The 11 Very Best Skillets

Material: Cast iron | Maintenance: Hand wash and keep well-seasoned | Weight: Heavy

Choosing a “best overall” skillet is easier than you might expect given the vastly different categories I laid out above. I landed on this one because if I had to only cook with this single pan for the rest of my life, I’d be pretty okay — and you would too. And in my opinion, Lodge, which I’ve been using for as long as I’ve had a kitchen, hits all the markers you want in a perfect skillet. First, it’s affordable. (Indeed, there are some even more gorgeous models on the market, like Smithey, but those will run you literally hundreds of dollars more — and other less-dependable brands with skillets go for around the same price point as the Lodge.) And it’s also durable (like, last-you-forever and then pass-it-down durable). There are some to-dos when it comes to cleaning and maintaining it, but I’ve written a whole guide on how — and just know that you can always get your cast iron back to a good-as-new state.

As a material, cast iron can pretty much do it all: get really hot and retain that heat, go from the stove to the oven, and hold a nonstick surface if seasoned properly (Lodge cookware comes pre-seasoned, which is a great bonus, but it might require some upkeep over the years). You can sear, sauté, braise, fry, and bake in it. It’s solidly made and certainly has some weight to it — all cast iron does, and that’s part of the point — but I never have trouble maneuvering mine around.

It’s the most common cast iron you’ll see regular home cooks using too: Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo said it was the very best thing she bought in the entirety of the last decade, and I use mine so often, it has taken up permanent residence on my front left burner. And professional chefs are just as devoted. “This pan will last you forever,” says Daniel Cutler, co-owner and chef of Ronan in Los Angeles. “It always comes in handy and never disappoints,” adds New Orleans–based chef and restaurateur Alon Shaya. For something so useful, the price is already seriously low, but Lani Halliday, founder and owner of Brutus Bakeshop, notes that you can often find them even cheaper at thrift shops, yard sales, and antiques stores. “All you have to do is clean them up,” she says.

Material: Nonstick | Maintenance: Dishwasher safe | Weight: Lightweight

For a long time, it was a fact in my mind that you shouldn’t spend too much money on a nonstick skillet because — unlike cast iron and stainless steel — they are not meant to last forever. But after years of cooking in my own kitchen, many with this pan — as well as some very thorough research — I think it’s safe to say that what you want is a moderately priced nonstick (too cheap and it will degrade faster, too expensive and you’re wasting money).

The Zwilling Madura is exactly that happy medium. Though I’ve amassed quite a few nonsticks, this is the one I use pretty much every day to fry and scramble eggs, to crisp up fish skin and leftover rice, to griddle pancakes, to gently toast spices. Imperatively, the surface has stayed visibly intact and smooth. I also like the curve of the sides and the fact that the handle stays cool to the touch on the stove.

And I’m not the only one who can attest to its superior build. “I love that it’s technically safe for metal utensils, something that I’ve always considered a nonstick no-no,” says recipe developer and writer Rebecca Firkser. “I still try to be cautious when flipping things with my metal fish spatula, tongs, and slotted spoon, but even when I’ve scraped the pan accidentally, I’ve never seen a scratch on the surface.”

Recipe developer and forthcoming cookbook author Andy Baraghani swears by the Zwilling Madura, too, noting its lightweight design and flared lip that make it easy to toss ingredients. For her part, recipe developer and cookbook author Molly Baz says, “I like the way it feels in my hand ergonomically. I can hold it in one hand without it hurting my wrist or flopping over to the side.”

Though many nonstick skillets say they’re oven- and dishwasher-safe, the Zwilling Madura has withstood both those tests. I use mine to make frittatas (as do Firkser and Baragahni), and Baz, who has been using hers for several years says, “I have been putting it in the dishwasher since I bought it and it shows no signs of degraded coating.”

Material: Nonstick | Maintenance: Dishwasher safe | Weight: Lightweight

Before I started using my Zwilling regularly, I owned an eight-inch Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Nonstick. It was in my regular rotation for a full three years, handling all those same tasks I laid out above, before it started to show wear. That’s a very solid stretch of time for a pan half the price. My main knock is that the handle isn’t quite as comfortable for holding and flipping — but it’s not a deal breaker if you want to spend less.

Material: Stainless steel | Maintenance: Hand wash | Weight: Medium

In home kitchens, you’re more likely to find stainless steel than copper skillets. And when it comes to stainless steel, All-Clad is the tried-and-true forever favorite. It’s a brand that has surrounded me my whole life — in the classic Food Network cooking shows I used to watch, in my mom’s cabinets from the time I was born, and in the test kitchen of Bon Appétit (where I used to work). Matt Rodbard, food writer, editor, and cookbook author, even says that the handle is so “iconic” that if you flip through “most cookbooks of the last 20 years, you’ll spot it.” Robert Guimond, chef and owner of Public Display of Affection in Brooklyn, swears by his, which comes with a matching lid for splatter control, to steam ingredients, or help them cook faster. “It’s durable and it’s beautiful,” he says.

Material: Carbon steel | Maintenance: Hand wash and keep well-seasoned | Weight: Medium

Like I hinted at earlier, carbon steel behaves very similarly to cast iron. It’s not quite as versatile (the lower, more sloped sides mean it’s difficult to fry, braise, or bake in it). But it is somewhat lighter (notably, it’s the material most woks are made out of, practical for maneuvering around the stove and picking up and flipping ingredients). The surface tends to be a bit smoother than cast iron, making it more amenable to delicate ingredients like seafood. “I use mine for everything from paella to pressing Cubanos because they are quite heavy,” says chef Jordan Wallace, culinary director of Denver’s Pizzeria Locale. “And over a coal or wood fire camping, these are clutch.”

Material: Enameled cast iron | Maintenance: Dishwasher safe | Weight: Lightweight

Vermicular, a Japanese company that makes only a small handful of kitchen products, first became known for its precision cooker. A little over a year ago, it released this sleekly designed oven-safe skillet made from enameled cast iron, which I’ve been using for just about as long. Like the Le Creuset above, it has a smooth and fairly nonstick surface with the durable nature of a hearty material. But there’s one notable difference: It’s truly lightweight. The pan is, in fact, even lighter than my Zwilling Madura by two ounces (though it has an ever-so-slightly smaller diameter). This means I can move it around from counter to stove and from stove to oven nimbly and easily with one hand. The handle is also longer and has a more comfortable, rounded shape than that of the Le Creuset. It’s pricey but has the feel of something made to last. One note: Though the brand says it is dishwasher safe, I’ve only washed mine by hand so far.

Material: Carbon-steel | Maintenance: Hand wash and keep well seasoned | Weight: Medium

Woks are a very particular type of skillet (if you can call them that at all). Because their primary purpose is for stir-frying, they’re built in a V shape with extremely high sides to accommodate tossing lots of ingredients and have two handles to make maneuvering around a high flame easy. Still, they can be used for many of the same tasks as standard skillets, like braising, sautéing, and steaming (and even for things standard skillets can’t be used for, like boiling stew or popping popcorn). In my roundup of the best ones, this Made In model was recommended by Lucas Sin, chef at Junzi Kitchen and Nice Day. It’s almost like a hybrid of the more traditional woks on that list and the carbon-steel pan above: It’s quite compact with slightly lower sides (though Sin says it “comfortably cooks for two”), has only one handle, and features a bottom on the wider side, which Sin prefers “for as much surface contact as possible.”