Ninja EverClad Commercial-Grade Fry Pan
Ninja C90026 EverClad Commercial-Grade Stainless-Steel 10.25″ Fry Pan
Ninja is best known for its budget-friendly small appliances like air fryers and blenders, and the brand is relatively new to the cookware game. And like its appliances, its cookware performs fine and is very affordable. The frying pan heats quickly and adapts to temperature adjustments well. Our testers noticed that the cook surface’s center would rise in temp more quickly than its edges, but the discrepancy was small compared to similarly priced competitors. It is heavier than the All-Clad D3, and it requires two hands to move from stovetop to oven. But for anybody on a budget looking to get the most bang for their buck, the Ninja is a smart choice.
Zwilling Spirit 3-Ply Stainless-Steel Pan
Zwilling Spirit 3-Ply Stainless Steel Pan
This pan is pretty middle-of-the-pack performance-wise. It’s heavy, and our flour test revealed that it heated unevenly, with one side considerably hotter than the other.
Misen Skillet
Misen 12-Inch Stainless Steel Skillet
Overall we liked this pan; it managed our tests well. But its long handle is polarizing—some testers feel that it makes the skillet a little unwieldy on the stove top.
Anolon Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Fry Pan
Anolon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Fry Pan
For the price, this is a serviceable pan, but had issues heating evenly in our flour test.
Hestan ProBond Skillet
Hestan ProBond 12-Inch Skillet
Hestan cookware is a direct competitor to All-Clad in the high-end clad stainless-steel space. The pans have some premium design features—flush rivets and a slim, ergonomic handle—but they simply can’t top All-Clad’s remarkably consistent cooking surface. In our test we found that this pan had a central hot spot, leaving the edges a bit too cool.
Tramontina Gourmet Stainless-Steel Pan
Tramontina Gourmet 12-Inch Stainless Steel Pan
From a heating standpoint, this is a great budget pan. My only gripe is that the steeply sloped sides reduced the usable surface area, which made cooking four chicken thighs in the pan a crowded affair.
Calphalon Classic
Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 10-Inch Omelette Fry Pan
Calphalon is another great budget pan. It heats consistently and features a nice, spacious cooking surface. However, these pans are some of the heaviest I tested.
