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Not only are they great for pan frying and sauteing, that consistent heat is ideal for deep frying doughnuts, chicken, potatoes and fish in the skillet. If you’re new to deep frying, check out our best tips for deep frying at home. Electric skillets are also perfect for all your breakfast favorites.
All-Clad Electric Nonstick Skillet, 7 quart
This luxury appliance is beautiful, holds lots of food, and cooks exceptionally evenly. It’s easy to care for both the base and the lid are dishwasher safe. Read More
- Attractive
- Excellent at simmering
- Generous capacity
- Dishwasher safe
- Lid handle gets hot
4
Presto 16-inch Electric Skillet
If you’re cooking for a crowd, this is a great choice. With its black plastic base, it won’t dress up your buffet table, but it will keep party dishes warm until guests come back for seconds. Read More
- Generous capacity
- Dishwasher safe
- Utilitarian looking
- Long preheat time
An electric skillet can be a lifesaver when company is coming and you don’t have enough room on your stovetop to cook a meal. Most are generously sized, so they’re useful for entertaining, bringing a family-sized meal straight to the table, or keeping food hot on a buffet.
An electric skillet is also a convenient way to toss a hot meal together when you don’t have access to a stove but do have an electric outlet. (Think in an RV, school, church, or community rec room.) You can think of them as a pan with a built-in heating element.
After putting popular models through a battery of cooking tests, we found that the best electric skillet is the beautiful stainless-steel Cuisinart Electric Skillet (available at Amazon for $139.95) . If you don’t want to spend much and aren’t too concerned about looks, our best value pick is the Black and Decker 12-by-15-inch (available at Amazon).
The Cuisinart Electric Skillet is our top pick thanks to its superior performance and elegant design. Best Overall Cuisinart CSK-150 Electric Skillet
- Overall dimensions: 19.25 x 13.5 x 7 inches (L x W x H)
- Cooking surface dimensions: 12 x15 inches
- Weight: 12.5 pounds
- Temperature range: Warm to 450°F
- Wattage: 1500 watts
While the Cuisinart Electric Skillet is considerably more expensive than some models on the market, it gives superior performance. And thanks to its stainless-steel finish and oval shape, its elegant enough to use as a buffet server at fancy dinner parties.
Of all the skillets we tested, it was one of only two that maintained a steady simmer, rather than a near-boil, at a medium-low heat setting.
It’s big enough to cook eight hamburgers at once without crowding—perfect for a large family. And the patties come out browned and crusty, as if they were cooked on the grill or in a cast-iron pan. On the warm setting, the Cuisinart maintained a temperature that kept chicken cacciatore hot without overcooking it.
Unlike most, this skillet is dishwasher safe. Although because it’s so large and will take up a lot of room, you may prefer to hand wash the skillet, which is fully immersible. In addition to being thorough, the manual has lots of appealing recipes. One minor quibble: The stainless-steel lid knob gets too hot to lift without a potholder.
- Attractive
- Excellent at simmering
- Generous capacity
- Dishwasher safe
- Lid handle gets hot
Not only is this electric skillet from Black and Decker great to cook family-sized meals, but its also our Best Value choice. Best Value Black & Decker 12″ by 15″ Electric Skillet
- Overall dimensions: 17 x 15.38 x 14.75 inches (L x W x H)
- Cooking surface dimensions: 12 x 15 inches
- Weight: 8.24 pounds
- Temperature range: Warm to 400°F
- Wattage: 1000 watts
The Black and Decker 12-by-15-inch Electric Skillet is a workhorse. It’s utilitarian in appearance, but it’s large enough to easily accommodate eight chicken pieces or hamburgers. It cooks evenly, so you won’t be removing burgers one at a time as they finish,, nor will you have to stir frequently for even heat distribution in a sauce. When the control is turned down to the warm setting, foods stay at serving temperatures.
The base is constructed of black plastic and the cooking vessel has a nonstick surface that’s easy to clean. Even after cooking stew for half an hour, the lid knob stayed cool enough to lift without a potholder.
- Heats evenly
- Generous capacity
- Utilitarian looking
The All-Clad Electric Nonstick Skillet is our pick for the best upgrade. Best Upgrade All-Clad Electric Nonstick Skillet, 7 quart
- Overall dimensions: 18.6 x 14.8 x 6.9 inches (L x W x H)
- Cooking surface dimensions: 14-inch diameter
- Weight: 13.2 pounds
- Temperature range: Warm to 450°F, plus sear
- Wattage: 1440 watts
If you have big bucks to spare, the All-Clad Electric Nonstick Skillet is just about the best electric skillet you can buy. It’s as beautiful as any out there, which means it will look good on your kitchen countertop or your dining room sideboard. And with its large capacity, it’s perfect for holiday meals.
