Enameled Cast Iron Cookware Preventive Measures:

    In addition to durability and versatility, cast iron griddle also offer health benefits.  Cooking with cast iron adds trace amounts of iron to your food, which can be beneficial for people with iron deficiencies.  The even heat distribution of these   Cast griddle pans also means you can cook with less oil, resulting in healthier, tastier meals.

“There are a few things to consider when you’re buying cookware, including how you cook, durability, and price,” says Lance Nitahara, an assistant professor at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, N.Y. “On the low end of the price scale are nonstick and cast iron; copper is on the high end. But each does a different thing.”

Below, you’ll find advice on how to choose the right frying pan for how you cook, plus highlights of top-performing pans from CR’s tests, listed alphabetically and not by rank. You can see how all the pans we test perform in our frying pan ratings and learn more about the different types of pans in our cookware buying guide.

Aluminum is one of the most easily available natural elements, so aluminum frying pans are quite affordable. It is an excellent conductor of heat and heats up faster than stainless steel. In fact, aluminum is sometimes incorporated in stainless steel pans to improve their conductivity.

Stainless steel is a versatile material and holds heat well. Many stainless steel skillets are safe to place in the oven (make sure there aren't any plastic parts, though), which is handy when a recipe calls for searing fish or meat and then placing it in the oven to finish cooking. This saves time because you don't have to transfer the ingredients to another dish to bake or roast in the oven. This is, of course, also useful in terms of clean-up being that you don't have to dirty up another receptacle.

    Square cast iron griddles are great for cooking multiple foods at once.  Square cast iron griddles large surface area allows for efficient cooking of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and more, making it perfect for preparing breakfast or brunch for a group.  The Square cast iron griddle shape also fits easily on top of both burners, allowing heat to be evenly distributed across the griddle.

Frying pans or skillets have flat bottoms, flared sides, a shallow depth, and no lids. These features make them the perfect choice for shallow frying, flipping food, stirring, high-heat searing, or grilling meat at high temperatures.

Using A Cast Iron Dutch Oven

They can also be found in a variety of materials. On the other hand, frying pans are a fantastic tool for frying, blistering, and browning food due to their flat bottoms and lack of a top. They’re ideal for high-heat grilling and frying, as well as shallow and deep-frying. There are also aluminum and stainless steel alternatives.