Frying pan (UK) for induction hob

Shop Knives and stones on ebay
Miura knives
Kitchen Knife Forums

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
S

stephen129

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2017
Messages
77
Reaction score
16
I'm looking for a frying pan to last a lifetime.

Something to sear meat in, make a pan sauce (deglazing with alcohol)

Size 28cm tops as I mainly only cook for myself, and occasionally for two or three (usually leftovers)

I can't decide on a material. Leaning towards carbon steel (considering a de buyer mineral B pro), but also want to know how they compare to a stainless steel. Are there any decent alternatives to all clad, are all clad worth the money?

I own two lodge cast irons at the moment, but want something to compliment them. (10inch skillet and a square griddle)

It's going on an induction hob (which personally I love), but I've heard some carbon steel pans can warp on induction (my thin carbon steel wok warped and is now unusable). Would the de buyer mineral B be thick enough?

Recommend away!
 
Last edited:
If you have cast iron already, I would go for stainless steel, and I would consider non-stick as well. A carbon steel pan is great, but also not remarkably different from a cast iron one. On the other hand, a stainless steel pan has its uses, such as when working with acidic ingredients. And non-stick pans have their place, too. There are times when I want to kiss my non-stick pans…
 
Last edited:
While I prefer carbon steel to cast iron, considering that you already have cast iron, I would go for stainless, for same reasons Michi pointed out. Just make sure you get a thick solid clad pan, not a disk bottom one.

Now that I think about it, enamel cast iron pan from Staub or Le Creuset would probably last you longer than a stainless steel pan while keep the acid resistant properties.
 
I’d go for a carbon steel from Alex Pole. Hand spun with forged handles. Mine is easily my most used pan.

https://www.alexpoleironwork.com/

if you must have stainless, Nisbets are selling Samuel Grove laminated pans which are also great, I’m slowly swapping out my le creuset to them as they’re dishwasher safe and easier for the wife to use.
 
Yes, de buyer mineral B (which I have) would be thick enough, and great to sear a steak, but not so great (but doable) for deglazing, if not too acidic.

What gap are you trying to fill, in looking for a complementary pan to your cast iron? As @Michi has noted, cast iron and carbon steel are very similar in terms of cooking characteristics; some prefer the latter for aesthetic and/or usability reasons (lighter, better handle, easier to season).

If you go with carbon steel, I'd suggest looking also at Darto, which produces unique, heavyweight pans formed out of one sheet of steel. They are based in Argentina and are just starting to grow their presence in the USA. Their prices are currently comparable to de Buyer, maybe a tad less, and I suspect they can get away with a higher price point once better known. I have both their paella and their 'saute' pans, and love them.

For stainless, which offers more of a contrast to your current cast iron, I'd look at Demeyere's 28cm Proline skillet (very thick SS-clad aluminum; the newer ones are sealed at the rim and therefore dishwasher safe) and Paderno World Cuisine's 28cm paella pan (very thick disk bottom, but not dishwasher safe due to exposed aluminum in the disk). While both work well on induction, some say the disk-bottomed Paderno is actually more even heating, and the Proline's cladded sidewalls aren't necessary if your primary purpose is searing and deglazing (vs., say, making a delicate sauce). The Paderno has two handles and is incredibly easy to handle, whereas the Proline is one-handled and much heavier. The Paderno can also go easily in the oven (it just fits in my Breville Smart Oven, and in fact, I just used it tonight to roast some delicious lollipop kale sprouts). The Proline is nicer to look at though (and a lot pricier).

EDITED TO ADD:
If you want to go with All-Clad, they frequently have online 'seconds'/open-box sales that offer very steep discounts (often 50-75% off) on pretty much all their lines, including their higher end copper-core. Many have reported that the pots and pans received appear to be first quality - they often can't figure out what the 'defect' is. If you get on their mailing list, they'll send you notification of these sales.
 
Last edited:
Are you sure you don't want a saute pan? Searing meat (where you only want to flip once), it's the better choice (and's also easier to fit in the over for pan roasting), similarly heating up leftovers (larger internal volume and generally comes with a lid). The only time to use a frying pan is either when you need to move stuff around often/flip with one hand, or use the angled sides to help get a spatula under.

Either way, definitely definitely get a stainless pan. Deglazing on carbon steel is not a good idea due to the acid affecting the patina. There are very few things you can't cook effectively on stainless and if you learn the right technique (combination of amount of fat, temperature and time) you'll not have sticking problems either.

