Frying pan: compare the models, materials and prices

A frying pan comes down to its material first, because it decides almost everything else: what it sears well, what sticks, whether it works on your hob and how much care it needs. Non-stick for eggs and fish, stainless steel for searing and deglazing, cast iron to hold heat, carbon steel for very high heat, ceramic sold as PFAS-free: every pan has its drawback, and I state it before its strengths. I compared 15 pans sold on Amazon France, from Tefal to De Buyer, Cristel, Le Creuset, Staub and Ballarini, reading each manufacturer's product page and recording prices on 07/10/2026.

Our frying pan comparison for 2026

Our which frying pan to choose comparison picks the best pans for each profile: everyday cooking, tight budget, searing, induction hob. This page helps you pick the right type of pan before you compare models, using the 15 pans in the grid above.

Which type of frying pan should you choose?

There are five main pan materials (non-stick aluminium, stainless steel, cast iron, carbon steel, ceramic) plus pans built for one job: crepes, stir-fries or dishes in sauce. The table at the end of this section sums them up.

The non-stick aluminium pan

This is the everyday frying pan: a light aluminium body that heats quickly, covered with a non-stick coating. Eggs, omelettes, fish and crepes slide off with very little fat. Its weak point is the coating: it wears over the years, does not like being overheated empty and scratches under an abrasive scourer. Tefal's Unlimited On adds a Thermo-Signal that shows when the pan is hot; Le Creuset makes its Toughened Non-Stick range from forged hard-anodised aluminium with a lifetime guarantee. Manufacturers do not always name what their coating is made of: if you want to avoid it, our PFAS-free frying pan page gathers the alternatives.

The stainless steel pan

A stainless steel pan has no coating at all: it sears hard, leaves the browned bits on the bottom for deglazing and goes in the dishwasher without damage. High-end models stack several metals to spread heat better: 5 layers of 18/10 stainless steel at Cristel (Castel'Pro), stainless steel and aluminium at De Buyer (Affinity). The trade-off: food sticks if the pan is not hot enough when it goes in, and you need a little fat. It is also the most expensive family in our selection. Our stainless steel induction pan page covers this material in detail.

The cast iron pan

Cast iron stores heat and releases it slowly: it sears a piece of meat without losing temperature and goes from hob to oven. Staub's enamelled cast iron needs no seasoning; Lodge's bare cast iron comes pre-seasoned with vegetable oil and builds a patina with use. The drawback is physical: 2.2 kg for the 26 cm Staub pan according to Staub, about 3.3 kg for the Lodge grill pan, and slower heating than aluminium. Our enamelled cast iron pan page compares the models.

The carbon steel pan

A carbon steel pan, like De Buyer's Mineral B, is the pan of professional kitchens: it handles very high heat and becomes non-stick over time thanks to the patina that builds up. You have to season it before first use, never put it in the dishwasher or wash it with detergent, then dry and oil it before storing. It darkens over time, which is the sign the patina is working. If you accept that routine, the 28 cm Mineral B cost 51.70 euros on 07/10/2026.

The ceramic pan

A ceramic pan replaces the classic non-stick coating with a mineral coating on an aluminium body: Thermolon at GreenPan, Ceraforce at Ballarini, both sold as PFAS-free by their makers. It calls for medium heat, and its temperature limits are low: 160 °C in the oven for the GreenPan SmartShape, 150 °C heat resistance for the Ballarini Ledro. Both work on induction according to their manufacturers. Models are compared on our ceramic induction pan page.

Crepe pan, wok and saute pan

Pans built for one job change shape more than material. A crepe pan has very low sides so the spatula slides under: Tefal makes a 28 cm non-stick one, De Buyer a 24 cm carbon steel version, and our crepe pan page compares them. A wok, with high flared sides, is for tossing small batches quickly: Le Creuset's holds 4.7 L for 30 cm. A saute pan or rondeau, with high straight sides, takes sauces and simmering under a lid. Our frying pan and wok and saute pan pages go into detail.

The price shown on Amazon when you buy is the one that applies.

How to choose a frying pan

Choose a frying pan on five criteria: the material that suits what you cook, compatibility with your hob, the base diameter, the weight and handle type, and the care you are willing to give it.

The material for what you cook

For eggs, omelettes, fish and crepes, pick a non-stick or ceramic pan. To sear meat, brown vegetables and deglaze, stainless steel. For long cooking or the oven, cast iron. For very high heat without any coating, carbon steel. Many kitchens end up with two pans: a non-stick one for delicate food, and a stainless steel, cast iron or carbon steel one for searing.

