Stainless Steel Frying Pans — Uncoated, in Three Sizes

What is the SEIDO Cookware stainless steel frying pan range?

The range is deliberately small: three frying pans, one surface, no coating. The 20 cm (8 in), 24 cm (9.5 in) and 28 cm (11 in) pans are all tri-ply clad, with a 304 (18/8) cooking surface and without synthetic coatings. What changes between them is capacity, not construction.

What defines these three is what is not there: no release layer, and made without intentionally added PFAS. The cooking surface is the steel itself. Every pan carries a 5-Year Limited Warranty and is sold in the UK on Amazon.co.uk.

• 20 cm (8 in) frying pan — eggs, omelettes and single portions
• 24 cm (9.5 in) frying pan — the everyday, do-everything size
• 28 cm (11 in) frying pan — family meals and batch cooking

Which size stainless steel frying pan do you need?

Start with how many people you cook for, not with the biggest pan on the shelf. Measure your hob rings before committing to the largest size, and remember that a crowded pan steams food instead of browning it. Matching pan to portion is most of the decision.

The 20 cm (8 in) is the single-portion pan: two or three eggs, an omelette, one chicken breast, reheated leftovers. It is the smallest pan in the range, and it stays within easy reach even if you also own a larger pan.

The 24 cm (9.5 in) is the pan to choose if you are only choosing one. It handles two portions comfortably — two fillets, a stir-fry for two, a pan sauce with room to reduce — and it is the size to reach for daily.

The 28 cm (11 in) is for cooking in quantity: 450 g of minced beef, four chicken thighs, a full one-pan dinner. The wider surface keeps food in a single layer, which is the condition browning depends on.

For cooking-surface measurements, portion maths and which two sizes pair best, see our guides. Buying more than one is how a stainless steel pan set takes shape: the 20 cm and 28 cm together cover nearly everything, with the 24 cm as the single-pan alternative.

• Cooking for one: 20 cm (8 in)
• First pan, or cooking for two: 24 cm (9.5 in)
• Family and batch cooking: 28 cm (11 in)
• Building a stainless steel pan set: pair the 20 cm with the 28 cm, or own all three

Why cook on an uncoated stainless steel pan?

Fond. Bare stainless steel builds the browned glaze that forms where meat meets hot metal. Deglaze it with stock, wine or water and it becomes the base of a pan sauce. Coated pans struggle to build exactly this — the release layer that keeps food from sticking also works against fond forming.

Browning is direct on uncoated steel. You can hold a steady, high heat on the hob and get a real crust on steak, chops and vegetables, because there is no synthetic surface between the food and the metal.

Longevity follows from the same fact. There is no release layer to scratch, blister or flake — the surface you buy is the surface you keep. A frying pan without a non-stick coating has no coating to degrade with use, and each SEIDO Cookware frying pan is backed by a 5-Year Limited Warranty.

Does food stick to an uncoated stainless steel pan?

Sometimes — until you learn the one skill that matters: preheating. Heat the dry pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, then test with a drop of water. It should bead and glide across the surface. Add oil, then food. A properly preheated stainless steel frying pan releases eggs, fish and pancakes cleanly.

When food sticks, heat is the first thing to check — not the pan. Too cool, and proteins bond to the steel; too hot, and they scorch before they release. Steady, moderate heat is the habit worth building.

Washing up is simple: let the pan cool, then wash it in warm water with washing-up liquid. A stuck spot lifts after a short soak. Our guides cover preheating in detail, the water test and restoring the steel's shine after high-heat cooking.