Top 6 compared
The best frying pans
A steak with a proper crust, onions softened for a sauce and the Saturday fry-up, all in one pan.
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The top 6 at a glance
A frying pan is the pan most kitchens reach for every day, for eggs and bacon, a steak or onions for a sauce. Non-stick lets eggs and fish slide out with little oil, but every coating wears in time and lasts longest on moderate heat; bare stainless steel has nothing to wear off and browns meat better, though food sticks until the pan is properly hot. Hard-anodised aluminium pans put a non-stick coating on a heavier body.
Every pan here works on induction as well as gas and electric. Most can finish a frittata in the oven, to the limit each maker gives; the Blackmoor, with its soft-grip handle, stays on the hob. All but the Blackmoor are dishwasher safe too, though Tefal’s advice to wash by hand to make the coating last holds for any of them. For stir-fries, see our list of woks.
What matters
- Size: 24cm for one or two, 28cm or more for a family.
- A base that works on induction, if that’s the hob.
- The oven limit, if the pan will finish dishes in the oven.
#1Tefal Jamie Oliver Cook’s Direct Frying Pan (24cm)
£20–£30
Mirror-polished stainless steel outside, a titanium-reinforced non-stick coating inside and a thick bonded base that works on every hob, induction included. Tefal, whose name joins Teflon and aluminium, has been making non-stick pans since 1956.
What owners say: Owners like how eggs and pancakes slide straight out, and find it solidly made and quick to wipe clean.
Heads up: The link opens on the 24cm, right for one or two; the same pan comes in 28cm for family meals.
A closer look: Heat it on medium and wait for the hourglass on the Thermo-Signal to disappear before the food goes in: that’s Tefal’s sign it’s hot enough. The steel handle lets it finish a frittata in the oven at up to 210°C. Tefal says it can go in the dishwasher but recommends washing by hand to make it last.
- Shows when it’s hot enough
- Titanium-reinforced non-stick
- Mirror-polished outside
- Riveted steel handle
- Tefal non-stick since 1956
Best for: Eggs and pancakes, induction too
- Type
- Stainless steel, non-stick
- Size
- 24cm
- Induction
- Yes
- Oven safe to
- 210°C
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
#2Tefal Comfort Max Stainless Steel Frying Pan (30cm)
£30–£50
A big 30cm stainless steel pan with a non-stick inside and Tefal’s Thermo-Spot, which turns solid red once the pan is hot enough to cook: room for a full family fry-up or a batch of pancakes in one go.
What owners say: Owners like how evenly the thick base heats and how easily it cleans, and say it takes two or three big steaks at once; some find it heavy, and a few had one give out within a year.
A closer look: Put it on the biggest ring so the heat reaches right to the edges of the 30cm base. Tefal rates the Comfort Max range oven safe to 180°C for up to an hour, enough to keep a batch of food warm, and it can go in the dishwasher afterwards.
- Spot turns red when hot
- Handle stays cool on hob
- Bonded base
Best for: Family-sized fry-ups
- Type
- Stainless steel, non-stick
- Size
- 30cm
- Induction
- Yes
- Oven safe to
- 180°C
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
#3Circulon Infinite Non-Stick Frying Pan (25cm)
£30–£50
A hard-anodised pan with Circulon’s patented Hi-Low non-stick surface, cast stainless steel handles and a base of stainless steel and aluminium sealed in, so it works on induction. Circulon backs it with a lifetime guarantee.
What owners say: Owners praise the even heat and the handle that stays cool on the hob, and say a sheet of kitchen paper is often all the cleaning it needs.
A closer look: A 25cm pan suits cooking for two: a couple of chicken breasts, or eggs and bacon side by side. It can go in the oven at up to 240°C to finish a dish, and the cast steel handle will be hot when it comes out, so keep an oven glove nearby. Circulon makes it dishwasher safe, though a soft sponge by hand is quick.
