The Best Pans for Cooking Any Kind of Fish

If you’re cooking fresh seafood, it's important to ensure you’re using the proper pan. Because we love to cook fish in a variety of ways for different dishes and occasions, we pulled together this roundup of the best pans for each preparation.

This all-inclusive guide covers everything you need to know about cooking fish, no matter how you like it.

For High-Heat Cooking: Carbon Steel Frying Pan

Chef Tom Colicchio prefers our Carbon Steel Frying Pan for pan roasting fish on the stovetop. Because of its ability to change temperatures on a dime, it gives the exterior of your fish the right amount of char without overcooking it.

Our Pre-Seasoned Carbon Steel Frying Pans allow you to explore the unparalleled cooking potential of carbon steel right out of the box, no setup required. Its design features high walls, keeping the oil where it should be: in the pan and not all over your kitchen.

For Searing: Stainless Clad Frying Pan

Our Stainless Clad Cookware excels at creating a perfectly crispy sear on just about any protein—fish and scallops included. Made from five layers of four different metals, it’s designed to heat evenly so your fish develops a crust, while staying flakey and tender on the inside as it cooks through.

Because our Stainless is non-reactive, pair your catch of the day with acidic ingredients like citrus or tomato—without fear of reactivity.

For Weeknight Cooking: Non Stick Frying Pan

If you’re looking for a simple, healthy weeknight dinner, like salmon and rice, our Non Stick Frying Pan is the pan for the job. Made with the same body as our Award-Winning Stainless Clad Cookware, we add multiple layers of our professional-quality non stick coating to ensure even the most delicate filets will release from the pan with ease—and you won’t even need any additional oil or fat.

For Frying Fish: Dutch Oven

Whether you’re frying up the filling for baja fish tacos or creating a platter of fish and chips at home, our Dutch Oven is the pot you should reach for. With a heavy bottom and insulated walls that helps the oil to heat evenly, you can create crispy, beer-battered, deep-fried morsels in style. Wrap in newspaper for the full effect.

For Grilling Fish: Carbon Steel Griddle

If you’re looking to take your filets out to the grill, we recommend our Carbon Steel Griddle. With enough surface area for at least six filets, you won't overcrowd the pan, and each piece will get deliciously crispy. Best of all, you can also use this pan indoors on your stove—so no need to miss out on grilled flavors if it’s rainy or too hot.

For Braising Fish: Saute Pan

There are few things better than a slow braised piece of fish, and our 3.5 QT Saute Pan is perfect for the job. It’s deep enough to immerse the fish in the braising liquid of your choice, and comes with a tight fitting lid to seal in moisture. The end result will be a juicy piece of flavor-loaded fish just about every single time—like this tomato-braised version from Chef Peter Nguyen.

The only thing you'll have to decide is whether you want a Stainless Clad Pan, or a Non Stick one: both are great options.

For Baking Fish: Oval Baking Dish

If you're looking to bake a side of fish, our Oval Baking Dish is the right choice. Crafted from French Porcelain, it not only is oven safe, but it is beautiful enough to serve out of. Take it straight from oven to table and prepare for the oohs and ahhs to commence.

For Grilling Shrimp: Carbon Steel Grill Frying Pan

If you’re planning on grilling up some shrimp, oysters, or other small seafood, check out our Carbon Steel Grill Frying Pan. Not only is Carbon Steel ideal for retaining heat, but we designed this pan specifically for the grill. It has 62 intentionally spaced perforations, so you don’t have to worry about your shrimp falling into the coals; plus, its lightweight construction allows you to quickly remove it from the grill to make sure that nothing overcooks.

For Steaming Fish: Stock Pot

Steaming is a simple way to bring out a ton of flavor from just about any type of fish without extra oil. To do it, all you need is our Stock Pot + Steamer Basket Insert. Simply bring water to a boil, place the Steamer Basket on top with the fish inside, and after a few minutes—voila, dinner is served.

Pro tip: Our Stock Pot is also perfect for a clam bake or seafood boil.

For Cooking Whole Fish: The Fish Basket

If you're looking to grill whole fish, look no further than the Fish Basket. Designed with Chef Fermín Nuñez of Austin's Suerte and Este, the Fish Basket was meticulously designed to grill whole fillets without sacrificing any precious, flaky bites to the grill grates. The feature we're proudest of is the hooks welded to the top of the basket—rather than the sides, which we found lacking during the design process—to hold large fish in place.

Try out Chef's recipe for grilled redfish zarandeado to see just how perfectly the Fish Basket works.

For Serving Fish: Serving Platter

No matter how you cook your fish, you want something beautiful to show off your hard work. Look no further than our Serving Platter—made in England, it’s large enough to plate up a whole fish, and stylish enough for any dinner party. On top of all that, it’s oven safe, dishwasher safe, and scratch resistant, so you don’t have to worry about your dinner guests ruining your brand new china.

Ready to Cook?

Now that you're equipped with the best tools for cooking fish every type of way, all you need is a recipe. Our collection of grilled seafood recipes features contributions from both our restaurant customers and the Made In Studio, ensuring that no matter what you cook, it'll be delicious.