A good choice, especially for heavily used cookware, is a tri-ply or five-ply combination of stainless steel and aluminum (or hard-anodized aluminum). Stainless steel provides a durable surface, providing excellent heat retention and safety. Interior layers of aluminum ensure even heat distribution. All these work together to create the ideal cooking base, whether you’re using a skillet or sauté pan.

Skillets are typically deeper than frypans, which makes them more suitable for dishes that call for more liquid or sauce. Its depth also allows you to add in more ingredients for one-pan meals that include vegetables and meat. All this without spilling out. 

A frying pan, or skillet, has a round shape, sloped sidewalls, and a lightweight design, which are helpful features when tossing foods in the pan. Its rim is wider than the cooking surface to promote the quick evaporation of liquids.

In conclusion, sizzling steak plates and platters offer a unique and engaging dining experience, allowing for the presentation of sizzling hot meals directly to the table. Whether used in restaurants or home kitchens, these culinary tools enhance the visual appeal and enjoyment of sizzling dishes, creating an interactive and memorable dining experience for diners and guests.

For purchasing guidance, please read our review of the best stainless steel skillets and our sauté pan round-up. But whichever pan you choose, there are a few things to keep in mind while shopping.

In the labs, we put the carbon steel pans through the same tests as our cast-iron pans: heating evenness, baking, and browning. You have to keep carbon steel pans seasoned, like cast iron, but if you do, they soon develop a smooth patina that makes a pan as slick as nonstick, giving you even more cooking possibilities.

On the other hand, the French skillet is excellent for frying large quantities of food or making stews and sauces that require simmering. These dishes are challenging to cook in a frying pan, which cannot hold excess moisture, and the food may easily fall out of the pan. Examples of such meals include risotto and paella.