Stainless Steel or Cast Iron: Which Should You Buy First?

Why is stainless steel the usual first pan?

Because it covers the most ground with the fewest rules. A stainless steel frying pan sears, sautés, fries eggs once you have the preheat right, and makes pan sauces from the browned fond left after searing. It is largely non-reactive with everyday cooking acids, so tomato sauces, wine and lemon are no problem, and there is no seasoning to build or protect.

It is also the easier pan to live with from day one. Wash it with hot water and washing-up liquid, soak anything stuck on, scrub it if you need to, dry it and put it away. A stainless steel pan is usually lighter than cast iron of the same size, so it is easy to lift, tip and carry to the sink.

When should cast iron come first?

Cast iron makes the better first pan for some cooks. Consider starting with it if:

• Most of your cooking is thick steaks, chops and burgers seared hard, where a heavy pan that holds plenty of heat keeps the surface hot when cold meat goes in.
• You often bake in the pan — frittatas, pan pizzas and other dishes that go into the oven in the pan they started in.
• You enjoy the routine of seasoning — drying, oiling and slowly building a slick surface — rather than seeing it as a chore.
• Weight does not bother you, and you have room to store a heavy pan.

What is each pan like to live with?

The difference shows up after dinner more than during it.

• Cast iron, after cooking: wash it by hand without soaking, dry it straight away over a low heat and wipe on a thin film of oil. It never goes in the dishwasher.
• Cast iron, over the months: the seasoning darkens and grows slicker with use; long acidic simmers and harsh scrubbing wear it back, and a rusty patch means scrubbing back to bare metal and re-seasoning.
• Stainless steel, after cooking: let it cool, wash it with washing-up liquid, soak anything stuck on, dry it and put it away.
• Stainless steel, over the months: there is no seasoning to keep up. High heat can leave a rainbow heat tint, which is cosmetic and usually lifts with a splash of white vinegar.
• Both: metal handles get hot, on the hob and especially in the oven, so keep an oven glove or a dry tea towel to hand.

Why do so many cooks end up owning both?

Because each pan is strongest where the other is weakest. Cast iron holds heat for long, hard sears and oven cooking, but it dislikes acid, soaking and the dishwasher. Stainless steel handles acid, scrubbing and quick changes of heat, but stores less heat than a heavy cast iron pan.

Owning both means you never have to push either pan into a job it does poorly. The cast iron pan is used for what it does well, so its seasoning keeps building; the stainless steel pan takes everything else.

How do the two pans share the work?

Once you own both, a simple rule of thumb by dish:

• Steak night: either pan sears well. Reach for stainless steel if you want a pan sauce from the fond, and cast iron for a thick cut you want to sear hard and finish in the oven.
• Tomato sauce, wine braises and anything with lemon or vinegar: stainless steel.
• Fried eggs: a well-seasoned cast iron pan, or stainless steel preheated until a drop of water beads and glides, with enough butter or oil.
• Weeknight sautés and stir-fries: stainless steel, which comes up to heat quickly and is easy to wash afterwards.
• Pan pizzas, frittatas and other dishes baked in the pan: cast iron, or stainless steel within its maker's oven limit.

What should you check before buying either pan?

A few checks save a disappointing purchase.

• Cast iron: pick it up. A pan you cannot lift comfortably when it is full of food is a pan you will avoid; a helper handle opposite the main one helps.
• Cast iron: check whether it comes pre-seasoned, and whether its base is smooth if you cook on a glass-topped hob.
• Stainless steel: check what the cooking surface is — 304 (18/8) is a common food-grade stainless steel — and how the pan is built; many bond an aluminium core between layers of steel to spread heat.
• Stainless steel: check that the maker states it works on your hob, especially induction, and whether a lid is included.
• Both: read what the warranty covers, what it excludes and for how long.

Where does a SEIDO frying pan fit in a two-pan kitchen?

SEIDO makes the stainless steel half: uncoated frying pans with a tri-ply clad body — a 304 (18/8) stainless steel cooking surface, an aluminium core and a 430 stainless steel exterior — made without intentionally added PFAS. Each comes with a matching stainless steel lid, works on gas, electric, ceramic and induction hobs, is oven-safe to 260°C (500°F) for up to 1 hour, and is backed by a 5-Year Limited Warranty.

As a first pan, the 24 cm (9.5 in) is the everyday size for one or two people. Cooking for a family, choose the 28 cm (11 in); the 20 cm (8 in) is the natural second pan for eggs and single portions.