If a saute pan, then 24cm is a good size, though you could also happily get a 20cm - note that the cooking area on a 24cm is actually larger than most 28cm frying pans due to the straight sides. I'd look at a pan with a decent disc base for induction. Very solid options are Demeyere Atlantis or Apollo lines (https://bestsale.be/ has very good pricing from the UK) - the Atlantis differs from the Apollo by having a copper core (still induction friendly) and is superb, if you have the cash, this would be my choice (only possible downside is that they're consequently quite heavy, but likely not an issue if you use cast iron!). Nice handles on these. Otherwise Bourgeat Excellence are great and very good value, the Tradition Plus also (having thicker rims, making them slightly heavier to handle but more durable) - both are very common in pro kitchens.

If frying pan, I'd actually steer right away from the thick bottom or thick clad pans and get something thinner and clad (about 3mm). If you're frying and moving things around a lot, the extra weight isn't helpful, and the added heat capacity similarly so. I reach most often for my Mauviel M Cook 28cm pan, which is a great all rounder and has the best handle I've tried. Demeyere Multiline is a similar pan (but has steeper sides - the mauviel has a shallower profile making flipping easier).

The lids for all these ranges are also good.

All that said, pick up a 20cm Mineral B, it's relatively cheap and a great pan in its own right and makes the best fried eggs! No issues on induction with this one, but don't crank it up to 9 either!

Edit - "mainly only cook for myself" => get a 20cm saute, this is the right size for 1-2 (e.g. can get two portions side by side). My most loved pan is a copper 20cm saute (combination of gas and induction here!) because it cooks meat in such an awesome way. Spend the cash here and you won't be unhappy!
 
Last edited:
@stephen129 - Spring are a swiss maker https://www.spring.ch/. Never used them/seen then outside of Switzerland but no doubt they are good quality as they also supply pro kitchens. Also of note is Noser Inox https://www.noser-inox.com/ - you see them all over Switzerland, particularly the Hotel line, really nicely made. I'm Swiss, that's why I know ;-).
 
Maybe I do want a saute pan rather than a frying pan. Never really thought about it tbh. What's the main difference?
 
Just got a Yamada flat bottom wok for the induction and it's awesome. If it wasn't for the high shipping cost I would buy a whole bunch of them.
 
Here's a 20cm saute vs a 26cm frying pan. Saute has same cooking area, it's fractionally higher but has straight sides. Takes up less hob real estate; when cooking in liquid ratio of liquid to solid is lower and with the lid on it easily goes in the oven (eg can use it for braising very naturally). Bottom line, cooking meat in a pan eg a chicken/duck breast, steak, pork chop etc , the saute is the first choice. If you haven't got one, then get one! (Then consider a conical sauteuse for sauces, thick liquids etc. Next most underused/underappreciated pan!)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20200410_205139.jpg
    IMG_20200410_205139.jpg
    173.7 KB · Views: 29
  • IMG_20200410_204917.jpg
    IMG_20200410_204917.jpg
    200.7 KB · Views: 28
So when is a frying pan better? I don't think I've ever used a saute pan in my life. I've always just had frying pans (bad non-stick ones at that).
 
When either: you need to slide the food out of the pan (e.g. crepe, omelete); you need to toss whatever you're cooking (generally in small pieces), ie angle the pan away from you until the food slides onto the curved bit and then flip up to toss it back into the pan and turn it (this is a true saute, confusingly!); you need to slide a spatula under your food, e.g. fish fillets and can then take advantage of the sloping sides. Frying pans are not great whenever you need to make a sauce (tends to slosh over the sides) and the sloping sides make them inefficient use of space compared to a saute pan (you either get more cooking area for same width of pan, or a smaller pan for equivalent cooking area).

Check out these guys in action where they use frying pans, sauteuses and wheel out the big saute pan for cooking the birds at the end. Give you a good idea!
 
Last edited:
Similarly saute pans all the way here - nice big chunk of meat and a good sauce!



 
Last edited:
Now I'm wondering if I should buy
Famima said:
Here's a 20cm saute vs a 26cm frying pan. Saute has same cooking area, it's fractionally higher but has straight sides. Takes up less hob real estate; when cooking in liquid ratio of liquid to solid is lower and with the lid on it easily goes in the oven (eg can use it for braising very naturally). Bottom line, cooking meat in a pan eg a chicken/duck breast, steak, pork chop etc , the saute is the first choice. If you haven't got one, then get one! (Then consider a conical sauteuse for sauces, thick liquids etc. Next most underused/underappreciated pan!)
Click to expand...

