If You Were To Own Just One Frying Pan, This $40 Pan Should Be It

Don’t get stuck scrubbing away charred leftovers at the bottom of your frying pan. Consumer Reports found you a keeper, and it can be yours for about $35.

The experts at Consumer Reports say the Cuisinart CastLite Nonstick CIL22—26RN passed all the right tests: Fried eggs slid right out of the frying pan, food cooked evenly and the handle stayed cool to the touch. Perhaps the best part? Cleanup was a cinch! Eggs needed a little nudge, but only after testers roughed up the pan.

Here’s important information to know about this frying pan before making a purchase.

Lightweight Material

According to Consumer Reports the frying pan is made of lightweight cast iron covered in porcelain enamel.

Color Warning!

The Cuisinart frying pan comes in red or blue. The inside of the pan includes the black nonstick coating. According to the Cookware Manufacturers Association, a pan with a colored bottom can fuse with a ceramic—glass cooktop if the pan overheats. Cuisinart advises that you should use this pan on ceramic—glass cooktops only on medium—high heat, and you shouldn’t preheat the pan.

Safety

The skillet is safe in an oven up to 500° F and is also dishwasher-safe. But it’s always best to wash cookware by hand so the nonstick coating doesn’t wear down over time.

Any regular in the kitchen knows frying pans get roughed up. Consumer Reports tested the Cuisinart Frying Pan for durability with a machine that rubs steel wool over the nonstick coating. The frying pan withstood 2,000 strokes! While it came away with some scratches, the coating remained intact. The frying pan did lose one gold star when Consumer Reports tested the handle. The consumer group says the handle is not as sturdy as other handles tested (though it is heat-resistant, as noted above).

Whether you’re ready to invest in a new pan or working with your existing inventory, there are ways to make those frying pans last longer. Remember to avoid scraping your nonstick pans with metal utensils and don’t scrub them with abrasive cleaners.

This Cuisinart frying pan comes with a lifetime warranty, and if you’re still not convinced about how amazing this frying really is, check out all of Consumer Reports’ ratings of frying pans and cookware sets.

The pan retails for $39.99. You can get it from Amazon for $41.95 (with free shipping if you have Amazon Prime) or it’s available for $39.99 on Jet.com with free shipping.