The best frying pans you can buy, from cast iron to non-stick and stainless steel

A good frying pan should be versatile, durable (it won’t end up in the bin after three months) and good value for money, meaning it’s either pleasingly affordable or so long-lasting that it will be the last you ever buy.

There are lots of different frying pans out there, so we narrowed our search to three main fields: iron pans, which are highly durable but harder to maintain; non-stick pans, considered easier to maintain but generally less durable, and stainless steel, which are loved by the pros but trickier to use. For boiling or stir frying, you’ll want a saucepan or wok.

We’ve tested all the best frying pans on the market and you can read our reviews below, followed by advice from a cookware expert.

The best frying pans: At a glance

How to choose the best frying pan

The most important thing is to decide what you’ll be cooking, as each type of frying pan is suited to different tasks. For example, if frying eggs in the morning, non-stick is the best option and has the benefit of needing less oil.

If high temperatures are required – to sear steak, say – iron pans are superior. Stainless steel pans are a great in-between and are great for cooking sauces as well as frying vegetables. The downside is they tend to stick, so you’ll need plenty of oil.

Non-stick loosely describes pans that have one of two types of coating: Teflon (a form of plastic) or ceramic (a natural, mineral coating that’s non-stick and hard, but more fragile). However, several new technologies are emerging, included in the reviews below.

Non-stick pans are sold ready to use – you don’t need to season them – and they should retain their slick cooking surface through multiple uses.

How we test frying pans