From the outside, the stainless steel frying pans above look alike, but they are constructed differently: with a thick base or layers extending into the wall. The size and the choice between single and set come into play. The advice below is from our pan expert, who has years of experience; we checked the construction and weight on the product pages. You choose between stainless steel, sheet steel, and cast iron for frying pans without a non-stick coating. Is a stainless steel frying pan a good choice for you? For those who mainly fry meat and don't want to throw away pans because they are 'worn out', yes. For a first frying pan, or if you seek convenience, a pan with a coating is the smarter start. A stainless steel frying pan is also the pan in which our pan expert prefers to cook, so he knows how much patience it requires.
Stainless steel suits you if:
you want steak with a brown crust: stainless steel gets so hot that the sugars in the meat start to caramelize.
if waiting doesn't bother you: a stainless steel pan takes longer to heat up than a coated pan. You only start when a drop of water glides over the bottom instead of evaporating.
if you take some practice into account: frying without a coating is more labor-intensive, and the first few times something may stick to the bottom.
if you don't want to buy a new pan every few years: a stainless steel pan lasts a very long time. The condition is that it doesn't fall and that you maintain it well.
For eggs, fish, and pancakes, and for those who don't identify with this list, frying pans with a ceramic non-stick coating work more pleasantly. In between are the hybrid HexaCook pans, which combine stainless steel and a ceramic layer. You fry with less effort than in bare stainless steel, although you will need to replace such a pan eventually. A coated pan now does not exclude stainless steel later.
How can you tell that there is really no coating in a stainless steel pan?
Stainless steel is the name of the metal, and a stainless steel pan can also have a non-stick coating. In our own range, this applies to the hybrid HexaCook mentioned above and to stainless steel pans with a standard non-stick coating. Also, 'triply' or '5-ply' on the label refers to layers of metal: the HexaCook is described as 'Tri-Ply Stainless Steel' and still has a ceramic layer.
Therefore, look in the title or on the product page for the words 'without non-stick coating': if they are there, you are frying on bare stainless steel. This also clears the PFAS question, as it only concerns the coating. If PFAS is your main reason and you are still unsure between ceramic and bare, then that is precisely the consideration for frying pans without PFAS. A damaged coating, which is the reason to replace a coated pan, you will not encounter with bare stainless steel.
Why does one stainless steel frying pan cost more than another?
At Beka, you can see most clearly what construction costs: the Maestro Stainless Steel has a thick base, the Maestro 5-Ply has five layers around an aluminum core. In ø 20, 24, and 28 cm, the five-layer version is always more expensive. Brand and size are the same, so that difference mainly comes from the construction.
The stainless steel frying pans in our range are constructed in one of these ways:
Where the layers extend into the wall, the wall also radiates heat. You notice this especially when fried potatoes fill the pan to the brim. For a steak or a piece of fish in the middle of the pan, a thick base also works well.
Layers extending into the wall do not have to be expensive. The three-layer Green Cooking+ from Sola is one of the most affordable stainless steel pans in every size, just like the Cicla with its thick base. How much more expensive the five-layer version is varies by size and promotion; sort the overview above by price for that.
The description on the product page usually mentions where the layers are located. The Cicla states '3-layer base', and those layers are only in the base. Only when 'wall' or 'to the edge' is mentioned in the description do you know that they extend through.
Are you buying a stainless steel frying pan individually or as a set?
If you want two or three sizes of stainless steel, then a set from the Beka Maestro Stainless Steel and the Sola Green Cooking+ is cheaper than the same pans individually. This raises the question of which size frying pan you need; we answer that on a separate page.
Choose the combination that fits your kitchen:
A stainless steel set, such as the Sola Frying Pan Set Green Cooking+ Triply Stainless Steel 3-Piece, if you fry meat and vegetables in more than one size. It includes pans of ø 20, 24, and 28 cm.
A coated pan alongside your stainless steel pan, instead of a second stainless steel pan, if you also often fry an egg or fish. The stainless steel pan then does the meat.
The Beka Frying Pan Maestro Stainless Steel with helper handle ø 32 cm, if you fry large pieces of meat or cook for a large family. It weighs about 1.9 kg, and thanks to the helper handle, you can lift it with both hands.
An individual stainless steel frying pan from this overview, if you already have stainless steel cookware but no frying pan. If you also lack the cooking pots, then one of the stainless steel cookware sets is the logical step.
Where should you pay attention to weight, handle, oven, and lid?
The product page of each pan shows these differences:
A stainless steel pan generally weighs more than an aluminum pan: the Maestro Stainless Steel ranges from 0.79 kg in ø 20 cm to 1.38 kg in ø 28 cm. The Beka Frying Pan Cicla Stainless Steel ø 24 cm weighs 0.94 kg, over 100 grams less than the Maestro Stainless Steel of the same size (1.07 kg).
A helper handle, a second handle opposite the main handle, is also on the five-layer Maestro of 24 and 28 cm, handy when the pan is full and heavy.
All stainless steel frying pans without a coating that we carry have an oven symbol, and where the product page mentions a temperature, it is approximately 200 °C, occasionally 220 °C. The Maestro Stainless Steel of 20, 24, and 28 cm does not have one; you can inquire about that temperature at our customer service.
No lid is included with any of these pans, so if you want one, you need to purchase it separately.
