The 3 best electric skillets we tested in 2021

We put each electric skillet in this guide through several objective tests. The most important factors to take into account when buying an electric skillet are how evenly it heats and cooks and how easy it is to use and clean.

Here are the main attributes we consider and the ways we test for them:

Ease of use: I set up each of the units without referencing the user manual to assess how easy they were to use. Even with some minor assembly, none of the skillets took more than 10 minutes to set up. I also examined how easy the handles were to grab barehanded when hot and covered with slippery cooking oil. The handles stayed cool on all of the models, but there were a few instances where the handles were small or poorly placed so that it was hard to avoid coming in contact with the hot pan. I also looked at special features that improved usability, such as a long power cord, easy storage, or a built-in pour spout.

Even heating: To test how evenly the skillets heated, I sprinkled 1/3 cup flour evenly over the cooking surface of each. Then, I turned the heat on high and closely watched the coloration of the flour. If the skillet heats evenly, all of the flour should darken at the same time. This was not the case with any of the skillets. With every unit except our top pick, the flour darkened where the heating element was located under the pan.

Speed: I poured two cups of peanut oil into the skillet, cranked the heat, and timed how long it took the oil to reach 350 degrees Fahrenheit as measured with a probe thermometer. Most of the models took five to seven minutes. Only our top pick took a little longer — eight minutes and 30 seconds.

Cleaning process: I washed each of the electric skillets several times per the manufacturer's instructions and noted how difficult the cleaning process was. For the units that are dishwasher safe, I ran them through the dishwasher at least once. I found washing by hand to be more convenient than machine washing; the skillets hogged a lot of dishwasher space and the nonstick surfaces made removing grime with a sponge fairly easy. 

Cooking performance: I put the electric skillets through three cooking tests.

• Fried chicken: I preheated two cups of peanut oil and filled each skillet with as many chicken thighs (coated with gluten-free flour and Tajín Clásico Seasoning) as I could fit without crowding. I timed how long it took for the chicken to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, I assessed how evenly the chicken cooked and how good it tasted.
• Hamburgers: After preheating the skillets, I added as many quarter-pound patties as I could fit without crowding and timed how long it took them to reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Once done, I assessed how even the sear was and how the burger tasted.
• Pancakes: I made pancake batter from Krusteaz mix and scooped quarter-cup dollops onto the preheated and bacon-greased skillets. I timed how long it took the pancakes to cook through. Then, I rated how evenly the pancakes cooked based on taste and appearance.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR): I assessed how socially responsible the manufacturers of each skillet are based on information the organizations provided as well as my own research. I considered environmental initiatives and whether the companies are engaged in any questionable practices, and I looked at data from sites like CSRHub and Glassdoor to get a sense of diversity in leadership and employee satisfaction. Since it's virtually impossible to collect consistent data across all companies, I didn't weigh this attribute heavily, but I did note any information that consumers may want to know before supporting a company.

The Zojirushi Gourmet d'Expert Electric Skillet comes with two pans and a steamer, has a user-friendly design, and did the best job of heating evenly in our tests.

Pros: Heats evenly, comes with two pans and a steamer, user-friendly controls, easy to clean, long cord that detaches easily for safety, produced delicious and evenly-cooked fried chicken, burgers, and pancakes

Cons: Small cooking surface

There are several features that set the Zojirushi Gourmet d'Expert Electric Skillet (model EP-RAC50) apart from other skillets we tested. First of all, it comes with two pans: a deeper pan for soup-type foods, including hot pots, and a flatter plate for frying and grilling. The set also includes a tempered glass lid and vented steamer. 

The skillet comes with a long cord that detaches when something pulls on it so it's hard to accidentally send the skillet's contents flying across your kitchen.

Setup was intuitive and took about five minutes. And, the Gourmet d'Expert has user-friendly controls. You simply move the slider on the face of the unit to the temperature you want. In contrast, the other models we tested relied on poorly-placed dials. 

I was impressed with the even heating of the Zojirushi. While the other models were hotter around the heating element — exhibiting a telltale dark ring in our flour test — the heating element location wasn't as clear with the Gourmet d'Expert as the flour darkened more evenly.

The Zojirushi skillet did a good job of cooking fried chicken, burgers, and pancakes. While it was the slowest to heat oil, it was the fastest to cook the fried chicken, only taking 25 minutes. And, the skin was as evenly-cooked and tasty as it gets. The meat was juicy with just the right amount of grease. Plus, the skillet produced a great sear on the burgers, and the pancakes were cooked evenly and quickly. 

Cleanup was a snap. While the pan isn't dishwasher safe, you can remove it from the base to wash it by hand, and grime slid right off thanks to the nonstick coating.

The biggest negative with the Gourmet d'Expert is it's the smallest model we tested, and fit the fewest burgers, pancakes, and chicken thighs. 

While I would have liked to take Zojirushi's corporate social responsibility (CSR) rating into account during my evaluation, the company did not provide the info I requested. If that changes, I will update this guide accordingly.

The Dash Family Size Rapid Heat Electric Skillet not only costs less than $50, but it heats quickly and has a large capacity.

Pros: Large capacity, fast preheating, produced outstanding burgers, simple design, lightweight, easy to store

Cons: Heats and cooks unevenly, not dishwasher safe

The Dash Family Size Rapid Heat Electric Skillet (model DRG214RD) is the only skillet under $50 that we recommend. It also has the largest capacity of the units we tested, fitting the most chicken thighs, burgers, and pancakes, which makes it ideal for families. 

The Dash skillet has a basic design and setup. The unit consists of the base with its built-in nonstick pan, a power cord with a dial control that plugs into the back, and a lid with a silicone ring to form a tight seal. Setup took about five minutes, and the only assembly was attaching the knob to the lid. 

