan has steep sides that go straight upwards to give the base a wider surface area that's great for holding liquids and large amounts of food. Open French skillets are similar with a flat bottom and high sides that are often slanted for flipping.
For pancakes and crepes, consider a crepe pan with a wide surface and very shallow sides. If you love Asian cuisine, stir-fry pans have a flat base for stability or you can buy a wok for stir-frying, steaming, boiling and more.
What are the benefits of cooking with a frying pan?
A frying pan is an invaluable cookware item that most home cooks and professional chefs can't do without. With the right one, you can create any kind of dish to feed one or many. Frying pans cook food quickly, provide even heat distribution, retain food flavour and juices, and reduce the amount of oil you use with a non-stick coating.
Far from just being good for frying, these pans also allow you to sear, sauté, braise and bake while frypans with high sides are great for boiling, deep-frying and steaming, too.
