5 of the Best Stainless Steel Pans of 2024, Tested and Reviewed | GQ

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Want to feel like you’re competing in an episode of Top Chef? Of course, you do. Acquiring one of the best stainless steel pans is the fastest way to instantly upgrade your home kitchen to ensure that no one ever tells you to pack your knives and leave any kitchen you occupy. Classic stainless steel pans have come a long way in terms of technology and design, with way too many options (and terms) to contend with. Three-ply versus five-ply? What the hell is copper core?! These all refer to the layering of the metals in your pan affecting the performance, and different configurations will yield pans of varying price points.

“Cookware is something you want to buy once and not worry about, so durability is key,” Rob Zwirz, executive chef at Bar Madonna explains. “Look for pans that have been ‘cladded’ where the cooking surface has been layered or reinforced with more conductive metals like aluminum. This allows for even heat distribution.”

You want a great stainless steel pan that will help take your food from basic to basically amazing. Skip all the scrolling and get straight to our picks for the best stainless pans for any home cook, from pan aficionado to just figuring it out.

Stainless steel is so popular because it’s durable and rust-proof, which can withstand up to tons of long-term, high-heat exposure. The downside is that many people rely on non-stick pans and never learn how to use stainless steel correctly. Using stainless steel pans results in excellent heat retention, the ability to get ripping-hot temperatures, and few hot spots. Restaurants are big fans of stainless steel pans, with food-grade steel being a high priority. Whatever style of stainless steel pan you prefer, do yourself a favor and watch a few YouTube videos about best practices—you’ll thank me later. The recommendations below come from countless hours of eggs sticking to the pan and finally, mercifully, getting it right.

Made In

Made In

Material: Cladded Stainless Steel with Aluminum CoreDishwasher Safe: YesInduction Compatible: YesSizes available: 8, 10, 12 inches

A perfect skillet is worth its weight in stainless steel. This Made In pan comes in 8-, 10- and 12-inch versions for all of your cooking needs. It heats quickly, adjusts to temperatures seamlessly, and stays hot for as long as you need. Made In has a lot of great products, and this is no exception. Because of its status as a direct-to-consumer business, the brand can produce high-end products at much more attainable prices than legacy brands can offer. Honestly, this pan performs just as well as ones from some of the more well-known brands, but at a slightly lower price point. Also, Made In has established itself well over the years, where it can now be considered just as “well known” as the bigger guys. The notch on the end of the handle is just right for easy storage hanging on the wall, and the offset shape of the handle makes it exceptionally comfortable to hold and maneuver—a must for those very important sautés and stir-fries. As if that’s not enough, the brushed metal exterior looks just as good after use. While it doesn’t come with a lid, Made In does sell universal lids if absolutely necessary.

Tramontina

Amazon

Material: Three-ply stainless steel and aluminum coreDishwasher Safe: YesInduction Compatible: YesSizes available: 8, 10, 12 inches

This cladded frying pan has everything you could want: an easy-to-hold riveted handle, sloping sides, and great heat retention. It’s an affordable workhouse skillet that's hard to top. Despite the pan's sturdiness and heft, it was still surprisingly easy to move around the kitchen. The solidly riveted handle felt balanced and secure, even with tons of food inside. The three-ply makeup—in which layers of metal are welded together—ensures even heating and no hot spots, which can result in scorched patches (think uneven browning on a piece of chicken). These skillets have a stellar reputation for many good reasons. The pans' sides slope out more than other skillets, but the cladding makes it easier to clean. Just let your pan cool fully before using a mildly abrasive sponge or cleaner to ensure everything washes out.

All-Clad

Amazon

Material: Stainless steel with two layers of aluminumDishwasher Safe: YesInduction Compatible: YesSizes available: 8, 10, 12 inches

All-Clad literally invented bonded cookware, and its over 50 years in the game has yet to tarnish its reputation. As the name indicates, this is a top-of-the-line five-ply frying pan with all of the bells and whistles. Three layers of stainless steel and two of aluminum make this pan incredibly easy to use, with great heating, great searing, and even better-than-expected cooling. This is certainly a splurge item and requires just as much care as any other stainless steel pan. This All-Clad pan is made in America and for at-home chef who leans more America's Test Kitchen than Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Even the rivets are spaced just far enough apart, so it’s easier to clean between them than many other models. Plus, it’s safe to use in temperatures up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, which means extra broiler time is a problem. This pan will last a lifetime so take care of it, it'll take care of you (with dinner).

Misen

Misen

Material: Five-Ply Stainless steel and aluminum coreDishwasher Safe: YesInduction Compatible: YesSizes available: 8, 10, 12 inches

From the smooth, metal handle to the brushed exterior to the sleek body shape, this pan feels like an upgrade to our budget Tramontina pick without entering bougie territory. It looks great, feels solid, and the performance speaks for itself. The Misen heated up quickly, cooked evenly and even the first pancake in the batch came out cooked perfectly. It is a bit on the heavy side, but not so much more than any other brands or models.