Maybe it's just because I've never used a saute pan in my life, but I've never had too many issues with liquid coming out of a frying pan. Maybe if the edges are really low, but in your picture, the frying pan has quite high edges. Assuming I'm not too worried about liquid falling out, are there any other reasons to buy a saute pan?
 
I have this Fissler pan that I bought back in 1988. It's been through the dishwasher thousands of times, and is still doing perfectly fine. It was fairly expensive at the time, around USD 300 in today's terms. It has a hybrid shape somewhere between a skillet and a sauté pan:
IMG_3610.jpg

IMG_3611.jpg

It works well for frying, sautés, as well as stews and braises. I usually make my chili con carne in this pan, and it works really well for smallish pot roasts, such as roulades.

A nice feature is the lip, which is designed to not drip when pouring a sauce out of the pan. (And, yes, that actually works.)

This is my most-used pan.

Fissler still make this shape, with a slightly different handle.
 
Last edited:
Hi Stephen,

There's not so much in it - most things you can do with a saute pan you can do with a frying pan. The exception really is bigger items and saucy things, particularly if you put these in the oven with a lid. But your two key use cases - searing meat and making a pan sauce; heating up leftovers - are instant "reach for the saute pan" for me, hence why I flagged it! E.g. dinner tonight:
IMG_20200411_193454.jpg


Pork fillet and the fond turned into a cider sauce. (The perspective of the photo is screwy, but that's a 24cm Bourgeat saute pan and that's 3 portions in the pan.) The big advantage of doing this kind of dish in a saute vs a 28cm frying pan is that it takes up less hob space (28cms is wide on a regular 4 burner 60cm hob), when you finish the meat off in the pan with the sauce, the volume of sauce in the pan is higher up the meat.

Both have their place in the kitchen - I regularly use a 20cm and 24cm saute, plus I have 2 stainless frying pans, 2 carbon steel, and 2 non stick. Plus 2 sauteuses (which get used all the time!). A 28cm saute is on the wish list for big meals! Saute pans are simply underused in domestic kitchens, which is a shame, because they're great!
 
That one looks like a skillet and sauté pan hybrid. Once you have used it for a while, let us know what you think of it please!
 
stephen129 said:
So I decided to go for this after considering all the options.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Spring-Brigade-Premium-Frying-Pan/dp/B001U03CJK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=spring+brigade+pan&qid=1586785979&sr=8-1&th=1

£61.78 from Amazon marketplace, like new (damaged packaging, but new product). Pretty decent deal I think for a pan that will hopefully last forever.

Thanks for all the advice.
Click to expand...
I have the 28cm version of that pan and absolutely love it. Great choice imo.
 
Is it safe to go in the dishwasher? Is there anything I need to know about it's use/care? Can I put it on a very high heat?
 
No problem with the dishwasher or high heat. It’s fine in the oven too.
No special care either - it’s just a joy to use.
 
So what are the advantages of carbon steel or cast iron over this?
 
Grand, enjoy! Becoming proficient with a SS frying pan is a great skill! No special care, definitely don't season - if stuff crusts on, boil some water and dishwashing fluid on the hob for 5mins, should just lift off. Scotch brite if necessary.

Advantage of a carbon steel pan is that you get a true non stick surface on it in a pan that can also handle high heat /metal utensils (unlike Teflon), but you shouldn't deglaze. Cast iron has no particular advantages, only disadvantages ;-)
 
stephen129 said:
So what are the advantages of carbon steel or cast iron over this?
Click to expand...
Both carbon steel and cast iron are probably a little better if what you're looking for is a pan you can get ripping hot to char food. Grilling a steak or wilting brussels sprouts.

Where they fall down is in sublety; that's why both carbon steel and stainless have their place in the kitchen. I actually tend to agree with Famima's assessment; cast iron has no particular advantage over carbon steel (in my use at least) other than the awkward handle shapes they put on them are easier to fit into an oven. That's the only reason I have any cast iron around at all.

I use stainless pans more often then carbon steel, but I use them both and wouldn't really want to give either up. I have both materials in a pretty large range of sizes, 24 up to 30-32 cm and stainless in both saute and skillet shapes.
 
There's so many YouTube videos on how to season a ss pan. Curious.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top