Induction, gas and ceramic hob compatibility

A pan heats on an induction hob only if its base is magnetic: steel, cast iron and suitable stainless steel are, plain aluminium is not, which is why induction-ready non-stick pans have a magnetic disc added underneath. The test is simple: a magnet should stick to the base. Every pan in our selection is listed as induction-compatible by its maker or seller, except the Cristel Castel'Pro, whose page only says it suits all hobs. On gas, electric and ceramic hobs, a thick base limits the hot spot in the centre.

The base diameter, not just the advertised size

The advertised diameter is measured at the rim, not at the base that touches the hob. On the 28 cm De Buyer Affinity, the base is 20 cm according to De Buyer; on the 28 cm Mineral B, 21 cm; on the 28 cm Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick, 21 cm according to Le Creuset; on the 28 cm Cristel Castel'Pro, 22.1 cm. Compare these figures rather than the headline size, and match the base to the size of your cooking zone.

Weight and handle: fixed or removable

Weight ranges from one to four times as much: 703 g for the 28 cm Tefal Ingenio Natural Force according to Amazon, about 3.3 kg for the Lodge grill pan according to its maker. A heavy pan holds heat but takes two hands. A riveted fixed handle is the sturdiest; the removable Ingenio handle lets you stack pans, put them in the oven and serve at the table, but it is sold separately from the pan alone.

Care: dishwasher, oven and seasoning

Stainless steel, Staub's enamelled cast iron and most recent non-stick pans are dishwasher safe according to their makers, even if hand washing spares the coating. Carbon steel and bare cast iron are washed in hot water without detergent, then dried and oiled. In the oven, limits range from 160 °C for the GreenPan ceramic to 300 °C for the Cristel stainless steel.

Grill pan: what is it for?

A grill pan has a ridged base: the ridges mark the meat and collect the fat away from the food. It suits steaks, duck breast, sliced vegetables and firm fish, not sauces. Both models in our selection are cast iron. The 34 x 21 cm Staub is enamelled, dishwasher safe and oven safe up to 260 °C according to Staub, with a folding silicone handle. The 26 cm square Lodge is pre-seasoned bare cast iron, hand wash only, and also goes on the barbecue according to Lodge. In both cases, allow several minutes of preheating: the heat stored in the cast iron is what marks the meat.

Do you need a frying pan lid?

A frying pan lid lets you cook covered, finish vegetables with steam, melt cheese on a piece of meat and limit splatter. Most pans are sold without one: in our selection, only the 30 cm Le Creuset rondeau comes with its own glass lid. For the others, choose a lid that matches the rim diameter; a glass one lets you watch the food without lifting it. Also check its oven limit: Le Creuset caps its pans at 220 °C with a glass lid, against 260 °C without. If you often cook in sauce, a straight-sided saute pan with a lid replaces a frying pan.

What budget for a frying pan?

A frying pan costs from 24.99 to 165.99 euros in our selection, based on our Amazon France records of 07/10/2026. Budget follows the material far more than the brand.

• Under 50 euros: non-stick and ceramic pans, from the Tefal Ingenio Natural Force (24.99 euros) to the Ballarini Ledro (49.99 euros), plus the two crepe pans (30.48 and 30.49 euros).
• 50 to 70 euros: the 28 cm Mineral B carbon steel pan (51.70 euros) and the two cast iron grill pans, Lodge (55.25 euros) and Staub (69.50 euros).
• 125 to 170 euros: Staub enamelled cast iron (127.14 euros), Le Creuset forged aluminium non-stick (139.00 to 165.99 euros), and the Cristel (154.95 euros) and De Buyer (164.90 euros) stainless steel pans.

The price shown on Amazon when you buy is the one that applies.

The 15 frying pans in our selection at a glance

Here is every pan in the grid with its material, its size and the drawback we hold against it.

The price shown on Amazon when you buy is the one that applies.

How we selected these pans

I kept 15 pans in stock on 07/10/2026, covering each material and each use: frying pan, grill pan, crepe pan, wok and rondeau. For each one, I recorded the price, availability and seller on the Amazon France page, then checked the material, induction compatibility, oven and dishwasher use against the manufacturer's page; a value that is missing or contradictory is marked "n.c.", and when Amazon and the manufacturer disagree, the manufacturer wins. Tefal publishes no product page for the two Unlimited On references we kept: for those, I only kept what both the Amazon page and the range page confirm. None of these pans has been tested hands-on: the score out of 5 is an editor's opinion based on versatility, care, compatibility and price. The details are on our method page. To complete your cookware, our saucepan and Dutch oven selections follow the same method.

Frequently asked questions