Best for: Almost any food that needs searing, including steak and burgers. Cast-iron pans are ovenproof, so you can use them to roast meats like beef or pork and to bake cornbread, deep-dish pizza, shepherd’s pie, and more. And they retain heat so well that they’re a good choice for deep-frying chicken, doughnuts, or other foods because they keep the oil at a constant temperature.

The details: Cast-iron frying pans are practically indestructible, and they’re handed down for generations in many families. That makes their typically low price even more attractive. And if well cared for, cast iron develops a patina that releases food almost as well as nonstick. But the pans are heavy, and you have to be patient when heating them up because they don’t come up to temperature fast. Once they do, however, they retain heat.

Our tests of coated and uncoated cast-iron pans show how versatile this cookware can be. We sear steaks, brown scallops, and bake cornbread to see how well a cast-iron pan works for home cooks. The best pans ace all these tests. We also judge how easy they are to clean. Because of the enamel coating, the coated pans are a bit easier to clean than the uncoated ones.

Here are two recommended cast-iron pans from our tests.

Best for: Delicate proteins like fish and seafood, melting sugar, making candy, and sauces.

The details: Copper frying pans are expensive, but they offer superb heat conductivity. That means they heat up quickly and cool down just as fast, giving you more control when you’re making something you have to monitor closely, like a caramel sauce. “They’re at the opposite end of the spectrum from cast iron,” Nitahara says. “Because it heats up and cools down quickly, you can bring a sauce right to the brink, then remove it from the heat before it breaks from the high heat.”

 Dutch Oven Types:

Invest in a high-quality frying pan if you want the most versatility when cooking. Get a skillet if you need a specialized strategy for a certain reason. If you want versatility and a pan that you can use on some special dishes you can get both.

Bread Baking: Dutch ovens are favored for baking artisanal bread due to their ability to create a steamy environment that results in a crispy crust and a soft interior.

A sauté pan on high heat with oil or fat is used to fling objects back and forth into the air. Food cooked in this pan should have a golden crust and not be soggy at the bottom. Frying pans have slanted edges that allow cooking in a “jump and flip” motion. Using this strategy, you can cook quickly and evenly. It is easier to add and shake things into frypans than saute pans.