Afrying pan, also calledfrypan orskillet, is a flat-bottomedcookware used forfrying,searing andbrowning foods. It typically ranges from 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a longhandle and nolid. Larger pans may have a small loop handle on the opposite side to the main handle. A pan of similar dimensions, but with less flared, more vertical sides and often with a lid, is called asauté pan. While asauté pan can be used as a frying pan, it is designed for lower-heat cooking.
Copper frying pan dated end 5th to early 4th century BC,Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. The handle is ornamented with floral engravings and ends in the shape of a goose head.
Copper frying pans were used in ancientMesopotamia.[1] Frying pans were also known inancient Greece, where they were calledtágēnon (Ancient Greek:τάγηνον) and teganon (τήγανον)[2][3] andRome, where they were calledpatella orsartago. The wordpan derives from theOld Englishpanna.[4] Before the introduction of thekitchen stove in the mid-19th century, a commonly used cast-iron cooking pan called a 'spider' had a handle and three legs used to stand up in the coals and ashes of the fire. Cooking pots and pans with legless, flat bottoms were designed when cooking stoves became popular; this period of the late 19th century saw the introduction of the flat cast-iron skillet.[5][6]
A versatile pan that combines the benefits of both the sauté pan and the frying pan has higher, sloping sides, often slightly curved. This pan is called asauteuse (literally: a sauté pan in the female gender), anevasée (denoting a pan with sloping sides), or afait-tout (literally "does everything").[7][8]
Traditionally, frying pans were made fromcast iron,carbon steel orcopper lined with tin, for their different qualities and properties. Copper pans are highly thermally conductive, making them useful for evenly sautéing.[10] However, they are also highly reactive with most foods, so today, many of copper pans sold have a tin lining which can be replaced when it wears out.[11][12] Cast iron pans are used because although they do not conduct heat very evenly, they retain it quite well, making them useful for searing meats and vegetables.[13][14] Carbon steel cookware is used, as over time it can develop a highly nonstick patina ofpolymerized oil called "seasoning," useful for cooking protein that is prone to stick, such as fish and eggs.[15][16] While all of these materials are still commonly used in professional kitchens, many modern materials have supplanted them in the consumer market. Nowadays, most frying pans are created from metals such asaluminium orstainless steel.[17] The materials and construction method used in modern frying pans vary greatly, and some typical materials include:
A coating is sometimes applied to the surface of the pan to make itnon-stick. Frying pans made from bare cast iron or carbon steel can also gain non-stick properties throughseasoning and use.
A process for bondingTeflon to chemically roughened aluminium was patented in France by Marc Gregoire in 1954. In 1956 he formed a company to marketnon-stick cookware under the "Tefal" brand name.[18] The durability of the early coatings was initially poor, but improvements in manufacturing have made these products a kitchen standard. The surface is not as tough as metal and the use of metal utensils (e.g.spatulas) can permanently mar the coating and degrade its non-stick property.[19][20]
For some cooking preparations a non-stick frying pan is inappropriate, especially fordeglazing, where the residue of browning is to be incorporated in a later step such as a pan sauce. Since little to no residue can stick to the surface, the sauce will fail for lack of its primary flavouring agent.[21][22][23]
An electric frying pan or electric skillet incorporates an electricheating element into the frying pan itself and so can function independently off of acooking stove. Accordingly, it has heat-insulated legs for standing on a countertop. (The legs usually attach to handles.) Electric frying pans are common in shapes that are unusual for 'unpowered' frying pans, notably square and rectangular. Most are designed with straighter sides than their stovetop cousins and include a lid. In this way they are a cross between a frying pan and a sauté pan.[24]
A modern electric skillet has an additional advantage over the stovetop version: heat regulation. The detachable power cord incorporates a thermostatic control for maintaining the desired temperature.[25]
With the perfection of the thermostatic control, the electric skillet became a popular kitchen appliance. In 1953, Sunbeam introduced the Automatic Frypan with built-in temperature controls, which helped the device gain widespread popularity.[26] Although it largely has been supplanted by themicrowave oven, it is still in use in many kitchens.[27]
Diamond frying pans are produced by bondingdiamond particles to a metal base, typicallycarbon steel, throughvacuum-brazing under controlled conditions to preventoxidation and create a durable, scratch-resistant cooking surface. Diamond's highthermal conductivity (900–2320 W/m·K) may offer rapid and even heat distribution, making them useful for high-temperature cooking methods like searing and stir-frying. Additionally, diamond surfaces are usuallyhydrophobic, lending themnon-stick qualities;[28] some manufacturers enhance these withsilicone resin fillers for better food release.[29] Marketed as aPFAS-free alternative to traditional non-stick coatings, their long-term durability remains to fully be established due to their relatively recent introduction to the market.
^Kaibara, Yu, Kenta Sugata, Minoru Tachiki, Hitoshi Umezawa, and Hiroshi Kawarada. "Control wettability of the hydrogen-terminated diamond surface and the oxidized diamond surface using an atomic force microscope." Diamond and Related Materials 12.3-7 (2003): 560–564.