There’s a reason stainless steel frying pans are beloved in both home and professional kitchens across the globe. From their unparalleled heat control to their long-lasting durability, these pans excel at all parts of the cooking process, from frying to finishing.
If you don’t have one already, this guide will walk you through every aspect of shopping for a stainless pan so you know exactly what to expect before committing to the purchase. Follow along to find out why these pans are right for you.
Stainless steel is an alloy composed of multiple metals, generally iron, nickel, and chromium. Chromium hardens steel and prevents corrosion, while nickel provides the signature polish and shine of stainless steel.
18/10 stainless steel indicates it’s composed of 18% chromium and 10% nickel, while 18/8 stainless indicates 18% chromium, 8% nickel. The higher nickel content in stainless steel results in a more attractive, high-end grade that’s typically used for flatware and pans (like ours).
Stainless Clad refers to the “cladding” process, where different metals are layered and then bonded together to form a single, new sheet of metal. Our Stainless Clad Cookware is 5-ply, meaning it’s composed of 5 sheets of 4 different metals. The four metals it contains are 304-grade 18/10 Stainless Steel, aluminum, aluminum alloy, and high-grade ferritic 403.
Our Stainless Clad starts with an aluminum and aluminum alloy core that provides excellent heat conduction capabilities and even heating across the surface of the pan. This core is then enveloped with the 5-ply of different metals. This all results in an incredibly durable, induction-compatible pan that’s corrosion- and rust-resistant, and responsive to heat.
Stainless Steel Pans are some of the safest on the market, especially when constructed of high-grade stainless steel like 18/10 or 304-grade. Since our Stainless Clad Cookware is nonreactive, this also means you don’t have to worry about chemicals leaching into your food or the metal reacting to acidic ingredients.
If you have more questions or concerns about our Stainless Clad Cookware, check out our dedicated guide to whether Stainless Steel is safe.
Choosing the right size stainless steel frying pan comes down to what you need from it. Pan sizes vary across brands, but common sizes (from smallest to largest) include 6", 8"-, 10", and 12" options. We cover the differences and what each size is best suited for in our guide to frying pan sizes, but at a glance:
The most important factor to keep in mind when cooking with stainless pans is temperature. Getting these pans properly heated is key for a cooking experience free from stuck-on food.
To ensure your pan is thoroughly preheated, heat it to your desired temperature, then add a few drops of water. If the water “dances” around the pan, it’s ready. If the water stays still it’s not heated enough yet, and if the water evaporates immediately it’s too hot and should be cooled a bit before adding oil and food.
Trusting your pan is also essential when cooking with stainless—the beauty of these pans is that the food releases from the surface when it’s cooked, similar to what occurs during a Maillard reaction. Once you’ve practiced a few times, you’ll easily be able to cook ingredients like skin-on chicken or more delicate cuts of fish.
For more advice, check out our guide to successful cooking with Stainless Steel.
One of the biggest concerns people have when cooking with stainless pans is their food sticking to the surface and burning. While it’s true these pans don’t have the coated, no-stick surface of non stick pans or the built-up seasoning of carbon steel, keeping food from sticking to the surface of a stainless pan isn’t as fussy as it may seem.
There are a few reasons food sticks to stainless steel pans—and most of them have to do with heat. Too much heat, too little, or placing cold food into a hot pan can all cause the microscopic pores in the metal to expand and then shrink, which causes the food to stick.
To prevent this from happening, you need to regulate the heat as much as possible. Ensuring your food is tempered (at room temperature), the pan is preheated with cooking fat, and not blasting or lowering the temperature drastically when food is added can all ensure properly cooked food instead of a sticky, burnt mess.
Once you’ve perfected cooking with stainless steel, the options of what to cook with it are nearly endless. You can sear a hearty protein like steak, sauté a delicate ingredient like mushrooms, or create a tasty pan sauce with any leftover fond—your options are endless.
There are only a few dishes you should stay away from cooking with stainless. Generally, the more delicate the ingredient, the more difficult it will be to cook. While it’s entirely possible to cook dishes like scrambled eggs or flaky fish in Stainless Steel, you may have a better end result if you use a naturally non-stick pan like carbon steel or non stick.
Caring for stainless pans is actually very simple. As with other materials, let your cookware cool completely before placing in the sink and clean with mild dish soap and the soft side of a sponge. If you have some tough debris, a rainbow stain, or just need some extra help, use our Make It New Cleaner or Bar Keepers Friend.
