Which Stove Top Pan to Buy, and which pans to avoid

Review of several different styles of stove top pans, and which is the best stove top pan to buy

I just cleaned out my pots and pans cupboard in my kitchen. Why? Because I had way too many pans than needed! not because I use 7 different pans in a day, but because we keep buying pans that we quickly come to hate, and then would buy a different kind. Hoping that this one would work.

The best stove top pans to buy have to pass 2 tests.

The Egg Test.
The High-Heat Test

So now I’m just going to show you which ones we bought, and the ones we actually stuck with!

1. Non-Stick Pan.

I have such a love-hate relationship with non-stick pans. At the beginning they work amazing! There is nothing better than a non-stick pan for making perfect eggs.

But sadly, non-stick pans are also notorious for their toxicity. In theory they are safe as long as the black stuff doesn’t chip into your food. But eventually, every pan does start to do just that.

Plus they say they should be just fine as long as you don’t scrape your pan or use high heat. Both things I do while cooking, and can’t figure out how you are supposed to cook without doing those things!

Most non stick pans have in later years, stayed away from the worst of the toxic chemicals, but still not the greatest to ingest something that wasn’t meant to be ingested. (source here: are non stick pans safe?)

So either you should be very watchful of even the tiniest hint that it is going bad, toss it, and get a new one, or you’ll want to skip Non-Stick Pans altogether.

2. Copper Pans –

The copper pan we bought was from gotham steel pro. called Gotham Steel Fry Pan with Ultra Nonstick Titanium and Ceramic Copper Coating- Dishwasher, Metal Utensil, and Oven Safe.

At first we were happy with it. The eggs were good. . . as long as you put plenty of oil/butter on the bottom to keep the eggs from sticking.

But sadly, it didn’t hold strong for the high-heat test. I make a lot of stir-fry style dinners, and high heat is a must. But quickly, as you can see in the pictures, I burned the pan, and no matter how often I cleaned or scrubbed, it did not come clean. After that, of course, even the eggs would get stuck, and it was just a frustrating mess all the time.

Hypothetically, it can still be a great quality pan as long as you keep your heat to medium.

3. Green Pans.

GreenPan Rio 8 Inch and 10 Inch Ceramic Non-Stick Fry Pan Set, Turquoise – CW001419-002

Yet again, this is something we loved straight from the beginning! the slickness of the pan worked just as great as non-stick pans for eggs! But the moment we used it in high heat, it became worthless. So not the best stove top pan to buy

4. Cast Iron Pans/skillets.

Lodge L8SK3 Cast Iron Skillet and Ready for Stove Top or Oven Use, 10.25″, Black

I don’t have one of these, but whenever I visit my parents, this is the only pan they have. They swear by it because of it being the healthiest and most non-toxic pan. It stands up to high heat amazingly! They’ve never had stains on them even though they’ve had it for years.

The only problem is, you’ve guessed it. Eggs are a struggle.

5. Crepe Pans.

Cuisinart 623-24 Chef’s Classic Nonstick Hard-Anodized 10-Inch Crepe Pan

Technically this is a non-stick pan, but a really high quality. I loved it for years, because eggs were made easily, and I could fry tortillas really easily on it. I never used it for high heat items, because it was so flat. . . But it too eventually started getting scuffs and falling apart.

6. Stainless Steel Pans.

I got a stainless steel pot and pan set pretty early on in my marriage, and I have to say that I LOVE THE SET! They are the only pots that I use, and they are all still great! The set is a great present, and you should seriously think about having it if you don’t have a good set yet. (link Here)

The pans that came with it are great for high heat, sometimes they do get stains, but with quite a bit of scrubbing, it WILL come off and look like new. But they are terrible for eggs.

This is the pan I have

T-fal E76007 Performa Stainless Steel Dishwasher Safe Oven Safe Fry Pan Saute Pan Cookware, 12-Inch, Silver

7. Granite Stone Pans

GRANITESTONE 2686 10″ Frying Pan Skillet with 5.5″ Eggpan, Non-stick, No-warp, Mineral-enforced, PFOA-Free, Dishwasher-safe As Seen On TV

This last pan is the winner for me. Finally, after all of these tries, we’ve found one that passes the 2 tests.

Egg test: I would give it a B+ for the egg test. I still need to make sure that the pan has been oiled (buttered?) first. The places that don’t get the oil, could make the eggs stick a bit. But I can make scrambled and runny yolk eggs, without ruining them.

High-Heat Test: And this one Has stood up perfectly to high heat! A+ not a stain on it at all. I was so happy with it, that we got the larger version of it too. I now can’t go back to those others. And all though I’ve only had it for a few months, i’m confident that it is going to last me quite a long time.

I like these pans so much, that even though I am REALLY HAPPY with my stainless steel pots and pans set, I think I am going to also buy the whole set. Is that crazy?!

Which would actually be cheaper than the stainless steel, so hopefully i’ll be as happy with the pots as well as the pans.

BONUS Egg Pans and Wok.

Joie Mini Nonstick Egg and Fry Pan, 4.5” Set of 2

I confess that I do own a non-stick egg pan. It is so TINY that literally it can only hold one egg. And because of that, I rarely use it enough to worry about the non-stick coating coming off of it. It is really handy to have around. You can get two for pretty cheap!

The other pan that I use ALL THE TIME is my Wok

. I got it on black friday for $8. Probably the best money I have ever spent. It is totally worth buying full price though!

Circulon 89313 Acclaim Hard Anodized Nonstick Wok/Stir Fry Pan/Wok Pan with Lid – 12.5 Inch, Black

I love it so much that I think it should have it’s own post. It is enormous, so I never cook eggs in it. But of course, it does really well with high heat foods! your life just might change in unexpected ways if you buy a wok.