Reviews of the Best Pans for Cooking Steak

Do you love steaks? I love steaks – and by love, I mean I love cooking them too. And being someone who knows a lot about pans, I always keep thinking about the biggest pan debate ever. What are the best pans for cooking steak? Yes, I mean, cast iron pans vs stainless steel pans vs carbon steel pans. And this is all what this review is all about. This listicle contains reviews of 5 top pans for cooking steak – settling not only which pan is the best, but also reviewing winners of best stainless steel, cast iron and carbon steel pan categories. Here you go.

Quick Picks: Pans for Steak

Here are the best pans for cooking steak in all 3 categories: cast iron pans, stainless steel pans and carbon steel pans.

Best Cast Iron Pan

Cuisinel Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pan There is a reason why I picked this pan as the category winner among all other cast iron pans. It got an Amazon’s Choice tag because of its high quality and good reviews, and a 4.5/5-star rating. It is pre-seasoned for protection from rust and other such elements. It is big enough for steak.

Best Stainless-Steel Pan

All-Clad 8701005167 This is the best steak frying pan in stainless-steel category. This one has also got an Amazon’s Choice tag and a 4.5/5-star rating. Not only this is an adequately big pan, but this one comes with a lid too.

Best Carbon Steel Pan

De Buyer Mineral B Last, but not the least, here comes our carbon steel pan category winner. This one has also got an Amazon’s Choice tag for its amazing quality and reviews. Overall rating of this pan is so far 4.4/5-star.

Top 5 Best Pans to Cook Steak

Are you eager to read the reviews of our 3 category winners + 2 more steak pans that we have picked from Amazon? With no further ado, here is the review.

1. Cuisinel Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Pan review

This is our best cast iron steak pan. This is a 12” pan, with a reasonable price and amazing heat distribution. Season it with pork lard or anything and you’d see that you’d have a restaurant quality steak at home – thanks to evenly distributed heat.

Features:

• 12-Inch Pan – So, this is a 12-inch steak/frying pan. I know that there are pans bigger than this one, but you have to notice two things. First of all, for any/all sorts of meat, including a big, entire chicken can be roasted in it. Secondly, all other pans in this list are either 12-inch or smaller than that.
• Precision Heat Distribution – So, what is precision heat distribution? As I’ve explained it earlier. It is because of precision heat distribution that not only you end up frying steak earlier when compared with other pans, but all sides of the steak receive equal amount of heat and cooking.
• High-Quality Cast Iron Material – This steak pan is made of high-quality cast iron material. There are many reasons why people pick cast iron pans. These pans are non-stick, they are chemical-free, they have a long lifespan due to their unique treatment, they can be used on stove as well as in oven, they are affordable and super easy/economical to clean.
• Hot Handle Holder – There is a soft rubber handle holder that you get with the pan. This holder makes it super easy to hold the pan when handle is too hot.
• High Heat Resistance – The holder of this pan is highly heat resistant. Although it will eventually get hot and this is why they send the rubber grip with it, but it does not get as hot as the pan itself.
• Cooking Versatility – This pan is ready for oven as well as the stove, but this is not all to its versatility. It can be used in so many different things like frying, baking, grilling, braising, broiling and sautéing meats etc.
• Pre-Seasoned for Longevity – This cast iron pan is made with pre-seasoned cast iron due to which this pan can be easily maintained for years and it stays protected from rust. It would remain non-stick for many years to come and its long-term reliability plus its affordable price make it a winner.
• Easy Cleaning – Although, they have clearly mentioned this on the listing that this pan is not made to be cleaned in dishwasher, cleaning this pan is still super easy. You cannot use soap or liquid soap. Just clean it with warm water and non-abrasive brush. Rinse and dry the moisture completely to avoid rust, apply natural oil to surface – make it a thin and even layer, and you’re done.

2. All-Clad 8701005167 – best Stainless Steel Cookware review

This pan is our winner in the stainless-steel pans’ category. Not only this is one shiny, smooth and really high-quality stainless-steel pan, but it comes with a lid too. One of the obvious downsides that I can notice is that it is a 10-inch pan, and I think a steak pan should be at least 12-inch.

Features:

• High-Quality Stainless-Steel Skillet – So, this is the best stainless-steel skillet that we could find on Amazon. It is polished, it is shiny, it is sturdy and it can withstand a very high temperature.
• Versatile Cooking – Just like the best cast iron pan that I’ve already reviewed above, this one is also awesome because of its diverse application. From flipping to turning, and from broiling to browning to searing to frying, you can do a lot with this frying pan. It can easily accommodate 2 – 3 chicken breasts at a time.
• Low and Sloped Sides for Easy Flipping – The walls of this steak frying pan are strategically designed to be low and sloped. This makes it super easy for the user of this pan to manipulate the meat or any food item in the pan. They can easily turn, roll or flip the food.
• Comes with a Stainless-Steel Lid – A wonderful addition to your purchase is the stainless-steel lid that is made of the same high-quality stainless-steel that the pan is made with. I do not need to tell you what the lid is for, that you know very well, what you need to know is how that it fits hermetically on the pan.
• Durable and Reliable – Stainless-steel pans come with many different benefits. For example, they are known for being highly durable and reliable. The multi-ply construction of this pan makes it great at heat absorption. Other benefits include this being easy to clean (dishwasher-friendly), it is low maintenance, it is not food-reactive, it has a refined and polished profile and it is reasonably priced.
• Stainless Steel Heat Resistant Handle – The stainless-steel handle of this pan does not come with a rubber handle, but this is a heat resistant handle that can sustain heat for a long time.
• Dishwasher-Safe – The biggest benefit of a stainless-steel pan is that unlike the non-stick pans, this type of pans can be washed and maintained the way you like. For example, you can apply soap (including liquid soap) to the pan and you can definitely clean it in a dishwasher.
• 3-Ply Bonded Construction – What makes this pan better than its contenders, is its 3-ply bonded construction. What is 3-ply bonded construction? And why is it important? Here is the answer. So, 3-ply bonded construction simply means that 3 layers of the material (in this case stainless-steel) are bonded together. Due to this thick construction, your pan becomes immune to rust and other problems caused after a few years of using a pan. More importantly, you enjoy equal amount of heat on all sides of the surface which leads to perfect cooking.
• Stick-Resistant Polished Surface – Although this is not a non-stick pan, its highly polished and attractive surface is stick-resistant and you would notice that eggs and other items will not easily stick to the surface