- Cast stainless steel handles
- Lifetime guarantee
Best for: Hob-to-oven dinners for two
- Type
- Hard-anodised, non-stick
- Size
- 25cm
- Induction
- Yes
- Oven safe to
- 240°C
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
#4Blackmoor Classic Non-Stick Frying Pan (28cm)
£19.50 RRP
Forged aluminium under a marble-effect non-stick coating, 28cm of cooking space, and a soft-grip handle that stays cool on the hob. It works on induction, gas, electric and hotplates alike.
What owners say: Owners turn out omelettes and pancakes in it with ease, and find it has room for two salmon fillets.
A closer look: The soft-grip handle keeps it on the hob rather than in the oven. Wash it by hand with a soft sponge instead of the dishwasher, and let it cool before it meets cold water, which is kinder to the coating. At 28cm there’s space for a full fry-up for two.
- Forged aluminium base
- Marble-effect non-stick
- Soft-grip cool-touch handle
- Works on gas and hotplates
Best for: Two salmon fillets at once
- Type
- Aluminium, non-stick
- Size
- 28cm
- Induction
- Yes
- Oven safe to
- No
- Dishwasher safe
- No
#5Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Shallow Frying Pan (28cm)
£100–£150
From Le Creuset, which began casting iron pots in northern France in 1925, this one is forged hard-anodised aluminium with a three-layer reinforced non-stick that takes metal utensils, used with care. It’s oven safe to 260°C and guaranteed for life.
What owners say: On induction hobs owners find it heats evenly, and they say it takes a big omelette or several fried eggs at once and cleans up easily.
Heads up: Le Creuset designs it for medium and low heat, since it holds its heat well; keeping it off the top setting helps the coating last.
A closer look: At 28cm across it takes a family breakfast or a pair of steaks in one go. A matching glass lid is sold separately, and with the lid on, Le Creuset’s oven limit drops from 260°C to 220°C. It can go in the dishwasher, though warm soapy water and a soft sponge do the job quickly.
- Three-layer reinforced non-stick
- Takes metal utensils, with care
- Lifetime guarantee
- Glass lid sold separately
Best for: Cooks who use metal utensils
- Type
- Hard-anodised, non-stick
- Size
- 28cm
- Induction
- Yes
- Oven safe to
- 260°C
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
#6ProCook Professional Stainless Steel Frying Pan, Uncoated (28cm)
£50–£75
No coating to wear out: 18/10 stainless steel on a 7mm impact-bonded base, the kind of pan that puts a proper crust on a steak and browns onions well. It goes in the oven at up to 260°C, and ProCook guarantees it for 25 years.
What owners say: Owners describe it as sturdy and well built, and say it works well on both induction and ceramic hobs.
A closer look: Give the dry pan a couple of minutes on medium heat, then add the oil and the food. Meat sticks at first and lets go once a crust has formed, so wait before turning it. Any stuck-on bits make a quick sauce with a splash of stock, or lift off after a soak in hot soapy water.
- Meat releases once crust forms
- Thick 7mm base
- 25-year guarantee
Best for: Searing and browning
- Type
- Stainless steel, uncoated
- Size
- 28cm
- Induction
- Yes
- Oven safe to
- 260°C
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Tefal Jamie Oliver | #2Tefal Comfort Max 30cm | #3Circulon Infinite | #4Blackmoor Classic | #5Le Creuset Toughened | #6ProCook Professional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Biggest pan | Best budget | Best premium | Best uncoated | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.6 |
| Price | £20–£30 | £30–£50 | £30–£50 | £19.50 RRP | £100–£150 | £50–£75 |
| Type | Stainless steel, non-stick | Stainless steel, non-stick | Hard-anodised, non-stick | Aluminium, non-stick | Hard-anodised, non-stick | Stainless steel, uncoated |
| Size | 24cm | 30cm | 25cm | 28cm | 28cm | 28cm |
| Induction | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Oven safe to | 210°C | 180°C | 240°C | No | 260°C | 260°C |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Eggs and pancakes, induction too | Family-sized fry-ups | Hob-to-oven dinners for two | Two salmon fillets at once | Cooks who use metal utensils | Searing and browning |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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