Stainless-steel Skillets

Stainless-steel skillets are best at browning

Experts say stainless-steel cookware's durability and versatility on the stovetop and in the oven is unmatched by nonstick cookware. Plus, it's by far the best choice for browning and producing fond (the brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan which are used to create delicious sauces). Stainless-steel skillets don't clean up as easily as nonstick ones, and they require more fat (oil or butter) to be added to the pan in order to cook foods. In reality, you'll probably want at least one stainless and one nonstick skillet in your arsenal of cookware.

The best stainless-steel cookware is made from a combination of stainless steel and aluminum. Stainless steel on its own is a poor conductor of heat, while aluminum is an excellent one. Cookware made solely from aluminum can heat up and cool down too quickly, making it harder to control cooking temperature, and aluminum can react with acidic foods. A blend of quick-heating aluminum and nonreactive stainless steel is the ideal combination for cookware. Some pans have one or more layers of aluminum sandwiched between layers of stainless steel. Others have disk bottoms, with the aluminum confined to a thick plate on the bottom of the skillet. A good stainless-steel skillet will also have a heavy bottom (to make better contact with the heating surface), thick sides (to prevent food from burning when it touches the sides) and stay-cool handles.

It's not uncommon for stainless-steel pans to become scratched or discolored. Cooking starchy foods in stainless steel can leave behind a cloudy residue, which can be removed with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice. Heating the pan to temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit can produce an amber-colored stain that is harmless, but permanent. Higher-quality pans are less likely to discolor in this way.

The standout skillet in this class is also very expensive. The All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan (*Est. $140) earns top marks in most professional and user reviews. This skillet has an aluminum core sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel. This aluminum core extends all the way up the sides of the pan to ensure even heating. According to one foodie magazine, the All-Clad Stainless pan produces even, controlled heat, and its cooking surface is roomy enough for "sautŽing eight chicken pieces without crowding." The All Clad Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan also resists warping better than any other. It's worth noting that Marian Burros of The New York Times dislikes the All-Clad Stainless12-inch Fry Pan because food sticks to it easily, making it difficult to clean. However, these are the kinds of problems you would expect with any stainless-steel skillet.

We found about 50 owner reviews of the All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Fry Pan at Amazon.com with an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. Many owners who have previous experience with other brands of skillets say All-Clad is worth the extra expense. Users generally agree this skillet heats quickly and evenly and is nearly hassle-free to clean. We read a few complaints about food sticking to the pan, but other users say that eggs and other foods don't stick with the right combination of oil and heat. All-Clad Stainless Fry Pans are also available in 8-inch, 10-inch and 14-inch sizes, either uncoated or with a nonstick coating. All All-Clad cookware comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

Cooks who frequently have a hungry crowd to feed might prefer the larger All-Clad Stainless 13-Inch French Skillet (*Est. $120). It has an 11-inch cooking surface and is slightly deeper than All-Clad's 12-inch fry pan, so it can accommodate more ingredients. The pans have the same tri-ply construction, but in tests, the French skillet doesn't quite match its smaller cousin's performance and durability. It's one of three stainless skillets that Food & Wine magazine names as its favorites, but we don't know how many pans were compared or details about their testing methodology. This skillet averages 3.7 stars from about 50 owners at Amazon.com. Users say its larger cooking surface makes for a great kitchen workhorse. Although a few say the metal is thinner than expected, most complaints are about the awkward shape and angle of the handle. The All-Clad Stainless French Skillet is also available in 7.5-inch, 9-inch and 11-inch diameters.

A slightly different twist on the All-Clad Stainless is the All-Clad MC2 12-Inch Fry Pan (*Est. $125). It has a tri-ply construction, but rather than polished stainless on the exterior, it has brushed aluminum alloy. An older review at Bon AppŽtit magazine recommended the 14-inch version of this pan (though the 14-inch size is no longer available). Owners at Cooking.com give the 12-inch pan a high average rating of 4.7 stars out of 5. They agree it heats quickly and delivers exceptional cooking performance.

If you prefer stainless steel but don't want to spend $100 or more on a single pan, the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless 12-Inch Open Skillet (*Est. $50) offers a cheaper alternative. Rather than a tri-ply construction, this skillet has an encapsulated aluminum disk affixed to the bottom. Experts say the generous cooking surface distributes heat evenly. One foodie magazine, however, didn't recommend the skillet because the disk on the bottom actually fell off in their rather harsh durability test of whacking the pan against concrete covered with a towel. Perhaps of greater concern is that testers say the heat was more difficult to control compared to the All-Clad skillet, causing food to scorch. Covered by a limited lifetime warranty, Cuisinart says the pan can withstand oven temperatures of up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit and is dishwasher-safe.

Despite these mixed reviews from some experts, owners overwhelmingly praise the Cuisinart Chef's Classic Stainless skillets, which are sold in five sizes at Amazon.com. Here, nearly 200 owners give the 12-inch version a solid average rating of 4.3 stars. They like the weight of the pan and say food doesn't stick, which makes it easy to clean. A few complaints range from the pan heating too quickly to it becoming discolored, which can happen with stainless at high heat.