The Greatest Egg Pans of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

The common-or-garden egg: endlessly versatile, kinda costly proper now. The common American really eats about 280 eggs a 12 months. The upward pattern in consumption regardless of rising prices most likely stems from the truth that the egg will not be solely probably the most workable proteins in your kitchen, however that there are such a lot of methods to prepare dinner it. There are 100 “verified” methods, demonstrated by the folds in a conventional chef’s toque. Fried, baked, poached, steamed, scrambled—slightly method goes an extended option to make your excellent egg, however the best instruments turn out to be useful as nicely.

So, simply how a lot of a distinction can pan make on the subject of egg cookery? The easy reply is: It completely helps. We took a deep dive into our cookware evaluations, coupled with our culinary data to focus on a few of the finest egg pans. (We’ll chorus from any “egg-cellent” jokes.) 

The Winners, at a Look

Issues to Take into account

Do You Want Fats When Cooking Eggs in a Nonstick Skillet?

The quick reply is sure. Although a nonstick pan would require lower than chrome steel, slightly fats helps add an additional buffer between the eggs and the pan, particularly since each gadgets are liquid. For a way like frying, fats can be important for including taste and creating the Maillard response that leads to the crispy, lattice-like backside of a wonderfully fried egg.

Can You Use Forged Iron and Carbon Metal to Cook dinner Eggs? 

Sure, however we suggest seasoning each pans nicely first. Forged iron is porous, so it is lower than superb for delicate egg preparations like scrambles or omelets. The micro divots will latch onto the egg proteins and entice them within the cracks as you push your egg combination round, leading to sticking.

As talked about in our forged iron skillet evaluate, eggs will even often keep on with the pan if it isn’t seasoned nicely. We have now a information to seasoning right here, however cooking fatty gadgets like bacon in a forged iron pan additionally helps construct up its nonstick skills over time. As soon as seasoned, forged iron is nice for fried eggs or stovetop-to-oven egg dishes, like frittatas.

A lot of the identical could be mentioned for carbon metal, although it’s much less porous than forged iron—leading to a smoother floor that’s not as stick-prone, however nonetheless advantages from seasoning.

Can You Cook dinner Eggs in a Stainless Metal Skillet?

It takes a little bit of a studying curve to grasp, however cooks favor chrome steel skillets for a motive. The place residence cooks will run into bother with eggs and chrome steel will not be heating the pan up sufficient. Should you place an egg on a chrome steel pan that’s nonetheless chilly or lukewarm, the egg will seemingly stick. The answer: warmth, warmth, warmth. The easiest way to find out in case your stainless pan is at a nonstick warmth stage is so as to add a number of droplets of water. If the droplets dance and skitter throughout the pan, you’re able to go.

Which Dimension Egg Pan Ought to You Purchase?

It’s helpful to have pans in a number of completely different sizes. For a jack-of-all-trades, a 10- or 12-inch pan is good. In any other case, an 8-inch skillet is nice for cooking solo or frying just some eggs.

Our Favourite Egg Pans

What we preferred: We don’t name for nonstick a lot, however the one factor it’s tremendous helpful for is cooking delicate proteins like eggs. We additionally suppose it’s what most individuals will consider as an egg pan. This skillet from Tramontina is extraordinarily well-priced (about $30 on the time of writing) and has a detachable silicone grip. In our checks, eggs slipped and slid round its nonstick floor. And, once more, it’s CHEAP. You may learn extra about why we don’t suggest splurging on nonstick right here, however the TL;DR is that it simply doesn’t final all that lengthy.

What we didn’t like: This pan isn’t induction-compatible. You probably have an induction cooktop, we suggest this skillet from T-fal.

Key Specs

• Most oven temperature: 400℉
• Induction-compatible: No
• Weight: 1 pound, 15 ounces
• Dishwasher-safe: Sure

What we preferred: That is our budget-friendly carbon metal advice and, as soon as seasoned, it’s particularly nice for fried eggs and frittatas. Carbon metal pans have smoother surfaces than forged iron, in order that they’ll be extra slick out of the gate, too. One factor to notice: Maintain off on making acidic dishes, like shakshuka, on this pan till it’s well-seasoned. The acid can strip the pan’s seasoning (the identical goes for forged iron).

What we didn’t like: This pan could be very light-weight and might spin round on glass cooktops.

Key Specs

• Most oven temperature: 660℉
• Induction-compatible: Sure
• Weight: 2 kilos, 10 ounces
• Dishwasher-safe: No

What we preferred: Additionally nice for frittatas and fried eggs, our favourite forged iron skillet from Lodge has a worth you possibly can’t beat. On your ease, it comes pre-seasoned. After we examined forged iron skillets we discovered fried eggs slid proper off. This bodes nicely for its long-term skills as an egg pan: It’ll solely get extra nonstick with use. 

What we didn’t like: This pan is kind of heavy. 

Key Specs

• Most oven temperature: 650℉
• Induction-compatible: Sure
• Weight: 5 kilos, 7 ounces
• Dishwasher-safe: No

What we preferred: Suitable with induction and competitively priced, Made In’s chrome steel skillet has been one among our favorites for years. It has a cushty deal with and feels well-balanced when picked up. After slightly observe, your egg cookery will present you why chrome steel’s probably the most versatile supplies there’s. 

What we didn’t like: Whereas we didn’t expertise this, different evaluate websites have discovered that this pan can warp (which might make it a no-go for induction).

Key Specs

• Most oven temperature: 800℉
• Induction-compatible: Sure
• Weight: 3 kilos
• Dishwasher-safe: Sure

FAQs

Why are my eggs sticking to the pan?

This may very well be as a result of your nonstick pan is older and its coating has damaged down an excessive amount of. As soon as a nonstick pan exhibits main indicators of damage (and scratches), it’s time to switch it. Should you’re utilizing forged iron or carbon metal, it may very well be that the pan wants extra seasoning. And, lastly, in the event you’re cracking eggs into a chrome steel skillet solely to search out them mounted to the floor, you most likely did not warmth the pan up sufficient.

Is a nonstick pan finest for eggs? 

Nonstick pans will, typically, make egg cooking straightforward and stick-free. Although aware customers could go for a ceramic-coated nonstick skillet—due to the chemical substances in conventional PTFE coatings—ceramic could be extra brittle than its different counterparts, inflicting it to lose its nonstick properties quicker.

Why We’re the Specialists

• Emily Ziemski is an editor and recipe developer who has over 14 years of cooking expertise. 
• In that point, she estimates she’s cooked lots of, if not 1000’s, of eggs.
• We have extensively reviewed all types of skillets, together with nonstick, carbon metal, forged iron, and chrome steel.