It’s the weekend and you’re itching to whip up a batch of fluffy pancakes or cornmeal-flecked johnny cakes. You’ve got your recipe ready, you’ve got your mix-ins customized to each person. Now, what’s the best pan for pancakes? Knowing which pans work and which to avoid is key to making a great breakfast stack. You wouldn’t want to use stainless steel, for example — you’d have to use a good amount of fat and due to the nature of pancakes, they’d still be prone to sticking.
The pan you choose depends on how many people you’re cooking for too. Just a few eaters? You can use a skillet. If you’ve got a group over for breakfast or brunch, then you’ll want a bigger cooking surface to maximize efficiency (and get done cooking more quickly so you can enjoy the company, too). Keep reading to learn our favorite pans for pancakes.
Best for a Crowd: Carbon Steel Griddle
What’s more iconic than a line cook working the flattop at your local diner, turning out loads of pancakes at a time? We designed our Carbon Steel Griddle to give you that same satisfaction at home. With a large, naturally non stick cooking surface, you can make a big batch of pancakes in no time.
Even if you’re cooking for a small group, the griddle’s dual zone cooking capability means you can make pancakes on one end and fry some bacon or eggs on the other, all without breaking a sweat. Once you’re done cooking breakfast, check out our guide to cleaning and maintaining your griddle.
Best for Mess-Free Mornings: Ceramic Frying Pan
To join our ProCoat Non Stick family, we’ve added a layer of ceramic non stick coating onto our award-winning 5-ply stainless steel pans—meaning you’re rewarded with the same heat conducting qualities with a non toxic, non stick coating.
Our ceramic frying pans offer a frictionless cooking surface ideal for pancakes, available in 8", 10", and 12" options. Ceramic cookware comes with its own set of best-use practices, which we’ve outlined for you.
Best for Small Batches: Non Stick Frying Pan
For pancakes that practically glide over a frictionless cooking surface, reach for a non stick frying pan. Each non stick pan features our 5-ply Stainless Clad construction—meaning even heating and optimum heat control—under two layers of professional-grade non stick coating.
Our frying pans come in three sizes, so you can choose the right pan for your pancakes. An 8 inch pan, for example, would be ideal for making one big pancake. (Did you know? You can refrigerate pancake batter for several days, making it easy to whip up just a few at a time for breakfast.)
To make several smaller pancakes at once, go for the 10 or 12 inch frying pans. Be sure to check out our pointers for maintaining non stick cookware before diving into your pancake adventures.
Best Rustic Option: Enameled Cast Iron Skillet
The best heavy duty award for pancakes goes to our Enameled Cast Iron Skillet, where French cast iron craftsmanship meets Southern skillet-style cooking. The enameled coating creates a non stick cooking surface that requires little maintenance and makes cleaning up extra easy.
Our Enameled Cast Iron Skillet can make the usual batch of flapjacks, but it also excels at all goods in the pancake universe, from crepes to Dutch babies. Once you’re done, take care to clean your skillet properly and it’ll keep turning out pancakes for years to come.
Ready to Shop?
As you’ve seen, there’s more than one pan in which you can cook up a great batch of pancakes. Which you choose depends on your kitchen space, cooking style, and just how many pancakes you want to cook at once. Take a look at your options and get ready to flip to your heart’s content.
