The Finest Egg Pans of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

The standard egg: endlessly versatile, kinda costly proper now. The common American truly eats about 280 eggs a year. The upward pattern in consumption regardless of rising prices in all probability stems from the truth that the egg is just not solely one of the vital 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 traditional chef’s toque. Fried, baked, poached, steamed, scrambled—a little bit approach goes an extended strategy to make your excellent egg, however the appropriate instruments turn out to be useful as effectively.

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

The Winners, at a Look

Issues to Contemplate

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

The brief reply is sure. Although a nonstick pan would require lower than stainless-steel, a little bit fats helps add an additional buffer between the eggs and the pan, particularly since each objects 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 superbly fried egg.

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

Sure, however we suggest seasoning each pans effectively first. Forged iron is porous, so it is lower than ideally suited 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 cast iron skillet review, eggs may also normally persist with the pan if it isn’t seasoned effectively. Now we have a guide to seasoning here, however cooking fatty objects 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 stated for carbon steel, 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 stainless steel skillets for a motive. The place house cooks will run into bother with eggs and stainless-steel is just not heating the pan up sufficient. In case you place an egg on a chrome steel pan that’s nonetheless chilly or lukewarm, the egg will possible stick. The answer: warmth, warmth, warmth. The easiest way to find out in case your stainless pan is at a nonstick warmth degree is so as to add a couple of droplets of water. If the droplets dance and skitter throughout the pan, you’re able to go.

Which Measurement Egg Pan Ought to You Purchase?

It’s helpful to have pans in a couple 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 assume 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 recommend splurging on nonstick 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. In case you 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 suggestion and, as soon as seasoned, it’s particularly nice for fried eggs and frittatas. Carbon metal pans have smoother surfaces than forged iron, so 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 may be very light-weight and may 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 value you’ll be able to’t beat. On your ease, it comes pre-seasoned. After we examined forged iron skillets we discovered fried eggs slid proper off. This bodes effectively for its long-term skills as an egg pan: It is going to solely get extra nonstick with use. 

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

Key Specs

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

What we preferred: Appropriate with induction and competitively priced, Made In’s stainless-steel skillet has been certainly one of our favorites for years. It has a snug deal with and feels well-balanced when picked up. After a little bit observe, your egg cookery will present you why stainless-steel’s one of the vital versatile supplies there may be. 

What we didn’t like: Whereas we didn’t expertise this, different evaluation 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 could possibly 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 wear and tear (and scratches), it’s time to interchange it. In case you’re utilizing forged iron or carbon metal, it could possibly be that the pan wants extra seasoning. And, lastly, when you’re cracking eggs into a chrome steel skillet solely to seek out them fixed to the floor, you in all probability did not warmth the pan up sufficient.

Is a nonstick pan greatest 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 compounds 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 Consultants

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