We are reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Best Pan To Cook Steak On Stove

The weather isn’t cooperating, or you don’t have a grill. But you’re craving that perfectly seared steak dinner. What’s the best way to cook your steak on the stove? Use one of the pans on my list to make a pan-seared steak.

Spoiler alert! My favorite is the Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan from Amazon.

medium rare steak sliced on cutting board next to knife and fork
Enjoy the best steak you’ve ever made when you get the perfect pan for cooking steak.

You can also create perfectly caramelized veggies or other side dishes as well, making the perfect steak dinner.

Best Pan to Cook Steak on StoveMaterial
All-Clad BD55404 D5 Brushed 18/10 Stainless Steel 5-Ply Dishwasher Safe Week Night Pan Cookware, 4-Quart, Silver -1. The All-Clad Weeknight Pan from Amazon stainless steel
Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan With Assist Handle, 10.5 inch, Black2. The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Square Grill from Amazon cast iron
De Buyer MINERAL B Round Carbon Steel Fry Pan 12.5-Inch -3. DeBuyer’s 12.5″ Mineral B Element Iron Frypan from Amazon carbon steel
Mauviel Made In France M'Heritage Copper M150S 11.8-Inch Round Frying Pan, Cast Stainless Steel Handles.4. The Mauviel M’Heritage Copper 11.8-Inch Round Frying Pan from Amazon copper

Before you start

Before getting into the different types of pans to use to produce the best results on your stove, it is good to know how you want to season your steak before pan-searing it. The pan will really lock in any flavors you throw in it. You should also avoid Teflon and other artificial non-stick coatings. The high heat needed for cooking the steak may actually break down the coating and contaminate your meat, as well as ruining your skillet.

With that in mind, read on to see some of the best types of pans to use for cooking steak on your stove, as well as some product recommendations and tips for maintaining your pan based on the material.

Stainless Steel or Tri-Ply Cookware

Stainless steel is a great, even heat conductor, ensuring an even cook through your steak. Tri-ply cookware is stainless steel layered with a different material (usually copper or aluminum). It’s great because the added materials conduct heat faster, creating a perfect searing atmosphere in the pan for your steak. These pans are also easy to wash and safe to use at the high temperatures required for cooking a steak thoroughly.

Get a good sear on your steak in a cast iron pan.
Get a good sear on your steak in a cast iron pan.

Cast Iron Frying Pans

Cast iron pans are another great option. They retain the most heat out of all of these materials, ensuring an evenly caramelized, thoroughly and beautifully browned steak. Another plus is the seasoning process for maintaining cast iron ends up building great aromas and flavors over time.

The added step of adding a layer after cleaning to rebuild the polymerized oil coating, is perfect for steak because it helps with the browning and flavoring process for next time! Cast iron is also compatible with all types of stoves and cooktops, which is an important consideration for your kitchen.

Carbon Steel Skillets

Carbon steel is basically a lighter version of cast iron, offering many of the same cooking benefits. They’re perfect for searing and they’re available in several levels of thickness. The thicker the better for steaks, since those will hold the most heat for the longest amount of time.

While these need to be regularly seasoned like cast iron, they actually retain less heat than cast iron. They’ll need to be preheated longer than a cast iron skillet.

Copper

Finally, one more great pan material for cooking steak is a copper pan. Make sure these are lined with stainless steel though, not tin. Tin will heat up too fast and isn’t great for cooking at the high temperatures required for searing steak.

Recommendations

Stainless Steel:

The All-Clad Weeknight Pan from Amazon is a great steak pan because it’s a frying pan with deep sides. This makes it extremely versatile and a great investment (albeit, expensive) for all types of cooking endeavors. Most importantly, it performs perfectly for steak.

All-Clad BD55404 D5 Brushed 18/10 Stainless Steel 5-Ply Dishwasher Safe Week Night Pan Cookware, 4-Quart, Silver -

View on Amazon

Cast Iron:

Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Grill Pan With Assist Handle, 10.5 inch, Black

The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast-Iron Square Grill from Amazon is a great choice if you want the look of grill marks without the actual grill! This is your value choice. View on Amazon

Carbon Steel:

De Buyer MINERAL B Round Carbon Steel Fry Pan 12.5-Inch -

DeBuyer’s 12.5″ Mineral B Element Iron Frypan from Amazon has a large cooking surface area and the great heat conduction benefits of carbon steel. View on Amazon

Copper:

Mauviel Made In France M'Heritage Copper M150S 11.8-Inch Round Frying Pan, Cast Stainless Steel Handles.

The Mauviel M’Heritage Copper 11.8-Inch Round Frying Pan from Amazon has copper and stainless steel materials layered, creating the perfect environment for cooking your steak on the stove. View on Amazon

Personally, I recommend the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Square Grill. I love cast iron. The heat holding-abilities of cast iron are perfect for steak. And this one gives your steak the grill marks without the grill.

Additional Resources

Kitchen Professor author
About the Author: Amy Spencer

Amy Spencer is a food fanatic, library card user, and cast iron hunter, in that order. She has been cooking for anyone that will taste it ever since her mom let her make doughnuts on Saturday mornings at the age of 7.

Leave a Comment

This website, thekitchenprofessor.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

Copyright © 2023 The Kitchen Professor All rights reserved.