If you fill the French skillet with food, it will cook rather than fry it. However, the extra depth of these skillets can make them a bit more burdensome to store.

This means that when cooking non-stickable items like crepes, you may have a more challenging time on the typical stainless steel surface of a French skillet.

    When it comes to cooking, having the right tools can make all the difference.  Cast iron griddles are a versatile and essential addition to any kitchen, offering a variety of cooking options.  Whether you prefer a square cast iron griddle or a round cast iron griddle pan, both options have their own unique benefits to suit different cooking needs.

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.

Best for: Almost any food that needs searing, including steak and burgers. Cast-iron pans are ovenproof, so you can use them to roast meats like beef or pork and to bake cornbread, deep-dish pizza, shepherd’s pie, and more. And they retain heat so well that they’re a good choice for deep-frying chicken, doughnuts, or other foods because they keep the oil at a constant temperature.

The details: Cast-iron frying pans are practically indestructible, and they’re handed down for generations in many families. That makes their typically low price even more attractive. And if well cared for, cast iron develops a patina that releases food almost as well as nonstick. But the pans are heavy, and you have to be patient when heating them up because they don’t come up to temperature fast. Once they do, however, they retain heat.

Our tests of coated and uncoated cast-iron pans show how versatile this cookware can be. We sear steaks, brown scallops, and bake cornbread to see how well a cast-iron pan works for home cooks. The best pans ace all these tests. We also judge how easy they are to clean. Because of the enamel coating, the coated pans are a bit easier to clean than the uncoated ones.

Here are two recommended cast-iron pans from our tests.

Dutch Oven Function

Though stainless steel started in the 1930s and continued after World War II, stainless frying pans were only mass-marketed in the 1950s. Companies concentrating on cookware produced the first stainless steel frying pans.

If you still can’t seem to pick, however, we’d suggest our Multi-Material Frying Pan Set. This three-piece collection includes a Stainless Clad, a Non Stick, and a Carbon Steel Frying Pan, so you’ll have all of your bases covered—with room to grow.

Cast Iron Shrimp Grill Pan