If you’re gearing up to buy some new pans, the question of whether stainless steel or non-stick pans are better may have crossed your mind.
Here at Chef’s Pick, we love both non-stick and stainless-steel pans, and that seems to be a view that most home chefs and pro chefs follow too. But which type of pan is really the best? Well, let’s try and find out, shall we?
Non-Stick Pans
Non-stick pans have been in our kitchens for over 60 years, and you’d have a challenge on your hands trying to find a kitchen in the UK that doesn’t have at least one non-stick pot or pan.
These pans allow you to fry eggs, cook pancakes and more very easily. And when you are finished, most food will glide effortlessly off of the pan onto your plate.
Plus, non-stick pans require very little oil compared to stainless pans because of the amazing non-stick coating.
Stainless-Steel Pans
Stainless-steel pans, on the other hand, allow you to achieve beautiful golden searing on meats and allow you to caramelise steak and all sorts of other meats.
If you have ever had a steak cooked with a stainless-steel pan, you will know why my mouth is watering and causing my laptop to malfunction!
Stainless-steel pans also allow you to make amazing gravy and sauces to pour over this beautiful meat, thanks to the fact that all the juices released during cooking stick to the surface of the pan. This means you can get some serious deglazing done and make an incredible sauce!
Another brilliant thing about stainless-steel pans is that you can put them in the oven at higher temperatures than a non-stick pan.
Almost all non-stick pans have a maximum temperature that they can be used at. This max temperature is based on what heat the non-stick coating can handle.
Plus, stainless-steel pans are considered to be more durable purely based on the fact that non-stick coatings are fairly easily damaged with utensils, heat and general use over the years.
Are Stainless-Steel Pans Better Than Non-Stick?
This is yet another cookware debate where many cooks are on the fence, and frankly, we are too. Both non-stick and stainless-steel pans have their own place in the kitchen. It really depends on the type of cooking you enjoy doing.
If you want a general use pan that makes cooking nice and easy, a non-stick pan is an ideal choice. You can fry eggs, meat, veg and much more easily with a non-stick pan.
If you want your food to have a bit more flavour, a stainless-steel pan is a very good choice.
Stainless steel pans allow you to cook beautiful food. This is actually because stainless steel doesn’t have as good of a non-stick surface as a non-stick pan. What appears to be a disadvantage actually gives it its advantage in certain situations.
What Pans Should You Buy?
If you want a general-purpose workhorse in your kitchen, go for non-stick. You can do plenty with a non-stick pan.
However, if you want the best pan for cooking meat and are willing to fight with eggs and pancakes and things to get them out of the pan, stainless steel will give you some of the finest tasting steaks you’ve ever had!
Of course, if you want to enjoy both types of cooking, buying two pans (one non-stick and one stainless steel) is the way to go.
We hope this look at stainless-steel and non-stick pans has been helpful. The best material to choose depends on the type of cooking you want to do.
So, why not explore our articles about the best non-stick frying pans and best stainless-steel frying pans to find out more about these materials and the fantastic things they can bring to your kitchen!
Scott is a writer and a passionate home chef. His passion for cooking began when he was 10 years old. Scott has been writing professionally for over five years now and loves to combine his passion for cooking with his day job.
