Our Food Editor’s Favourite Frying Pans
Produced by Chantal Braganza and Aimee Nishitoba; Photography by Christie Vuong; Prop styling by Tricia Hall.
Cast Iron: Lodge
There’s a reason restaurant pros and seasoned home cooks alike swear by Lodge. It’s sturdy as hell, heats up evenly, is compatible with virtually any cooking surface and is cheaper than its luxury competitors by a landslide. Yes, it’s heavy and must be completely dried after washing, and no, it can’t go in the dishwasher—but that’s a fair trade-off for value and versatility. 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet, $50, walmart.ca
Stainless Steel: Made In
I’ve been using my large stainless steel Made In skillet since 2020 for breakfast fry-ups and larger cuts of meat, and I’ve yet to encounter a scratch or a stain that couldn’t be scrubbed off. The elongated handle makes it easy to maneuver for tilting and flipping (and transferring to the oven when needed). 12-Inch Stainless Clad Frying Pan, $139, madeincookware.com
Ceramic Nonstick: Kilne
We’ve been fans of Kilne since we first reviewed their knife sets five years ago. This Canadian company’s in-house design and Italian manufacturing have produced a genuinely sturdy non-stick pan I’ve been using for eggs, fish and other delicate dishes for almost four years. The curved, high-wall design makes it ideal for sautés, and while you should avoid using metal utensils on it, it’s oven- and dishwasher-safe. This 9.5-in. version has become my go-to egg pan. 9.5-Inch Ceramic Pan, $145, kilne.com
Hybrid: HexClad
I was skeptical about HexClad’s hybrid design of stainless-steel webbing and non-stick grooves. How can you have the best of both worlds when stainless steel needs surface area for consistent heat and non-stick coatings don’t last forever? While I’ve only been using it for six months, I’m impressed with this pan’s performance so far. I can get a high sear on it, shove it in a 500F oven and—get this—even use metal utensils on it. What it isn’t is cheap; I suggest waiting for a sale. 10-Inch Hybrid Pan with lid, $240, hexclad.ca
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Chantal Braganza is a writer and editor living in Toronto. She is deputy editor, food at Chatelaine, a cookbook nerd, lover of vintage dish ware, and currently training for yoga teacher certification. Her first book, Story of Your Mother, is out with Strange Light Press.
