One of the main advantages of a cast iron skillet is its ability to handle a variety of cooking methods.  Whether you're frying fish in a pan, roasting vegetables on the grill, or cooking a hearty breakfast over a campfire, a cast iron skillet is up to the task.  Cast Iron Griddle Skillets large, flat surface provides plenty of room to cook multiple foods at the same time, making it perfect for meal prep for groups or large family gatherings.

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.

If you still can’t seem to pick, however, we’d suggest our Multi-Material Frying Pan Set. This three-piece collection includes a Stainless Clad, a Non Stick, and a Carbon Steel Frying Pan, so you’ll have all of your bases covered—with room to grow.

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.

    Lay your strips of bacon onto the preheated cooking surface in a single layer, ensuring that they are not overlapping. Allow the bacon weight press to start cooking for a brief moment before proceeding to the next step.

Griddle and Grill Pan Applications: These cooking tools are versatile, allowing for the preparation of a wide range of dishes, including pancakes, eggs, grilled sandwiches, seared meats, and vegetables. The ridged surface of grill pans creates attractive grill marks and allows excess fat to drain away, while griddles provide a flat surface for even cooking.

This non stick coating, which differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, makes these pans an ideal pick for delicate proteins like eggs and fish as well as for reheating leftovers.