Best for: Almost any food that needs frying, browning, or searing. Because it’s ovenproof, stainless is also a good choice for foods that you start on the stovetop and then move to the oven to finish, like thick pork chops.

The details: Nitahara says that 95 percent of the pans used in the CIA’s teaching kitchens are stainless steel because they can take a lot of punishment. “The only time we don’t use them is on egg day, when we use nonstick,” he says. He adds that the shiny surface of a stainless pan makes it easy to see whether your food is browning.

In CR’s tests of stainless steel pans, we measure heating evenness by cooking pancakes, and we gauge how evenly a pan sautés by cooking potatoes until they’re tender. We also conduct a cleaning test to see how easy it is to remove cooked-on food. You’d think that all stainless pans would be about the same to clean, but our tests show that some require a lot more scrubbing than others.

Here are two recommended stainless steel pans from CR’s tests.

There is often confusion when comparing saute pans, fry pans, and French skillets. A French skillet can be described as a combination of a saute pan and a frying pan.

Everyone can appreciate a good frying pan—especially when they turn out your favorite pork chops or soft scrambled eggs. A well-equipped kitchen typically contains several different varieties of frying pans or skillets, including cast iron, stainless steel, and nonstick. (We're not counting the other essential pots and pans you should have, too, like a saucepan, heavy-bottomed pot, or even a wok). Here is how to use, clean, and care for each.

    For those who like pops of color in their kitchen, enamel cookware sets in purple, red, and pink are a great choice.  Not only do these vibrant hues add a fun and playful element to your cooking space, enamel cookware sets also make for stunning dishes.  From sautéing and searing to braising and baking, boldly colored enamel cookware sets are designed to handle a variety of cooking techniques.

They draped these cooking containers above trench walls so they could enjoy warm meals even without access to ovens or stoves.

    Round Cast Iron Griddle Pan, on the other hand, are great for cooking single items like steaks, burgers, or vegetables. The round cast iron griddle pan's compact size makes it easy to handle and store, and its round shape makes it easy to flip food.  The round cast iron griddle pan's raised edge is also ideal for cooking dishes with sauces or gravies, preventing spills or drips.

Dutch Oven

For those who'd prefer the frypan, non-stick fry pans are also a fantastic choice if you're seeking to cook healthy dishes with little to no oil. Not forgetting certain frypans that are oven-safe with non stick coating like the Cosmo Fry for baking enthusiasts out there. And all this comes at an often more affordable price than that of skillets.