To maintain the shine of your stainless frying pan for years to come, here are some additional maintenance tips:
For more ways to keep your pans shiny and at optimal performance for years to come, check out our complete guide to maintaining Stainless Clad Cookware.
If you already have a variety of other pans, you may wonder what sets stainless steel apart from the others in your kitchen and if it's worth adding to your collection. Here’s how it stacks up, and why we think it’s a must-have.
From an aesthetic standpoint, it can be hard to discern between Stainless Steel and aluminum pans. Both are shiny, silver, metallic pans without a coating—but that’s about where their similarities end. While aluminum is a great heat conductor, pure aluminum pans are cheap to purchase and even cheaper to produce, which results in pans that wear out quickly and need to be replaced often.
Meanwhile, 18/10 stainless steel is extremely durable and can last for years when properly maintained. We highly recommend Stainless Steel over aluminum—it may be more costly upfront, but you won’t have to replace your pan after 2 years. For more information on why we recommend one over the other, check out our guide to Aluminum vs. Stainless Steel Cookware.
Since carbon steel pans are described as a combination of the best parts of cast iron and stainless steel, it’s worth wondering if these are both necessary to own. Especially considering the similarities don't stop there—carbon steel and stainless steel are both oven safe, boast incredible heat retention, are induction-compatible, and can handle anything from slow sautés to high-heat sears.
These pans have similar advantages, but that doesn’t mean they can replace one another. We recommend using both these pans as building blocks of your cookware collection, and thinking of them like complements instead of competitors. You can find out more about how these two compare in our guide to carbon steel vs. stainless steel cookware.
Of the materials that stainless steel is compared to, non stick is the one with the least similarities. Non stick has a durable no-stick coating to provide its signature slick surface, while stainless steel has no coating and its cooking surface is the metal itself.
Non stick should be used for more delicate foods, like scrambled eggs or fish, while stainless can handle just about anything else.
You shouldn’t feel like you have to choose between these pans—they serve vastly different purposes in the kitchen. We cover more of them in our guide to non stick vs. stainless steel cookware.
Depending on the construction materials and quality, a stainless steel pan can range anywhere from $50 to upwards of $200 or more. Since these pans last for years with proper maintenance, think of them as an investment piece that will serve you well for many, many meals to come.
Now that you’re equipped with everything you need to know about buying a stainless steel pan, all that’s left to do is actually purchase one.
Our Stainless Clad Pans are what landed us in some of the world’s best kitchens, and once you join the over 16,000 home cooks who have added it to their cookware collection, you’re sure to see why.
If you asked us to build a kitchen setup from scratch, we can say for certain that stainless steel would be at the top of our list. Wonderfully versatile, long-lasting, and relatively low-maintenance, a great piece of stainless steel cookware is well worth the investment. But with the sheer number of stainless steel products—and huge range of prices—on offer, how do you choose?
Allow us to be your stainless steel guides. As producers of Award-Winning Stainless Clad Cookware, we know what makes for quality construction. From the types of metals used, to why a fully-clad pan is the best choice, here’s how to shop for your new stainless steel cookware.
At its very best, stainless steel cookware is a joy to cook with—not only is it a great conductor of heat, but it’s highly durable and long-lasting as well.
Not all stainless steel is created equal. Stainless steel cookware made from 18/10 Stainless Steel—the highest grade—is particularly strong and durable, due to the higher percentage of chromium mixed in.
Stainless steel—especially high-grade stainless steel—is a non-reactive material, meaning that it’s more resistant to corrosion and rust than other types of metals.
This also means that your cookware won’t react with acidic ingredients like tomatoes or wine, which can produce metallic flavors in cast iron, carbon steel, or other reactive cookware materials.
Cleaning stainless steel is fairly straightforward. Unlike materials like carbon steel or unfinished cast iron, you won’t need to worry about stripping the seasoning or scratching the coating (though you can scratch the finish). And you can pretty much always restore it to its original shiny finish, no matter how grimy or burnt-looking it is.
While stainless steel is not a great conductor of heat on its own, stainless steel that’s “cladded,” or layered with more conductive metals like aluminum, conducts heat extremely well. This cladding also helps with heat retention and distribution, so your pan won’t develop hot spots or cook your food unevenly.
Here are a few key indicators of quality that can help you when shopping for stainless steel cookware.
