Guides
What size frying pan do I need?
The short answer: if you only own one frying pan, make it 26cm. It cooks for one to three people, takes two steaks or four chicken thighs, and is light enough to toss one-handed. Add a 22cm for eggs and single portions, or a 28cm to 30cm if you regularly cook for four or more.
Measure the base, not the rim
Frying pans are sold by the diameter across the top rim, but food cooks on the flat base, which is several centimetres smaller because the sides flare outwards. That flat base is the number that tells you how much fits. A 26cm pan has roughly the cooking area of a dinner plate.
Season Tri-Ply sizes at a glance
| Pan (rim) | Flat base | Weight | Price | Fits comfortably |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22cm | 15cm | 640g | £50 | 2 eggs, 1 fish fillet, 1 chop, an omelette |
| 26cm | 18cm | 775g | £60 | 2 steaks, 4 chicken thighs, 4 eggs, a 2 to 3 person stir-fry |
| 28cm | 20cm | 890g | £65 | 2 large steaks with room, 6 chicken thighs, a family frittata |
| 30cm | 22cm | 1.19kg | £75 | 4 portions at once, 8 sausages, pasta finished in its sauce for 4 |
Choosing by household
- Cooking for one: 22cm for everyday, plus a 26cm for when friends come round.
- Two people: 26cm does almost everything. A 22cm alongside it is handy for eggs while the main pan is busy.
- Three or four: 28cm as the main pan. Two chicken breasts and vegetables fit without crowding.
- Four or more, or batch cooking: 30cm. Pair it with a smaller pan; a 30cm is too big for two eggs.
Choosing by job
Eggs and omelettes: 22cm. A two or three egg omelette needs a small base to set at the right thickness.
Searing steak: 26cm for two, 28cm for two large ribeyes. Leave 2 to 3cm between pieces. A crowded pan steams rather than browns.
Chicken thighs: 26cm holds four, 28cm six. See how to cook crispy chicken thighs in a stainless steel pan.
Pan sauces: any size, but a sauce for four reduces faster in a 28cm or 30cm. See how to make a pan sauce.
Pasta finished in the sauce, fried rice, greens: 30cm. You need room to toss.
Too big is as bad as too small
A pan that is too small crowds food: it releases water, the temperature drops and you get grey, steamed meat. A pan that is too big leaves bare metal around the food, where oil and juices overheat and burn. Choose the size that leaves a small gap around everything. Also match the pan to the ring on your hob: the flat base should roughly cover the burner or induction zone.
The Season Tri-Ply Frying Pan
The Season Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Frying Pan, £50 to £75, is stainless steel bonded around an aluminium core that runs up the sides, so heat spreads evenly to the edges and the whole base is usable. 18/10 stainless steel inside, 430 steel outside, all hobs including induction, oven safe to 240°C, dishwasher safe, 10 year warranty. If you want two, the Tri-Ply 2 Piece Frying Pan Set is £90 for a 22cm and a 28cm: the 28cm for most nights, the 22cm for eggs or a single portion. For more on how it is made, read what is tri-ply cookware? And for saucepans, which saucepans do I actually need?
Questions people ask
What is the most useful frying pan size? 26cm. It is big enough for two people and small enough for one, and fits most hob rings.
Is a 28cm frying pan too big? Not for three or four people. For one or two, it is more pan than you need day to day.
What size pan for two steaks? 26cm for two average steaks, 28cm for two large ones, so they have space to brown.
What size frying pan for eggs? 22cm for two eggs or a two to three egg omelette.
Should I buy two frying pans? If you cook most days, yes. A small and a large pan cover far more than one middle size, and you can cook eggs while the main pan is busy.
Cook like it matters.
From the cooks at Season, a London cookshop since 2005.