Stainless Steel Pan Comparison

I recently found myself researching stainless steel pans. There are so many options and they seem so similar—which one is best? I found many review sites that provided varying and mostly subjective feedback but no simple way to compare them. I wanted a table to sort, filter, and compare basic attributes of stainless steel pans. I figured I wasn't alone, so I made it.First, here are a few notes that you may find helpful:

• Stainless steel composition: Stainless steel is made up of iron, chromium, nickel, carbon, and other elements. In the example of 18/10, the numbers "18" and "10" refer to the percentages of chromium and nickel in the steel, respectively. 18/10 is essentially the same as the 316 grade and 18/8 essentially 304 grade. And, while 18/10 stainless steel may have ever-so-slightly greater greater strength and shine than 18/8 (because of the additional nickel), for practical purposes they are essentially the same.• 3-ply vs. 5-ply: this is the number of bonded layers (usually SS exterior, aluminum core, and another SS interior layer). Many of the "5-ply" pans count three layers of aluminum at the core separately, which is likely to perform similarly to a 3-ply.• Fully clad: All pans listed are fully clad (heat-conductive core extends up the sides)• Induction-compatible: all pans listed are induction-compatible• What's missing: Several name-brand models (e.g., Cuisinart, Calphalon) are excluded as they have been discontinued• Size: I used the 12" model in all cases possible for the best comparison but some only come in a slightly larger or smaller size

Stainless Steel Comparison Table

Image	BRAND	MODEL	PRICE	PLY	MATERIAL	WEIGHT	SIZE	OVEN SAFE (°F)	EVEN HEATING	REVIEWS	PURCHASE

About This Comparison

This comparison includes the most popular stainless steel pans I found in online discussions and reviews. Prices may change over time. All specifications are based on manufacturer documentation (which is not always easy to find!). I also tried to standardize stainless steel descriptions to make comparison easier. Reviews score shown is aggregated from major sites selling the pan (Amazon, manufacturer site, etc.).

While you can of course use this to compare "Made In vs. All Clad vs. Misen" or something along those lines, budget will be a big deciding factor. Given that, here's what I'd get at each price point. Note that this is based on the best prices I've seen and not necessarily the typical prices which I have listed in the chart:

$40-60: Tramontina or Goldilocks

$75: Misen

$100: Made In

$130: All-Clad D3

$200: Hestan ProBond

$450: Hestan NanoBond (I mean, if you have $$ to burn)

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Last updated: December 2024