In Search Perfect Skillet

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Feel is an important consideration, too. With the exception of cast iron pans, you shouldn't have to pump iron to fry an egg. A skillet should be a comfortable weight, but keep in mind that quality skillets are heavier than bargain-basement pans. But don't confuse "heavy weight" with "heavy gauge." "Gauge" is a measurement of the thickness of the metal used in the cookware's construction, not its weight.

Skillet handles will vary in feel, too, so test them out to find which suits you best. Metal handles probably won't feel quite as nice as wooden ones, but they will last forever. For safety's sake, handles should have a "stay cool" quality and be riveted through the pan rather than screwed in place.

Options such as oven-safe or broiler-safe may be important to you, too. The skillets listed here are oven-safe up to a certain temperature, but all are not broiler-safe. If you love to brown your culinary creations under the broiler, you'll want a broiler-safe skillet.

If you have an electric range, especially a smooth top, you'll need a skillet that is ruler-flat on the bottom to ensure uniform cooking. And, if you're buying an omelet or fry pan, you also may want to find out whether a lid can be purchased separately, even though most of the time you won't need it.

LET'S TALK METALS

Priced at about $40, Calphalon's Kitchen
Essentials skillet, above, was the least expensive
of the finalists. All-Clad, the author's favorite (see
Page 98), was the most expensive at about $150.

Most top-quality skillets today are made of aluminum, anodized aluminum, stainless steel or, sometimes, copper, or a combination of these. The material, and how the pan is made, contribute to how well it conducts heat when you're cooking with it.

Anodized Aluminum. Anodizing is an electrochemical process that makes aluminum nonporous, nonreactive and 30 percent harder than stainless steel or cast iron. The best heat conductors are aluminum and copper, so the anodized pans have the same superior heat conductivity as regular aluminum, but they do not react with acid foods such as tomato sauce like an ordinary aluminum pan will. Calphalon was the first company to manufacture cookware with hard-anodized aluminum; such a pan has a darkgray, matte finish. It is durable, but its exterior can scratch and its cooking surface can discolor because of high temperatures and baked-on food. Over time, these pans can begin to look very dull; Calphalon advises using Comet brand cleanser and a Scotch-brite scouring pad to clean its hardanodized pans.

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THE DUTCH OVEN COOKBOOK'

Sharon Kramis and Julie Hearne

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