Best Stainless Steel Frying Pans for Five Different Kitchens

How the Five Compare on the Numbers

The five picks share a nominal 12 inch size, and past that the published figures separate them. Weight runs from 2.87 pounds for the Tramontina Signature to 9.25 pounds for the Cuisinart PureClad, a spread of 6.38 pounds. The Made In 5 Ply sits at 3.0 pounds, the All-Clad D3 at 4.74 pounds, and the MICHELANGELO at 6.53 pounds. Three of the five ship with a lid and two do not.

Construction language differs as well. Cuisinart, All-Clad and Tramontina describe triple ply or tri-ply. Made In states five layers. MICHELANGELO states fully clad tri-ply from base to rim. Oven limits are published by only two makers, 500°F for Tramontina and 600°F for MICHELANGELO. Only Made In publishes a separate cooking surface diameter, 9.5 inches, against a total diameter of 12.5 inches.

The table does not tell you how any of these pans cooks. Nobody at Lush has used them, and the makers publish capability, not results. It also leaves out base thickness, handle length and the flat cooking surface for four of the five, because no maker states those. Read the rows as what each maker chose to publish, not as a ranking.

What Each Pan Is Built to Do

Lids and handles change the job

The Cuisinart PureClad is the only pick with a helper handle opposite the stick handle, and the maker pairs it with a tempered glass lid that has a wide stainless steel rim and a wide lid handle. That combination suits a cook who moves a heavy pan with two hands and wants to watch food without lifting the cover. It is also the heaviest of the five at 9.25 pounds.

The MICHELANGELO also includes a tempered glass lid, and its maker states the interior is rivet free, which the other four do not. A rivet free interior is a cleaning claim, not a cooking claim, and the maker pairs it with a one time handle assembly the listing says takes about 20 seconds. Its published oven limit of 600°F is the higher of the two figures any maker states.

Construction and origin as stated

Made In states five layers of metal and publishes the most complete set of dimensions of the five, including a 9.5 inch cooking surface diameter, a 12.5 inch total diameter, a 1.75 inch depth, and a 20 inch length including the handle. It is crafted in Italy per the maker. At 3.0 pounds it is the second lightest pick, 0.13 pounds above the Tramontina.

All-Clad states the D3 is made in the USA with global components in its Pennsylvania factory since 1971, and describes a flared edge for drip free pouring. It ships with a stainless steel lid rather than glass. At 4.74 pounds it sits in the middle of the five, 1.87 pounds above the Tramontina and 4.51 pounds below the Cuisinart.

Weight and certification where they are published

Tramontina publishes the lightest figure of the five, 2.87 pounds, and the only NSF certification any of these makers states. It also publishes an oven limit of 500°F and a riveted stainless steel handle. The listing does not name a lid, so the pan arrives uncovered unless you add one. Its published width of 1.88 inches and height of 12.5 inches are the smallest and largest figures in those two rows respectively.

Cuisinart publishes the heaviest figure, 9.25 pounds, and describes triple ply construction with an 18/10 stainless steel interior and a cast stainless steel Cool Grip stick handle. It is dishwasher safe per the maker. The listing does not state an oven temperature limit, so for that figure the manufacturer does not publish it.

Which One Fits Your Kitchen

Buy the Tramontina Signature if you want the lightest pan here. At 2.87 pounds it is the lightest of the five, and it is the only pick with an NSF certification stated. It has no lid in the listing and no published oven limit above 500°F.

Buy the All-Clad D3 if US manufacturing matters to you. The maker names a Pennsylvania factory and a stainless steel lid is included. At 4.74 pounds it is mid weight among the five, and no oven limit is published.

Buy the Made In 5 Ply if you want the most complete published dimensions. It is the only pick with a stated cooking surface diameter, 9.5 inches, and it is crafted in Italy per the maker. No lid and no oven limit are published.

Buy the Cuisinart PureClad if you want a helper handle. It is the only pick with one, and it includes a tempered glass lid. It is also the heaviest at 9.25 pounds, so it suits a cook who does not lift the pan often.

Buy the MICHELANGELO if you want a rivet free interior. It is the only pick whose maker states that, it includes a glass lid, and it is rated to 600°F, the highest published limit here. Handle assembly is required per the listing.

What We Could Not Verify

Several figures a buyer would want are absent from the listings, and we did not fill them in.

• The cooking surface diameter for the Cuisinart, All-Clad, Tramontina and MICHELANGELO pans. Only Made In publishes one.
• The oven temperature limit for the Cuisinart, All-Clad and Made In pans. None of the three states one in the features supplied.
• The base thickness in millimeters for any of the five pans. No maker publishes it.
• The handle length for any of the five pans. No maker publishes it.
• The country of manufacture for the Cuisinart, Tramontina and MICHELANGELO pans. None of the three names one.
• The individual layer gauges inside the clad construction for the Cuisinart, All-Clad, Tramontina and MICHELANGELO pans. The makers name the layers but not their thicknesses.