If you’ve been looking for a stainless steel electric skillet you might have been hard-pressed to find one. The modern movement in cookware, including electric skillets, seems to be to make everything with a nonstick coating.
Sure, it might make flipping your food easier, but if you’re trying to avoid nonstick coatings, like Teflon, for whatever reason, it’s not that easy to find some pieces of kitchen equipment without it these days.
But, yes, you can still buy stainless steel electric skillets! There’s just not a wide variety to choose from. Here I’m going to show you the best stainless steel electric skillets available to buy, and I’ll even tell you which one I think is the best.
What Makes A Good Electric Skillet?
Firstly, what makes a good electric skillet? We’ve already decided we want a stainless steel electric skillet (which is going to narrow down our options significantly), but what else should you look for when choosing an electric skillet?
Size
In the kitchen, size does matter! Are you cooking for a large family? Or just for one or two people? You’ll want to choose an electric skillet that will suit your catering needs.
Temperature
If you plan to use your electric skillet for deep frying at all, you’ll want to make sure the temperature range goes up to at least 450℉ or 230℃. You’ll also probably want to look for a fairly deep skillet too if you’re planning on deep frying in it.
Unfortunately, when sorting through all of the skillets reviewed here, a lot didn’t mention their temperature range and, if they did, the highest temperature I could find was a maximum temperature of 425℉ – maybe that would be high enough to try deep-frying? I’m not sure.
Handles
Heat resistant handles are a great idea to prevent nasty burns on your hands.
Glass Lid
A glass lid is not essential but it does help to see what’s cooking and allows you to monitor your food without constantly taking the lid off. On the flip side, it could be argued that a stainless steel lid might hold the heat in better so might be more efficient for cooking.
Price
The price of these kitchen appliances vary greatly, so you need to decide whether you think it’s a worthy investment that you’ll use frequently or whether you perhaps shouldn’t invest too much money in it as you probably won’t use it very often at all. There’s no right or wrong here – it’s up to you and your needs and budget.
So, What Are The Best Stainless Steel Electric Skillets To Choose From?
Here’s a quick comparison table to help you decide, scroll down further for a review of each skillet.
Reviews Of Stainless Steel Electric Skillets
Also available in a 12” skillet, this round stainless steel electric skillet by Cucina Pro is made from 18/10 stainless steel (find out more about types of stainless steel here) and comes with a tempered glass lid.
The 16” is easily large enough to cook for a family of 4, with some reviewers stating they easily cater for up to 6 people with this skillet.
The CucinaPro Electric Skillet has securely attached riveted handles that make it very safe to use as they won’t get wobbly, however, watch out, they don’t look to be heat resistant so you’ll need to wear oven mitts if you’re trying to move the skillet while it’s hot.
The dimensions of the product are listed as being 7 inches deep, but that measurement is regarding the outside dimensions. It is 7″ from the bottom of the feet to the top of the handle on the lid. The inside depth of the skillet is about 2.5″ to 3” deep.
Reviewers comment that the appliance is heavy (as in heavy-duty) and well made, although some have reported potential problems with it catching on fire – never leave any kitchen appliance unattended!
This innovative electric skillet from Precise Heat uses a unique oil core liquid sandwiched and sealed between layers of heavy-duty stainless steel. Apparently, this unique design means you can enjoy waterless and greaseless cooking!
With a 3.5qt capacity, this T304 Stainless Steel Oil Core Skillet has a durable mirror finish and measures 12 ¼ “ exterior diameter and 11” interior diameter.
This 3 ply skillet also features a low-dome cover and handles and knobs that stay cool to the touch, making it easy to cook and maneuver.
According to the reviewers, “waterless” cooking does take some getting used to but it is well worth the effort in learning and experimenting as apparently, everything cooked this way tastes much better than all other food!
Keep in mind that the cookbook that comes with the appliance does not explain this cooking method well so reviewers suggest you also invest in some waterless cooking recipe books or just do some googling and watch a bit of YouTube.
