Finally, another theory suggests that French soldiers created these skillets during World War I to prepare food while on patrol without hinting at their location by smoke from burning.

Cast Iron Flat Top Grill

Easy to Clean: Enamel cookware is easy to clean and maintain, with its smooth surface allowing for effortless removal of food residues. It is also dishwasher safe, adding to its convenience.

Are Stainless Steel Pans Dishwasher Safe?

For purchasing guidance, please read our review of the best stainless steel skillets and our sauté pan round-up. But whichever pan you choose, there are a few things to keep in mind while shopping.

Clean Enamel Cookware

    All in all, the sizzle plate is a must-have if you want to bring the sizzle of a restaurant-style steak into your own kitchen.  With a variety of options available for purchase, you can easily find the perfect sizzling plate to create your own sizzling steak experience at home.

Bare cast iron frying pans are uncoated and therefore prone to rust. To prevent this, they can be seasoned with oil, which closes up the pores and prevents contact with water. After seasoning, cast iron pans don't need to be washed with soap and water after every use. Simply wipe the pan down with a pot. If the pan is very dirty, it can be washed but it will have to be re-seasoned.

In contrast, French skillets have higher and straight sides, allowing you to cook more food but making it harder to flip.

Best for: everyday cooking: stir-fries, all sorts of vegetables and sauces, and meat

The geometry of a pan can affect how easily moisture is driven off of food, and how rapidly a sauce will reduce. It's often claimed that the sloped sides of a skillet help moisture exuded by cooking meats evaporate more rapidly, allowing you to sear more efficiently. And this is true, but only given the same cooking area. In other words, a 12-inch skillet with a 10-inch cooking area will sear foods more efficiently than a 10-inch sauté pan. The corollary to this, of course, is that, given an equal amount of food that needs searing over super-high heat (some steaks, for example), the large surface area of a sauté pan does not offer any significant advantages over a skillet—you'll still have to cook in just as many batches.