Who doesn’t like delicious fried fish?! If you are a fish cooking enthusiast and like to take the responsibility of flavors in your own hands, you need a perfect frying pan. The pan you choose to sear or fry your fish decide the level of cooking and integration of flavors.
This is why people look for the best pan for frying fish. To help you out, this guide has the finest pan reviews along with some exceptional buying tips. The products included in the list have professional-grade quality, admired by the users. So, let’s get right to the fish frying pan first!
In a hurry? My favorite is this Lodge 10.5 Inch Square Cast Iron Grill Pan. See it at Amazon.
Reviewing The Top 5 Pan for Searing Fish
Here is a list of the finest pan options for searing fish:
Cooks Standard Hard Anodized Nonstick Square Grill Pan
This cookware is a perfect choice of the pan to cook fish. The hard anodized top surface is extremely durable. In fact, the surface is harder than a surface made from stainless steel.
The core is made from the heavy aluminum gauge, which evenly distributes the heat. This saves your fish from getting burnt with hot spots while searing. The performance gets further impressive with a nonstick coating.
Your pan never feels sticky, as cleaning takes lesser soap and water. Moreover, you can use this pan on all kinds of cooking options like electric, gas, ceramic, glass, halogen or any other. This pan can even resist oven temperatures up to 500 degrees F.
Pros
• Even distribution of heat with no hot spots
• Nonstick
• Large size suitable for fish
• Durable material and design
Cons
• The pan doesn’t have induction compatibility.
• You are recommended to hand wash.
Lodge 12 Inch Seasoned Carbon Steel Skillet
The ability to take extreme heat makes this the best pan for searing fish. The material called carbon steel takes no time to heat and retains the heated state evenly to provide a perfect cooking condition.
You will be using this pan for decades on a daily basis without seeing any damage whatsoever. Even the handle made from steel is exceptionally durable.
So, you can take this pan to the outdoor grills, induction stove tops, electric or gas cooking platforms without worrying about anything.
Pros
• Ability to handle high heat
• Quick and even heating
• Versatile use
Cons
• It needs hand washing and immediate drying to stay durable in the long run.
Lodge 10.5 Inch Square Cast Iron Grill Pan
This grill pan is made from cast iron, which has been seasoned for the ease of frying. The design has a classic structure, but the materials hav
e modern-age capabilities. The depth of the pan easily collects the juices and spices dripping of your fish.
Plus, you get a cooking surface pre-seasoned with 100 percent natural vegetable oil, without any chemicals or synthetic coating. The design makes cooking easy, so you can make every frying fish dish you like.
Pros
• Pre-seasoned with vegetable oi
• Depth to collect drippings
• Simple to use for frying
Cons
• Long-term durability could be a question
Calphalon Contemporary Hard-Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Square Grill Pan
This frying pan has an aluminum heavy gauge construction. This gauge provides even heating, while the hard anodization supports the promise of durability. The same coating also allows you to wash it in the dishwasher.
There are three nonstick coats in the interior section of the pan. The two of the three layers provide strength, while one layer is for simpler release performance. So, you won’t be struggling with stickiness.
The pan absorbs heat faster, while the handle stays cool throughout the cooking process. This happens due to the long length and brushed material of the handle.
Pros
• Even heating with hard-anodized surface
• Triple nonstick layers
• Exceptionally durable construction
Cons
• It can handle oven temperatures only up to 450 degrees.
MasterPan Non-Stick Cast Aluminum Grill Pan
This frying pan is made from 100 percent die-cast type of aluminum. This material makes this pan a perfect conductor of heat, which delivers impressive heat distribution. Every compartment of the pan gets heated evenly.
You can choose any type of stove or cooking platform to cook your fish with this pan. It is stain-resistant and nonstick with the double layers of nonstick coats and another coat of Ford’s Xylan. All these factors let you cook conveniently without burning your fish in different sports.
Pros
• Great heating ability with even heat distribution
• Wooden handle for easy management
• Energy efficient
• Dishwasher safe
Cons
• This pan can handle only up to 350 degrees F in the oven.
How to buy the best pan for frying fish?
• First of all, you need to look at the shape and size of the pan. It should align with the size of fish you cook generally. In the market, you can find square as well as rounded pans for frying and grilling purposes.
Any shape is suitable as long as it has enough depth and area to contain your fish.
• The next big factor should be the type of material and layers used in the interior. The idea is to get nonstick, conducting interior to evenly cook your fish. You can choose materials such as a heavy aluminum gauge, cast iron, or carbon steel as well. Make sure it has nonstick layers, so that the fish comes right off the pan after cooking.
• After the first two factors, you need to analyze the quality of the handle. Most pans break from the handle, so the material and construction of the pan handle have to be durable. Also, it should be long and non-conductive. That way, you will freely hold the handle while frying fish.
Following the mentioned tips will help you select a perfect design, size, shape, and material of a frying pan for fish cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better- Stainless steel or cast iron for searing?
Stainless steel pan heats much faster in comparison to cast iron. Aluminum and stainless-steel pan is considered best for searing fish or meat as the heat spreads properly to the food.
Is better to bake or pan sear the fish?
Using microwave or searing in pan results in decreasing the value of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids. But baking helps in retaining the nutrient value. Vitamin D in fish is also retained when using a dry heating method like baking.
Is it better to use water while cooking fish?
Yes, using water helps to avoid fish from getting dry while baking or pan searing or using a microwave. You can use any liquid like water, lemon, butter, milk, wine, orange or lime juice, stock or oil as the liquid helps in keeping moisture within the fish.
Conclusion
If you love cooking, you need the right equipment to enjoy the process. This also applies to the fry fish. With the right frying pan, you make cooking easier and reduce the chances of making mistakes. It is necessary for the taste you acquire at the end of the hard work done on a fish.