The appliance itself impresses most people who use it with plenty stating that it is well worth the money, food doesn’t stick and it’s easy to clean.
As I love to learn new ways to cook – this would be the stainless steel electric skillet I would buy if I was in the market for one.
Similar to the Precise Heat Oil Core Skillet above, this electric skillet from Hammer Stahl features silicone oil sealed between two layers of multi-clad stainless steel.
It is said that this type of construction aids in providing superior, even heating while also eliminating hot spots. It is energy efficient and will keep food hot even after unplugging the appliance.
The electronic control allows you to select cooking temperatures from simmer to 425℉.
Unfortunately, there was not a lot of feedback on offer about this particular electric skillet so, while on paper it looks very good, I’d be inclined to probably choose one of the other skillets suggested here, at least until there are some more reviews from real people to get a feel of the quality of this product.
Especially as, at the time of writing, this electric skillet was the most expensive one we found, I’d suggest choosing the Precise Heat one (above) if you’re looking for an Oil-Core Skillet, or one of the other options here if you’re not interested in oil core.
We just wanted to show you this one as another possibility as stainless steel electric skillets are hard to find and might not always be in stock when you are shopping.
There’s plenty of space to cook on this large rectangular electric skillet from Precise Heat. The interior cooking area measures 16” x 11” x 2 1/4” so you’ll easily be able to cook enough food to feed even large families.
This model also features non-slip feet and has insulated handles so they should stay cool to the touch and make cooking easier and less hazardous!
One thing to note with this model though – while it says it is stainless steel and the pictures on the amazon listing show it to be fully stainless steel, some reviewers report it having a nonstick coating on the inside.
This is likely to mean one of two things – either Amazon has sent them the wrong item, or there is what people in the business call a “hijacker” on the Amazon listing for this product. When a product is “hijacked” on Amazon it means that a different manufacturer or seller has decided to sell their own version of the product on that product listing.
This is allowed on Amazon – multiple sellers are allowed, and encouraged, to sell the same product on the one listing as Amazon doesn’t want to have 100’s of different listings for the same product. The problem lies where these unscrupulous “hijackers” list a product that is similar, but not the same, as the product listed.
Unless it is a “Precise Heat 16” Stainless Steel Skillet” it should not be sold on this listing. The good news for customers is that Amazon welcomes your feedback and will happily accept returns.
So if you decide that this is the electric stainless steel skillet for you, purchase it and, if it turns up with a non stick coating inside, return it to amazon for a full refund and tell them why – the more people let them know that something is wrong with a listing the more likely they are to do something about it.
This round electric skillet by Aroma Housewares is great value for money. At the time of writing it was the least expensive stainless steel electric skillet, we could find that would be worth buying.
It has a glass lid so you can keep an eye on your cooking and measures 11. 8” wide by 2” deep. This skillet is constructed from 18/10 stainless steel (find out what that means here) and features an impact bonded base for even heating and superior results.
The easy-to-use temperature controls allow for a large range of flexible heating, ranging from 225 °F up to 425 °F.
And reviewers (on the whole) are very happy with this electric skillet! Many were pleased to find a stainless steel electric skillet without non-stick coating at such an affordable price and most were very happy with its performance and easy washability.
If you don’t think you’d use your electric skillet much, you want one for your RV or, you’re on a tight budget, this is the one you should probably choose.
Choosing which stainless steel electric skillet is right for you is up to you and your circumstances. How many people are you cooking for? What shape would you prefer? Is a glass lid important to you so you can see the food while it’s cooking? Would you prefer heat resistant handles? Or are you happy to use oven mitts when cooking?
And lastly, how much can you afford to spend on a stainless steel electric skillet? If your budget is tight, I’d probably lean towards either the Aroma Housewares or the Cucina Pro.
If you’ve got a bit more to spend, my suggestion would be to master the art of waterless cooking with the Precise Heat Oil Core Skillet.
A handy addition to any kitchen, whichever stainless steel electric skillet/frying pan you choose to buy, I hope you get many enjoyable meals out of it for years to come!
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