The handles are large and easy to grip (even when greasy), and, as the name suggests, the Dash Rapid Heat Electric Skillet heats quickly. Unfortunately, that speed comes at the expense of even heat distribution. In the flour test, I could clearly see where the ring-shaped heating element was located. This led to fast but uneven pancake cooking. And, some of the chicken started to burn in spots, while other pieces were still undercooked. However, the hamburgers were the most forgiving. The Dash skillet produced beautifully-seared burgers that tasted delicious.

Cleaning the skillet was a pain. It's big and isn't dishwasher safe. Fortunately, it has a nonstick surface so debris comes right off, and the unit is lightweight, which makes it easy to move around and store.

Dash is a subsidiary of Groupe SEB, which has a strong record of social responsibility. For more info about how we evaluate CSR, see our testing methodology.

At just a few dollars more than our budget pick, the Presto Electric Foldaway Skillet did an outstanding job of frying chicken and cooking pancakes in our tests, and it folds up for easy storage.

Pros: Did an outstanding job frying chicken and cooking pancakes, easy to clean and use, folds up for compact storage, features a pour spout

Cons: Cooked burgers slowly and unevenly, heats unevenly

Presto is arguably the biggest name in electric skillets. The company even published the most popular electric skillet cookbook on Amazon, the Eclectic Electric Skillet Cookbook. And, the Presto Electric Foldaway Skillet (model 06857) is one of the best-selling skillets with its unique design that folds up for compact storage, making it ideal for RVs or other tight quarters. Another unique feature is a pour spout on the rim for accurate pouring of the pan's contents.

The setup of the Presto Foldaway is a little more involved than most skillets since you need to clip the pan into the base, but it was easy to do without instructions, and the setup process only took five minutes.

The Presto skillet did an excellent job of making chicken and pancakes. The oil preheated in under seven minutes, and the fried chicken took 26 minutes to get to a safe internal temperature. The results were absolutely delicious. Pancakes took about three minutes and were cooked evenly.

The burgers didn't turn out as good. It took 10 minutes to cook them in the Presto Foldaway — longer than any other model — and they browned unevenly. The flour test more clearly revealed the uneven heating as a ring of darkened flour formed where the heating element was located.

Fortunately, cleaning the Presto Foldaway was easy since the pan detaches from the base. The pan is dishwasher safe, but Presto encourages washing by hand to prolong the life of the nonstick coating. I preferred washing it by hand anyway, since the coating kept bits of debris from sticking.

Presto's parent company, National Presto Industries, may be problematic for some, with its low social responsibility ranking, lack of diversity in leadership roles, and production of warheads. For more info about how we evaluate CSR, see our testing methodology.

We tested six electric skillets for this guide. These are the ones that didn't make the cut.

What else we recommend and why:

De'Longhi (model BG45, $54.99): We almost included the De'Longhi electric skillet in our guide, but it wasn't the best in any category. It does a great job cooking fried chicken, is dishwasher safe, and has a large cooking area for such a compact appliance. Plus, the company has an impressive 97% CSRHub ranking. However, it did not heat evenly, and other electric skillets made better pancakes and hamburgers. Still, this is a solid alternative if our top picks are out of stock.

What we don't recommend and why:

Cuisinart Stainless Steel Non-Stick (model CSK-150, $139.99): In the fried chicken test, the Cuisinart skillet was the fastest to heat the oil, and the resulting chicken was evenly cooked and delicious. And, since it's dishwasher safe, it's easy to clean. Those were about the only positives though. The small handles made it easy to accidentally burn your hand on the hot pan, it didn't always heat evenly, and the temperatures on the dial control appeared to be inaccurate. 

Presto Grey Ceramic (model 06856, $44.99): The Grey Ceramic skillet made excellent chicken and pancakes, like the Presto Foldaway skillet. However, it wasn't as easy to clean since the pan doesn't detach from the base, and it doesn't fold up for easy storage or have a pour spout. It also performed poorly in our flour test and didn't cook burgers evenly. Plus, we have concerns about National Presto Industries' CSR record.

We're always testing new electric skillets and retesting our top picks to determine the best ones. Here's what we're looking forward to testing for potential inclusion in this guide:

Bella Ceramic Titanium (model 14607, $32.09): Featuring a copper ceramic titanium coating on cast aluminum, we're curious to see how durable and even heating this is. It's on the smaller side so it might be a good solution if you're cooking for one. 

Nesco (model ES-08, $24.33): This model costs less than half as much as our top budget pick, and at eight inches square (per the manufacturer), it's quite a bit smaller than any unit we tested. It seems like it could be a good option for college kids living in kitchen-less dorms. 

What can I cook in an electric skillet?

Electric skillets are underrated, versatile appliances that can make a broad range of foods. An electric skillet can be used to cook all of your breakfast favorites, including crispy bacon, hash browns, eggs, pancakes, French toast, and more. You can use it to toast bread, which I like to do in bacon grease for added flavor.

You can simmer soups, chilis, and chowders in an electric skillet, but you'll want to keep the heat low and stir often to avoid burning. And I've found it's fun to use an electric skillet to cook right on the dining room table. For instance, you can make fondue or have a non-traditional hibachi grilling experience.

An electric skillet can also be used for baking cakes, cookies, and pies, making pizza, and cooking one-pot pasta dishes (like lasagna or spaghetti) and casseroles. Basically, anything you can bake, fry, deep fry, sauté, simmer, boil, steam, or slow cook can be made in an electric skillet. When you purchase one, I recommend picking up some cookbooks as well. The two I use are The Sensational Skillet Cookbook and Electric Skillet Cookbook Complete.

• The best toaster ovens
• The best Instant Pots and electric pressure cookers
• The best air fryers
• The best toasters