The best stainless steel pan for every budget

• Whether you're searing meat or making a flavorful sauce, stainless steel pans are versatile, durable, and easy-to-clean cookware staples for any kitchen.
• But prices, materials, and features vary greatly from one pan to the next.
• To help you decide which pan is right for you, Connie Chen, a home and kitchen reporter at Insider Reviews, breaks down her three favorite pans in three different price ranges.
• Plus, hear from Chef Anthony Vitolo, the executive chef at Emilio's Ballato in New York City, about his stainless steel pan of choice.

The following is a transcript of the video.

Connie Chen: Someone should own a stainless steel pan because it's very versatile, they're very durable, and they're also really easy to take care of and clean.

Hi, my name is Connie Chen, and I am a home and kitchen reporter on the Insider Reviews team. And today we're gonna be talking about three different stainless steel pans for three different budgets.

When I'm reviewing and looking at stainless steel pans, a few features that stand out to me are the type of stainless steel that's used. I also look at weight, whether it's just ergonomic and easy to hold. I also look at the ply, which is, like, the number of layers and the types of layers that make up the pan. Triple ply means that there's an aluminum core and then the outside is stainless steel, and then for five ply, they add two extra layers of aluminum in the middle, which is what gives it that great heat distribution.

Calphalon was established in the 1960s. Calphalon's stainless steel pan actually has an impact-bonded aluminum base, as opposed to a lot of classic pans, which have three ply or five ply. This Calphalon pan has aluminum on the base, which is supposed to help with faster heat distribution. However, the downside of that is that it does make the pan less durable. Usually that bottom layer is stainless steel, which is what helps make the pan more durable overall. The price difference is basically going to the quality and durability of the material. Just based on people's experiences, the pans will corrode or warp over time after a lot of use. It's still reliable in terms of just, like, versatility, heat distribution, it's comfortable. I think the pan is a great entry point for people who don't cook that much with stainless steel or people who are just new to cooking in general.

Anthony Vitolo: My name is Anthony Vitolo. I'm the executive chef at Emilio's Ballato in New York City. I've been in the restaurant business ever since I was born. Just recently, probably seven years ago, I got the executive chef position. I personally use Sardel. It's a company out of Italy. What I like most about the Sardel stainless steel pan is it distributes the heat evenly. And I also like the little feature that they have where the handle doesn't absorb the heat. They're easy to clean. They're lightweight. 100,000%, I would recommend Sardel.

Connie: Sardel is an online-only cookware startup that was founded in 2019. They have a limited product selection, and they primarily just focus on stainless steel cookware. Sardel's stainless steel pan is five-ply stainless steel and aluminum with heat-resistant handles, just a comfortable hold and weight. I think the Sardel pan provides great value for its price. You're basically getting all the same materials and construction of an All-Clad pan, but for, like, half the price.

All-Clad is a cookware, kitchenware company that was established in the 1970s, and for this pan specifically, it's a five-ply stainless steel and aluminum pan. Unlike other five-ply pans, what All-Clad does is alternate those layers, which it says improves lateral flow of cooking energy and helps eliminate hotspots. All in all, it's a pretty, like, simple, basic design but just made from high-quality materials. You're paying for, like, an overall just more quality and more expensive experience. It's not just, like, the pan itself; it's also lifetime warranty, really good customer service where they'll come and repair it if anything happens. I think it makes sense for people who cook a lot and want to get a lot of use for their money.

All three of these stainless steel pans that we just talked about are great options. Whichever one you end up deciding on really just depends on your specific needs and preferences.