Carbon steel cookware boasts the naturally non stick properties and great heat retention of cast iron, combined with the cooking speed and heat control of stainless steel. We’d recommend reaching for carbon steel when cooking steaks, cornbread, or anything else cooked over high heat—though it’s versatile enough to use for low-heat cooking as well.

Skillet

Sizzling Plate

Most cookware-aficionados believe the confusion comes from the non-specific use of the generic words pots and pans. In addition to frying pans, there are saucepans, sheet pans, cake pans, bundt pans, roasting pans, and more. In a professional chef's kitchen, the word pan on its own usually refers to a Saute Pan – not a frying pan.

Recipes that you plan to grill up fast under high heat, meats that need to be seared, or foods that require constant flipping and stirring with a spatula are most conveniently prepared in a frying pan. The nicely sloped sides of a frying pan also make it possible to toss up a small portion of stir-fry. However, to achieve a perfect finish on this type of shallowly fried dish, a bowl-shaped Wok works best.