You can buy a 6-inch pan for mornings when you just want one egg; a 17-inch pan for that one day a year you makepaella; a crêpe pan for those mornings when you want, I don't know, crêpes.
But—real talk—there are only three pans your kitchen needs.
12-inch stainless skillet
Also called a fry pan, this is your kitchen workhorse. It's useful for pretty much anything: from sautéing to braising to pan-roasting. And while you could argue that astraight-sided sauté panis equally as important for these tasks, Rhoda Boone, our food editor, strongly believes otherwise. "I think sloped-sided skillets are actually better for sautéing than sauté pans. The sloped sides make it easier to move the food around whether stirring or tossing, and I find sauces and cooking liquids reduce more quickly." While it doesn't come cheap, theAll-Clad 12-inch fry panwith lid will last a lifetime.
12-inch cast iron
"Cast iron is especially good for frying and baking things like cornbread," says Rhoda. It also can be used to sear and sauté just like the stainless skillet, and if youseason it properly, it's virtually non-stick. But Rhoda has a warning: "Be aware that if you're cooking anything acidic like tomatoes, it’s better to use stainless because acidic foods can react in an unpleasant way to cast iron." Keep an eye out for a good quality pan at flea markets, or buy one new—Lodgeskillets are well made, dependable, and won't break the bank.
10-inch nonstick
We've alreadyexpressed our lovefor the nonstick skillet, so it's a no-brainer that it makes the top three. It's the only pan you need to fry, scramble, andFrambleyour eggs. The pan is also essential when cooking delicate fish fillets.Scanpanis the Epicurious Test Kitchen's nonstick skillet of choice.
