

Just like common people, do you also think that skillet and frying pan are the same? Or simply couldn’t decide which one is the best suitable for you? Or unable to find out the real meaning of these two most commonly used cookware items?
Both these important cookware essentials are often mistaken for each other whereas they differ in shape & usage just as their names.
But don’t worry you’re at the right place to know all you need to know about skillet and frying pan.
Skillet vs. Frying Pan: Where’s The Confusion
Skillet and Frying pan are one of the most commonly & frequently used cookware in any kitchen and are often confused for being the same. But when it comes to cooking experts or professional chefs, they find them a lot more different not only in terms of their shape but also in terms of their utilisation like frying pans are better at searing small pieces of the food items.
Crux Highlighting Between The Differences Skillets vs. Frying Pans
The following point will give you a brief understanding of the difference between the two most common kitchenware items.
Skillet
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Often build of cast iron
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No non- stick coating
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Often oven secured
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Less prone to heat
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Deeper and thicker
Frying Pan
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Often have a non-stick coating
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No much oven safe
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More prone to heat
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Superficial and thinner
So let’s start understanding them in the greater depths:-
Skillet:
A skillet is often made up of cast iron. The skillet manufacturers use more or less traditional subject matter like stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum or sometimes even copper is also used.
As this subject matters heat quite well, they also heat up your food evenly as they have a non-stick coating. This further prevents your skillet from breaking down. The skillets are 100% oven safe.
The quantity of skillets is often wonderful. They are not at all shallow and are thicker.
Another plus point of the using the skillet is that they are away cheaper than the frying pan.
The major drawback of the skillet is that they sometimes get too hot that they sometimes can harm the chef as the subject matter is quite a good conductor of heat and electricity. As the material used for making them is casting iron, they are a bit more weighted than frying pans.
This characteristic of skillet makes them not a bit suitable for regular cooking which is usually done at homes. They are also more open to the rust if proper care isn’t taken.
Uses Of Skillets:
- Perfect for stir-fries
The skills have the excellent ability to hold the heat and give you the perfect crunchy taste.
- Good for roasting
Roasting in the skillet gives you beautiful golden brown color. As the skillet has direct contact with the heat this result in perfect golden brown roasting of the eatable.
Frying Pan:
Frying pans are the most common kitchenware items which we are using from decades ago. Although a lot of variation has come gradually over the period in their style and type still they are most common to find in every kitchen. They have been the best friends of the kitchen from past many years.
Frying pans are often made up from high-quality aluminium or stainless steel which makes them naturally scratch-free. Like skillets, they won’t break down. And cooking can be done without harming the utensil’s surface.
Frying pans are not so pocket-friendly but have many other plus points which make them a great purchase to buy.
They help in cooking the food very fast. As they are not denser and thicker like a skillet, if compared they are better at heating up.
Uses Of The Frying Pans:
- Perfect for cooking soft foods:
The flavour of the food is perfectly secured as they offer fast cooking and fast heating up. Also, they are the most common household kitchenware.
- Healthy cooking:
As they do have a non-stick coating, they use less amount of cooking oil. Hence, providing you with a better and healthier quality of the meal.
- Searing food items:
As the surface area of the frying pan is more, they are better at searing the food.
While working with frying pans some of the important points should be always be kept in mind are as follows:
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The food in the frying pan requires your full and undivided attention. You can’t leave the food on the stove and work. It requires persistent attention and focus.
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Overcooking of the food can ruin your meal is one of the important points to be kept in mind while working with the frying pans. As they have no non-stick coating, the food can be spoiled by being attached to the cooking surface.
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Frying pan requires cooking at high flames which automatically increases the chances of food being spoiled.
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High heat cooking may lead to food being burnt. So while making a meal in a frying plan keeps a check on the flame.
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Unlike skillet, the heating is not even in the frying pan. This may sometimes lead to degrading the level of cooking. As the food is not properly cooked from all the sides or the heat doesn’t cover all its edges properly.
Conclusion:
Well, both the skillet and the frying pan have their pros and cons. Both are essential cookware items. Although it is a tough choice to make, for which one to go but both of them depends on what kind of meal you are preparing.
But if you are having a real passion for cooking, then both of them will hence your kitchenware cupboard. Hope now you had a real understanding of the two most common and important cookware. So next time, like other people don’t swap these two terms and happy cooking!