Stainless steel vs nonstick
Choose stainless for searing, pan sauces and pans with no coating to wear out; choose nonstick for eggs, pancakes and delicate fish. Most kitchens do best with stainless for most pans and one nonstick skillet beside them.
| Difference | Stainless steel | Nonstick |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking surface | Bare steel, no coating | A PTFE coating over aluminum |
| Food release | Sticks until the pan is hot and the food has browned | Eggs and fish release with little oil |
| Heat | Takes high heat and the oven | Low to medium heat |
| Utensils | Metal is fine | Wood, silicone or nylon, unless the maker allows metal |
| How long it lasts | No coating to wear out; Made In says stainless pans last for decades with basic care | The coating wears with use; how fast depends on heat, utensils and cleaning |
| Empty weight, single skillets | 1.5–3.77 lb (11 pans) | 2–2.73 lb (3 pans) |
| Oven-safe to | 350–1050°F (64 of 70) | 400–500°F (26 of 28) |
| Works on induction (maker says) | 68 of 70 | 15 of 28 |
On this page
Two exact examples
| Difference | Made In 10-inch Stainless Clad Frying Pan | Tramontina Professional Nonstick 10-inch Fry Pan |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Stainless clad | Nonstick |
| Cooking surface | stainless steel | Reinforced nonstick; maker does not name the coating chemistry |
| Included shapes | Skillet | Skillet |
| Size as sold | Skillet: 10 in | Skillet: 10 in |
| Supplied lids | 0 | 0 |
| Pan oven limit | 800 °F | 400 °F |
| Lid oven limit | No lid in the box | No lid in the box |
| Dishwasher | Dishwasher safe; the maker recommends handwashing | Dishwasher safe |
| Induction | Works on induction | Maker doesn't say if it works on induction |
Choose the care you'll keep up with
Bare stainless has no coating to protect. A coated pan asks for its maker's utensils and heat limits. Adding one nonstick skillet doesn't mean replacing every pot you own.
Check your own pan's limits
The two examples are particular pans. Their oven limits, induction support and weights belong to them, not to every stainless or nonstick pan.
What’s in each, measured
Scroll sideways for every column; tap a heading to sort. “Not stated” means the maker doesn’t publish it.
| Made In 10-inch Stainless Clad Frying Pan | 10 in | 10.5 in | 7.5 in | 3.5 in | 1.75 in | 18 in | 2.25 lb | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tramontina Professional Nonstick 10-inch Fry Pan | 10 in | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not included |