As we touched on earlier, stainless steel comes in a range of different grades. The highest, 18/10, indicates a higher ratio of chromium to nickel, which not only makes for a more durable pan, but one that’s oven-safe as well—a huge reason why stainless is so commonly found in restaurant kitchens. Stainless steel also comes in other grades, such as 18/8.
Most high-quality stainless cookware is also induction-compatible. Make sure to look for the phrase “induction-compatible” on the packaging, or for the induction symbol, which looks like a coil of wire.
You’ll typically see stainless pots and pans described as “3-Ply” or “5-Ply.” The “ply” of a pan means that the steel has been layered with more conductive metals like aluminum—for example, our Stainless Clad pans are cladded with pure aluminum, aluminum alloy, and 18/10 stainless steel. The number associated with ply indicates how many layers have been cladded together—in our case, it’s 5.
For the most part, 5-ply makes for a more durable piece of cookware that’s both more resistant to warping and dents and does a better job of distributing heat.
A stainless steel pot or pan should have a sturdy, comfortable handle, as well as a “helper handle” for larger sauciers and saute pans. Because stainless cookware often sits on the stove for extended periods, handles and lids can get dangerously hot—that’s why we added a Stay Cool Handle™ to our Stainless Clad Frying Pan for an extra layer of safety.
Now you know what goes into a quality piece of stainless cookware, here’s how to shore up all that information with your budget and cooking needs.
Stainless steel is compatible with a wide range of cooking methods: use it to sear, stir-fry, braise, or even grill. For that reason, you don’t have to be a seasoned cook to justify buying one—plus, a great piece of stainless cookware can help level up your home cooking game.
That being said, you should absolutely invest in stainless steel if you do a lot of searing or other high heat cooking, which is where stainless steel excels.
A high-quality stainless steel pan should always have these basic traits.
Stainless steel cookware tends toward the pricier side compared to other materials—especially for high-quality options. For a stainless clad frying pan or pot that’ll last you decades (if not a lifetime), you can expect to pay upwards of $100, and at least $200 for something like a stock pot.
If budget is a big concern, you can get a decent-quality stainless steel frying pan for about $50. You may not get quite the same level of polish, performance, or permanence, but you’ll still get to enjoy the great heat retention and durability of stainless steel.
Maintaining stainless steel cookware isn’t nearly as tricky as you might think, especially if this is your first time cooking with this material. Here’s everything you need to know about proper care, cleaning, and storage to keep your stainless steel in tip-top shape.
One of the great things about stainless steel cookware is that it’s fairly easy to keep clean. While more prone to sticking than materials like non stick or carbon steel, stainless steel pots and pans don’t have a coating or layers of seasoning to worry about—so you can get a little more rough with them (though you probably won’t need to for everyday messes).
Here’s our guide to cleaning stainless steel cookware, depending on the degree of mess. You can also read up on how to prevent (and fix) the common rainbow stains cosmetic issue—aka heat tint.
Since stainless steel is both rust- and corrosion-resistant, you don’t have to worry as much about storage. Just make sure to place a dish towel, trivet, or cloth napkin between your pans if you plan on stacking on them, in order to prevent scratches. After each wash, make sure to dry your pan thoroughly with a microfiber cloth to prevent water spots.
Even something as durable as stainless steel has its pitfalls. While these tend to be mainly aesthetic issues, such as stains, scratches, and heat tint, they’re also easy to avoid.
First off: Try to avoid abrasive cleaning products (such as bleach-based cleaners), steel wool, and harsh brushes when cleaning your pot or pan, as these can scratch the finish.
Second, always make sure to hand wash your pan. Even if your pan is labeled as dishwasher-safe, the harsh detergents can cause scratches and discoloration, as well as damage the aluminum layers in your pan—particularly if those layers are slightly exposed, like in our Stainless Clad cookware.
Thirdly, always make sure to salt your pan after heating it: Adding salt to a cold pan, or to water before it’s boiling, can lead to tiny divots in your pan known as pitting. While these don’t affect your pan’s performance, they can’t be removed. Read up on how to avoid pitting in our dedicated guide.
A good stainless steel pan will never let you down. And because we’ve seen everything this durable, versatile cookware can do—from searing a perfect steak to simmering chicken stock—we want to make sure you’re buying the right one.
Each piece of our Stainless Clad cookware is built from professional-grade materials, making for a restaurant-level cooking experience every time.