I Asked 3 Food Experts To Name the Best Everyday Skillet—They All Said the Same Thing

Finding a good everyday skillet is a little like dating. While I’ve been off the dating market for two decades, I’ve been in pursuit of the perfect skillet for longer. Like a good relationship, a go-to skillet needs to be reliable, stand the test of time, and be drama-free and low-maintenance.

I have my favorites when it comes to cast iron, but for the everyday tasks of making eggs, searing protein, and whipping up a quick dinner, I’ve never quite found my one true love. Cast iron is amazing, but it’s not great when nonstick properties are required. Plus, it’s heavy and finicky to wash. I need a partner in the kitchen who will help tackle the invisible labor and not add to the burden. 

To find my skillet soulmate, I contacted three experts I look up to in the food space, and they all said the same thing: The Zwilling Madura Plus Skillet is the ultimate everyday workhorse!

The Experts I Spoke To

Lexi Harrison: Lexi is one half of the dynamic Mother and Daughter duo that make up Crowded Kitchen, a food blog specializing in easy and approachable recipes for the whole family and a wide range of dietary differences. The team also runs a successful food photography company where they both style and shoot the food, so a reliable skillet is essential.

Grace Elkus Bianconi: Grace is a food writer and recipe developer who has made me (once a skeptic) truly love cottage cheese with her clever recipes. She has worked in food media for years, allowing her to test many skillets.

Jess Larson: Jess is the creator of the popular food blog Plays Well With Butter. As the title suggests, her recipes are inventive, easy to follow, and incredibly flavorful. 

The Best Everyday Skillet

The Madura Plus Skillet comes in three convenient sizes: eight inches, 10 inches, and 11 inches. It’s constructed from forged aluminum, which ensures even heat distribution but keeps it lightweight and easy to maneuver.

It's also coated in a multilayer DuraSlide granite nonstick coating, which makes it a whopping 40 times more durable than your standard nonstick skillet. The skillet is so scratch-resistant that you can use metal utensils while cooking with it, usually a big no-no with nonstick pans.

Harrison says, “We’ve tried all sorts of nonstick cookware over the years, and none have held up better than our Zwilling Madura Frying Pans. We use them every day for eggs, but they’re surprisingly great for searing and sautéing, too. By far the best part is that they’re truly the easiest pans to clean. In four-plus years, I’ve never had to scrub for more than a few seconds!”

Bianconi raves, “I own all three sizes of this skillet, and all of them have held up incredibly well to frequent use—the nonstick coating is just as effective as it was when I purchased them. Plus, they’re safe to use with metal utensils (like a fish spatula) and are dishwasher safe, too.” It’s also the skillet she recommends for her viral recipe for Feta Fried Eggs, which took social media by storm last year and garnered over 34 millions views on her recipe video! 

Aside from functionality, the Madura Plus line is super sleek, too. Larson says, “My favorite nonstick skillet is the Zwilling Madura line. I’ve been cooking with them for years. They are super low fuss and the coating has held up really well. Bonus, they’re gorgeous pans!”

All I can say is it looks like true love. I’m looking forward to committing to a Zwilling Madura Skillet and living happily ever after!