Using the sear setting, we got deep browning quickly on burgers. On a lower setting, we were able to maintain chicken cacciatore at a steady simmer. We found the warm setting doesn’t keep food hot enough for serving, though, so youll have to bump the temperature up a bit if you use it on a buffet table.
The handle on the lid gets hot, so you’ll need a potholder to lift it. Even though this is a luxury appliance, it doesn’t need any extra loving care—both the base and the lid can be safely washed in the dishwasher.
- Attractive
- Excellent at simmering
- Generous capacity
- Dishwasher safe
- Lid handle gets hot
The Zojirushi Gourmet dExpert Electric Skillet performs well, particularly when cooking small servings. Best Small-Capacity Zojirushi Gourmet dExpert Electric Skillet
- Overall dimensions: 15 x 17.63 x 8.13 inches (L x W x H)
- Cooking surface dimensions: 12-inch diameter
- Weight: 14 pounds
- Temperature range: Warm to 480°F
- Wattage: 1350 watts
Unlike the other appliances we tested, the Zojirushi Gourmet d’Expert Electric Skillet EP-PBC10 is relatively small. This makes it a great choice for small families but isn’t ideal for entertaining. Depending on the size of your burgers, it can fry up four or five at once.
It’s only large enough for four to six chicken pieces, so if you like to buy a whole cut-up bird, you won’t be able to cook all the parts at once. However, the Zojirushi heats food very evenly, and with its round shape would be perfect for a frittata or crustless quiche.
This is an expensive item and, although it’s not particularly attractive, it has a high-quality feel and some unique features. The cord attaches to the base magnetically, so it’s super simple to set up the appliance for cooking. As the controls are on the front of the skillet, rather than on the cord, and each setting lights up, it’s very convenient to adjust the temperature.
On either side of the cooking pan, there’s a pouring spout, so when you lift the pan out of the base you can neatly pour off any sauce or juices. The pan can be used on the stovetop, as well as in the appliance.
- Heats evenly
- Can be used on stovetop
- Includes pouring spout
- Small capacity
The Presto 16-inch Electric Skillet is great for feeding a crowd. Best Large-Capacity Presto 16-inch Electric Skillet
- Overall dimensions: 22.5 x 13 x 9 inches (L x W x H)
- Cooking surface dimensions: 15.75 x 11.87 inches
- Weight: 8.5 pounds
- Temperature range: Warm to 400°F
- Wattage: 1500 watts
If you’re often cooking for a crowd, the Presto Electric Skillet is your best choice. You can load up this heavy cast aluminum skillet with nine burgers or a recipe for six quarts of gumbo. With its black plastic base, it won’t dress up your buffet table, but it will keep party dishes warm until guests come back for seconds.
We found that preheating took longer than on other models. Although this skillet is dishwasher safe, Presto warns that the uncoated aluminum bottom will discolor. In view of that, as well as that it will monopolize space in your dishwasher, you may prefer to wash it by hand. Thanks to its nonstick coating, it cleans up easily.
- Generous capacity
- Dishwasher safe
- Utilitarian looking
- Long preheat time
Best Electric Skillet – Top 7 Best Electric Skillets in 2023
FAQ
What is the point of an electric frypan?
What is the difference between an electric skillet and electric frying pan?
Does an electric frying pan use a lot of electricity?
Are electric skillets good for frying?
Unlike traditional stovetops, which may have hot spots and uneven heat, electric skillets consistently keep the temperature you set. Not only are they great for pan frying and sauteing, that consistent heat is ideal for deep frying doughnuts, chicken, potatoes and fish in the skillet.
Should you buy an electric skillet?
Electric skillets won’t heat up your whole kitchen on a hot day the way the oven would. By using less energy than the stovetop, an electric skillet is a cooler—and cheaper—way to cook in the summer. Ready to check out electric skillets? Here’s the one we recommend. Alexa is a writer who believes there’s always room for ice cream.
Are electric skillets better than stovetop skillets?
Electric skillets are built to heat to a set temperature, so they’re easier to monitor than stovetop skillets which may overheat or have hot spots. Deeper skillets can be used for deep frying since they hold heat consistently. Plus, they can serve as an additional cooking station if your stovetop’s burners are already in use.
Do electric skillets hold a consistent cooking temperature?
Consistent cooking temperature. P.S. Don’t forget to read up on all you need to know before buying an electric skillet, too. With a wide range of heat settings, typically 175º to at least 400º, electric skillets allow you to cook almost anything. But the best part about electric skillets is that they hold a consistent heat.