The one thing to be aware of is that Misen measures across the bottom, not the top, unlike other brands so this pan may be bigger than other ones in your collection in the same size category. In any case, this pan is fun and functional and makes a great gift to yourself or anyone else.

Hestan

Amazon

Material: Three-ply Stainless steel with aluminum coreDishwasher Safe: YesInduction Compatible: YesSizes available: 8.5, 11, 12.5 inches

Everything about Hestan's Insignia line of pots and pans feels like it was meant to be used in a professional kitchen. Then again, world-famous chef Thomas Keller did have a say in every little detail about this cookware. One of the greatest features of this pan is its handle, which minimizes heat transfer so that you won't accidentally burn your hand. It's also been angled to be more ergonomic, which any professional chef will tell you is an excellent touch if you're looking to avoid carpal tunnel.

The flared rims make it easier to pour out liquids without any drippage down the sides, and the flushed rivets prevent grime buildup for easy cleanup. Overall, the pan is lightweight and gets stupid hot, making it the perfect pan to get a beautiful brown sear on a steak and flip a fried egg with agility.

Weight and shape: A bad stainless steel pan will have a thin bottom and single thickness around the sides, leading to uneven cooking and burning. A good stainless steel pan will have a thicker bottom with a dense feel. Look for an itemized description of materials used to create the steel to help determine the advantages of the construction. Layers of copper and aluminum all aid in even and consistent cooking as they are great heat conductors but tend to affect the weight and price tag.

Some cooks like straighter sides on a skillet, some prefer angled sides, and some prefer rounded sides. There are a million different perspectives, but the most important one is that the skillet feels comfortable to hold and maneuver, no matter how much it weighs or the shape of the sides.

Handle structure: Stainless steel pans can stand up to a lot of heat, which also means they themselves can get pretty hot. Make sure to test out how handles are attached, the actual length of the handle, and how it feels to hold the pan with and without food in it. In professional kitchens, I was taught that when pans are full of food, I should use heat-proof towels to grab the handle closer to the base, as this would offset the weight.

Purpose: Look for pans that generally fit your burner size. This helps prevent the sides from scorching and general uneven cooking. Consider having two different sizes of the pan, one that's larger (between 10 and 12 inches) for everyday cooking and up to 16 inches for larger meals. Always check out which heat safe towels or mitts work with pots before they are too hot to touch and have them at the ready. Have induction burners? Double-check the specs. Most pans will say on the package, but double-check to make sure.

Cost and value: There is a huge market for stainless steel skillets, and the more you know about their construction, the more you can narrow down your top choices. A cheap pan from somewhere like Ikea can cost $20. Sure, you'll save a quick buck, but that pan's going to be pretty shit in the kitchen—uneven heating, poor heat retention, and warping are all on the table. High-end pans can cost hundreds of dollars, but they'll last longer and are usually backed by some type of warranty, whether for a few years or the owner's lifetime.

Care and maintenance: Stainless steel is technically dishwasher safe, but that doesn’t mean you should only rely on the machines. Yes, stainless steel pans are made for regular use but in general dishwashing has been shown to degrade pans over time. Soak pans once they are cool and hand wash whenever possible. For clingy stains, bust out the heavy-duty scrubber and a mild abrasive—like Bar Keeper’s Friend or baking soda—and scrub. Just make sure each piece is fully dry before storing.

We're pretty sure you're not here for a science lesson, but to understand the wild world of stainless steel pans, we have to get just a little granular. Stainless steel is an alloy or mixture of chemicals with a metal base made of mostly iron and chromium. There are different combinations of chemicals that include trace amounts of other minerals like copper, nickel, and carbon that make the alloy effectively higher and lower grades, in which grading denotes many things, including durability, heat conductivity, and resistance to rust.

Different alloys are graded for commercial or food use, with numbers in the 300s and 400s for kitchen-grade stainless steel. Steel in the 400s is usually magnetic, which means it's suitable for induction cooking. Food-grade stainless steel must be at least 11% chromium, usually with added nickel and carbon, which makes it less likely to pit or warp and more likely to be durable. “Look for pans that are made with 18/10 stainless steel, [which will be denoted on the packaging]. This rating indicates the percentage of chromium and nickel [and] will be the most durable and easiest to maintain,” Zwirz says.

We researched and then used as many pans as possible. While there are a ton of options out there, we narrowed our list down to five—including professional grade, budget, and splurge picks—that included a range of highly sought-after features like durability, ease of maneuvering, and how well the pan was to be maintained. We seared, sautéed, and fried using various heats and temperatures to gauge which held up the best. We found that it was essential to look for small differences from broiling to stovetop and incorporated tests that indicated efficient heat retention and distribution as well as any design features that make them easier for home cooks to use and store. We think all of these qualities determine a pan's overall value.

Alissa Fitzgerald is a chef, recipe developer, and food and spirits writer with over 15 years of experience in the food industry. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Forbes and VinePair. Most days you can find her alternating her time behind a cutting board and a computer.