A skillet is a pan with a flat base, sloped or slanted sides, and a handle. Chefs often use skillets—which are often deeper than other pans—for stir-frying or fast-cooking foods that need to constantly move around the cooking surface to meld. A skillet is similar to a sauté pan in depth, but the latter will generally have a wider surface area and straight sides, best for cooking soups, stews, and curries. 

Often, the best skillets are cast iron, which retains heat and helps build a flavorful crust on proteins and other foods. [Cast-iron skillets](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-proper-care-and-seasoning-tips) take a while to heat up, but once they get hot, they retain heat, making them an option for searing a steak. (Their high, sloped sides are also ideal for shallow-frying over high heat.) Most skillets will also come with a lid, which makes them useful for [braising](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-braising-how-to-braise-meats-and-vegetables), a combination-cooking method that starts with pan-searing followed by slow-cooking in a liquid until the ingredients become tender. 

Other types of skillets include non-stick skillets and stainless-steel skillets. 
A pan is a container made of metal with a long handle used to cook food. Pans have a range of uses and are available in many different materials, with frying, non-stick, and cast-iron among the most popular options. A frying pan has a flat bottom, wide base, and rounded, flared sides and is often shallower and thinner than other cookware, helping to heat food faster for frying. 

A cast-iron pan is iron and alloyed with a small amount of carbon to harden the material. Cast-iron pans can hold a lot of heat for a long amount of time, making them ideal for superhot applications, such as searing a steak. 

A non-stick pan contains a non-stick chemical coating that prevents food from sticking to the bottom of the pan during the cooking process. Non-stick pans are affordable, easy to clean, and useful for sautéing particularly delicate food, like fish or omelets. 

Other <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/cookware-guide-types-of-pans-and-how-to-use-them' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/cookware-guide-types-of-pans-and-how-to-use-them","linkCopy":"types of pans","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>types of pans</a> include a carbon steel pan, a grill pan, and a saucepan.
A skillet and a frying pan are two similar cooking vessels with a few distinguishing features. While chefs can use both pans for cooking food over high temperatures for frying or sautéing foods, a skillet has a deeper and larger surface than a standard frying pan.

Due to this depth, a skillet may be a better option for sautéing and stir-frying certain foods, while a frying pan is ideal for deep-frying foods in oil or cooking at high temperatures thanks to its thin, shallow base that the heat can easily penetrate.

A skillet is slightly more versatile than a frying pan since it is generally deeper with a larger cooking surface. While a professional chef might have each piece of cookware on hand for specific types of quick-cooking, a home chef can use these tools interchangeably to achieve similar results. 
Become a better chef with the [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com). Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Gordon Ramsay, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Dominique Ansel, Yotam Ottolenghi, Alice Waters, and more.
A skillet and a pan are two similar types of kitchen utensils with slightly different characteristics. Learn the differences between a skillet and a pan.

A skillet and a pan are two similar types of kitchen utensils with slightly different characteristics. Learn the differences between a skillet and a pan. 

Skillet vs. Pan: Differences Between the Types of Cookware

A skillet is a pan with a flat base, sloped or slanted sides, and a handle. Chefs often use skillets—which are often deeper than other pans—for stir-frying or fast-cooking foods that need to constantly move around the cooking surface to meld. A skillet is similar to a sauté pan in depth, but the latter will generally have a wider surface area and straight sides, best for cooking soups, stews, and curries. Often, the best skillets are cast iron, which retains heat and helps build a flavorful crust on proteins and other foods. <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-proper-care-and-seasoning-tips' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-proper-care-and-seasoning-tips","linkCopy":"Cast-iron skillets","category":null}'>Cast-iron skillets</a> take a while to heat up, but once they get hot, they retain heat, making them an option for searing a steak. (Their high, sloped sides are also ideal for shallow-frying over high heat.) Most skillets will also come with a lid, which makes them useful for <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-braising-how-to-braise-meats-and-vegetables' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-braising-how-to-braise-meats-and-vegetables","linkCopy":"braising","category":null}'>braising</a>, a combination-cooking method that starts with pan-searing followed by slow-cooking in a liquid until the ingredients become tender. Other types of skillets include non-stick skillets and stainless-steel skillets.

What Is a Skillet?

A pan is a container made of metal with a long handle used to cook food. Pans have a range of uses and are available in many different materials, with frying, non-stick, and cast-iron among the most popular options. A frying pan has a flat bottom, wide base, and rounded, flared sides and is often shallower and thinner than other cookware, helping to heat food faster for frying. A cast-iron pan is iron and alloyed with a small amount of carbon to harden the material. Cast-iron pans can hold a lot of heat for a long amount of time, making them ideal for superhot applications, such as searing a steak. A non-stick pan contains a non-stick chemical coating that prevents food from sticking to the bottom of the pan during the cooking process. Non-stick pans are affordable, easy to clean, and useful for sautéing particularly delicate food, like fish or omelets. Other <a href='https://masterclass.com/articles/cookware-guide-types-of-pans-and-how-to-use-them' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://masterclass.com/articles/cookware-guide-types-of-pans-and-how-to-use-them","linkCopy":"types of pans","category":"automated-link"}' automatic='true'>types of pans</a> include a carbon steel pan, a grill pan, and a saucepan.

What Is a Pan?

A skillet and a frying pan are two similar cooking vessels with a few distinguishing features. While chefs can use both pans for cooking food over high temperatures for frying or sautéing foods, a skillet has a deeper and larger surface than a standard frying pan.Due to this depth, a skillet may be a better option for sautéing and stir-frying certain foods, while a frying pan is ideal for deep-frying foods in oil or cooking at high temperatures thanks to its thin, shallow base that the heat can easily penetrate.A skillet is slightly more versatile than a frying pan since it is generally deeper with a larger cooking surface. While a professional chef might have each piece of cookware on hand for specific types of quick-cooking, a home chef can use these tools interchangeably to achieve similar results.

Skillet vs. Pan: What Are the Differences?

Become a better chef with the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a>. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Gordon Ramsay, Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Dominique Ansel, Yotam Ottolenghi, Alice Waters, and more.

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A skillet and a pan are two similar types of kitchen utensils with slightly different characteristics. Learn the differences between a skillet and a pan.

A skillet and a pan are two similar types of kitchen utensils with slightly different characteristics. Learn the differences between a skillet and a pan. 
