How Much You Really Need To Spend To Get A Good Frying Pan

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When you're cooking at home, a frying pan is probably going to be the most used piece you own, so you might think you need to spend a lot. The gold standard is usually stainless steel, which offers great durability along with even and responsive heating, and the big names in that category, like All-Clad, often run around $150. Considering that a good pan like that should last decades, that's actually not a bad cost per use, but is it really necessary? To find out we reached out to an expert, Chef Marc Forgione, a winner on "The Next Iron Chef" and restaurateur who recently participated in the launch of Red Barn Creamery Butter, to ask how much he thinks a home cook needs to spend to get a truly good frying pan.

Forgione told us that a frying pan is an important investment. "I think a frying pan is kind of like a bed.
You know what I mean? Like, if there's something you're gonna spend money on, it should be something that you're gonna use," he said. However, he did note that you can get good pans at a reasonable price. "You shouldn't have to spend more than 100 bucks. Maybe you'll go a little higher.
I mean, depending on what store you get it at," he added. Being a professional, Forgione goes a little more expensive for himself, revealing that he likes to use Made In Cookware for stainless steel pans, which are highly rated, and come in around $150. But looking at the highest-rated stainless steel frying pans, there are a number of options well below that price.

Chef Marc Forgione said that you don't need to spend more than $100 for a good frying pan, and the truth is you don't even need to get close. Sticking with stainless steel, there are multiple great choices. Consumer Report's highest rated stainless steel pan is actually from Oxo, and has a baseline price of $80. A similarly priced brand that's a little less well known, but often recommended as a high-performing budget buy, is from Goldilocks. But perhaps the best deal is from Tramontina. Its stainless steel frying pans are also among the highest rated by professional reviewers, and the Tramontina 12-inch skillet is priced shockingly low at $35.

Of course stainless steel isn't the only type of frying pan you might be interested in, but you should be able to stay under $100 no matter what. The most budget friendly option where you can still find high quality options is with cast iron cookware. Well known and highly-rated brands like Lodge and Calphalon have standard options for $50 or less. 

If you want a non-stick skillet, you will have to spend a little more, but it can be done. Part of the reason non-stick is harder to find at a budget price is that if you go cheap you are more likely to find pans that use chemicals to make their surfaces cling-free, which you don't want. However Oxo and GreenPan have ceramic non-stick frying pans, which are chemical free, for only $80. So don't be tricked into thinking that dropping a stack of cash is the only way to get a good frying pan. There are quality brands out there for almost every price point.