3. De Buyer Mineral B – Round Carbon Steel Fry Pan 12.5-Inch review

This our winner in the carbon steel fry pan category. It can be easily seasoned with natural oils and with proper seasoning, you can enjoy your life’s best steak cooking experience. As a matter of fact, carbon steel pan is a step up for many from stainless-steel and cast-iron pans.

Features:

• 100% Natural and Non-Chemical Pan – So, this is a made with 100% natural materials and 99% of iron is pure. Since they did not use any chemicals, the pan is 100% safe to cook anything and anything cooked in it will not have any chemical residue.
• 5” Pan – Thanks to the manufacturers, this pan is half an inch bigger than our cast-iron pan. A 12.5” pan is actually considered bigger than big or average pans. Such a pan can contain bigger quantity of food and definitely save time.
• Comes with Supporting Handle – So, there is not just on big handle that you get with this pan, you also get a supporting handle. The supporting handle on the opposite side of the pan helps the cook with manipulating and moving the pan they want while cooking and especially serving the steak to the guests/customers at the restaurant.
• Hand Riveted – The handle of the pan is hand riveted. The rivets that keep the handle intact, are made of the same high-quality material that the pan is made of. There is no doubt that these rivets will remain intact and will not get loosen after many years of use.
• 3mm Thick – The pan is 2.5mm to 3mm thick. As you must have understood by this time, the thickness of the pan plays a major role in how it tolerates high level of temperature and it remains durable for many years to come.
• Ergonomic and Curved Handle – The main handle is an ergonomic handle with curve that allows the chef to easily control the pan without having to put strain on their wrist.
• Low & Sloped Sides – Just like the stainless-steel pan that I’ve reviewed above, this one also has low and sloped sides. You can deep fry things in it and the sloped sides make it easy to roll, flip or turn the food inside the pan.
• Versatile Cooking Experience – It offers a versatile cooking experience; the pan can be used for a wide range of cooking styles that have been mentioned before.

4. T-Fal E83407 – Best non stick cast iron skillet review

Yet another cast iron, nonstick and pre-seasoned pan. This one also has dual handles, pouring spouts, and deep walls for all types of meat. This is a 12” pan and not a small one like the All-Clad one that you’ve just read a review of. Features:

• 12” Pan – So, this is a 12” pan and in case you’re an experienced cook with experience of cooking steak, you must be aware of the fact that 12” is considered the minimum ideal size for a steak pan. If your pan is bigger than this, it is perfectly fine, but it should not be smaller than this.
• Pre-Seasoned Pan – This type of pans come pre-seasoned. What does this mean? It means that you would need little to no seasoning, if you need it at all. In case of stainless-steel ones, you have to season them to keep the food from sticking.
• 2 Pouring Spouts – Since a steak is not the only thing that you’d like to cook in this pan and since a steak also has sauces and whatnot that needs to be drained, 2 spouts on opposite sides of this pan will help with that.
• Two Handles – Just like the previously reviewed pan, this one also has two handles. One of them is a long handle that usually comes with frying pans, and the other one is to hold and control the pan while cooking or serving the food.
• Versatile Cooking – Just like all other pans on this list, this one is also a pan for versatile cooking. You can do a lot more than cooking steaks; you can use it for browning, searing, broiling and a lot of other cooking-related stuff.
• Extra Long Heat-Resistant Handle – The handle of this pan is an extra-long handle. Not only its ergonomic design makes it super easy and comfortable to hold. Also, the handle is heat-resistant.
• Deep and Sloped Sides – The pan has deep and sloped sides that not only allow for deep frying, but due to sloped sides you can easily flip or turn the food in the pan.
• Even and Consistent Heat – Due to the construction of this pan and the material used in making it, not only you use it for many years, but you enjoy an even and consistent amount of heat that keeps your food from being over or undercooked.
• Chemicals Free – This pan is made with 100% pure cast iron and no chemicals are used in making these pans. This is the reason why it is PFOA and cadmium free.

5. De Buyer Mineral B – 14.2 inch Carbon Steel Fry Pan Review

This is our last pan in this list and this one is also made by De Buyer. This is a carbon steel pan with two handles and massive 14” size. It is perfectly fit for those who want such pans to fry thighs or big pork ribs – and definitely for those who intend to use in their restaurant.

Features:

• Natural and Pure Iron – This is a pan made of 99% pure iron and made of 100% natural materials. Nothing hazardous to your health was included in making of this product.
• Two Handles – This one also has two handles – one long handle to control and hold it and the other one to help with better control and serving.
• Non-Stick After Seasoning – This is not a pre-seasoned product, but it takes very little seasoning to become a non-stick pan for a temporary period (say cooking your steak).
• Hand Riveted – The rivets on this thing are hand-riveted. Not only they’re manually riveted and monitored for longevity, but they are made with the same material pan is made of. They are made to last way longer than common rivets.
• Chemicals Free – Since this product is 100% chemicals free, PFOA free and PTFE free, you can use it at your home or restaurant without any fear.