What Is a Cooking Skillet? | Uses, Materials & Key Differences

Whether you call it a skillet or a frying pan, this kitchen workhorse shows up for everything from scrambled eggs to seared steak. The sloping sides are the giveaway — they flare outward rather than going straight up, which makes tossing ingredients easier without a spatula. Skillets typically run 8 to 12 inches across and sit about 1.5 to 2.5 inches deep. Most are sold without lids, though some modern versions include one.

What Sets a Skillet Apart From a Sauté Pan?

The side angle is the main difference. A skillet’s curved, flared sides let you flip food by flicking your wrist — great for pancakes, stir-fry, or hash. Straight-sided sauté pans keep sauces from spilling when you stir, making them the better pick for braised dishes or anything saucy. Skillets also tend to be shallower, so they expose more surface area for browning.

The Four Main Skillet Materials

Each material changes how the pan heats, how much it weighs, and what you can cook in it. Here is a quick breakdown of the four common types.

Cast iron and carbon steel both need seasoning — a layer of baked-on oil that creates a natural nonstick surface. Stainless steel won’t react with tomatoes or vinegar, making it the safe choice for acidic dishes. Nonstick coatings are convenient for eggs but degrade if you use metal utensils or crank the heat too high.

Skillet vs. Frying Pan — Is There a Difference?

In the US, “skillet” and “frying pan” are mostly interchangeable, but there are regional and material nuances. The Merriam-Webster definition treats skillet as the standard term for this pan shape. In the Southern U.S., “skillet” usually implies cast iron. In the Northern U.S., “frying pan” is the more common catch-all. In the UK, “skillet” historically meant a small kettle with legs, so Brits almost always say “frying pan.”

The bottom line: if you buy a “skillet,” you are getting a frying pan with sloped sides. If it is cast iron, it is almost always called a skillet. For stainless or nonstick, either name appears on the label.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The biggest errors come from material mismatch. Raw cast iron reacts with acidic foods like tomato sauce, which can give dinner a metallic taste and strip the seasoning — use enameled cast iron or stainless steel for those recipes. Nonstick pans should never hit high heat or get scraped with metal. Cast iron and carbon steel need thorough drying after washing and a light oil rub to prevent rust, while stainless and nonstick can go in the dishwasher (though hand washing extends nonstick life).

When you are ready to pick your own, our tested roundup of the best cooking skillets compares real performance across materials and budgets.