How to Choose the Right Frying Pan for Your Kitchen

The quick guide...

What should you consider when buying a frying pan?

Before choosing a frying pan, think about the meals you cook most often.

Do you want a versatile everyday pan for  easy meals and quick dinners? Do you love cooking steak and want excellent heat retention? Perhaps you would prefer something lighter weight that responds quickly when you adjust the temperature.

The material your frying pan is made from affects how quickly it heats, how well it retains heat, what it weighs, and how much care it requires. Size is important too, as is cooktop compatibility.

Stainless steel frying pans: the everyday all-rounder

A quality stainless steel frying pan is durable, versatile and relatively low maintenance, making it an excellent choice for everyday cooking.

Our Scanpan Impact frying pans feature a stainless steel cooking surface and bonded base designed to distribute heat evenly. They require no seasoning and are a good choice for cooking with acidic ingredients such as tomatoes.

Stainless steel is particularly good for browning chicken, cooking steak or pork chops, sautéing vegetables and creating flavourful pan sauces from all those lovely golden bits that get left behind.

Unlike traditional non-stick pans, stainless steel does require a little technique. Give the pan time to preheat before adding oil and food, and avoid trying to turn meat too soon. Once a good crust has formed, it should release easily.

Best for: The home cook looking for a durable, versatile and easy-care everyday frying pan.

Seasoned cast iron frying pans: built to last

Traditional cast iron has been used in kitchens for generations—and for good reason.

Lodge cast-iron skillets are made from bare cast iron and arrive pre-seasoned, ready to begin cooking with. In this case, “seasoning” doesn’t mean herbs and spices. It is a protective layer of oil bonded to the surface of the pan.

Cast iron heats gradually and holds onto that heat exceptionally well. This makes it brilliant for searing steaks, cooking burgers, crisping potatoes and baking everything from cornbread to skillet desserts. It can also move easily from the stovetop into the oven.

With regular cooking and proper care, the seasoned surface continues to develop and becomes smoother over time. Cast iron does require a little maintenance: it should be dried thoroughly after washing and may occasionally need an additional light layer of seasoning.

It is also heavy, although many cast-iron devotees would argue that its cooking performance is well worth the extra muscle.

*Available in-store only.

Best for: The cook who loves high-heat cooking, excellent searing and cookware designed to last.

Enameled cast iron frying pans: cast-iron cooking without seasoning

Enameled cast iron combines the excellent heat retention of traditional cast iron with an easy-care enamel surface.

Le Creuset enameled cast-iron skillets feature a cast-iron core coated in durable enamel. Their black interior enamel is designed for higher-surface-temperature cooking and develops a natural patina with use, but it does not require traditional seasoning.

These skillets heat evenly, hold their temperature beautifully and are particularly good for cooking steak, chicken thighs, sausages, pork chops, roast vegetables and skillet bakes. They can also move from stovetop to oven and look lovely brought straight to the table.

Enameled cast iron performs best when heated gradually and rarely needs high heat. It is heavier than stainless steel or carbon steel and is generally more of an investment, but with the right care, it is cookware you can enjoy for many years.

Best for: The cook who loves cast-iron performance but prefers an easy-care surface that doesn’t require seasoning.

Carbon steel frying pans: lightweight and responsive

Carbon steel shares many qualities with traditional cast iron but is generally lighter, thinner and quicker to respond when the cooking temperature changes. They are very quick to heat up!

Our Evolv carbon-steel frying pans arrive pre-seasoned, giving you a head start on developing the pan’s cooking surface. With regular use and care, the seasoning continues to build, creating an increasingly smooth, naturally easy-release surface.

Carbon steel is excellent for steak, eggs, omelettes, pancakes, fish, sautéed vegetables and high-heat cooking. Its lighter construction also makes it easy to lift and move around the cooktop.

Like seasoned cast iron, carbon steel needs to be dried thoroughly and may require occasional re-seasoning. Its appearance will change with use—and that is part of its charm. A well-used carbon-steel pan develops character rather than remaining shiny and pristine.

Long cooking with acidic ingredients may affect the seasoning, so stainless steel or enameled cast iron is generally a better choice for tomato-based or acidic sauces.

Best for: The cook looking for a lighter, responsive alternative to cast iron that improves with regular use.

Frying pan materials compared

What size frying pan do you need?

For small portions, eggs, or cooking for one, a 20cm frying pan is a handy addition to the kitchen.

A 24–26cm pan works well for one or two people and is useful for omelettes, chicken breasts and smaller everyday meals.

For family cooking, a 28cm frying pan is often the most versatile choice, providing enough room to cook several portions without overcrowding the pan.

Larger pans are useful for bigger families, batch cooking and meals where ingredients need plenty of space to brown. If going large, I speak from experience when I say to check it will actually fit on your stovetop / in your oven.

So, which frying pan is right for you?

Choose Scanpan Impact stainless steel if you want a versatile, durable and low-maintenance frying pan for everyday cooking.

Choose Lodge seasoned cast iron if you love steak, high-heat cooking and traditional cookware that becomes better with age. Available in-store only.

Choose Le Creuset enameled cast iron if you want exceptional heat retention and beautiful browning without maintaining a traditionally seasoned surface.

Choose Evolv carbon steel if you want a lighter, responsive pan that develops a naturally seasoned cooking surface over time.

You don’t necessarily need a cupboard full of frying pans. For many home cooks, one versatile everyday pan and a second pan suited to the way they love to cook will cover most meals.

At Martha’s, we believe the best frying pan isn’t necessarily the most expensive one—or the one everyone else is using. It’s the pan that suits the way you cook. If you’re still unsure, visit us in-store or get in touch. Our team is always happy to help you compare the options and find a frying pan you’ll enjoy cooking with for years to come.