Made In Nonstick Frying Pan review: This skillet impressed our testers with its versatility and ergonomic handle

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Cooking is as much an art as it is a science, and precision comes down to two key elements: heat and surfaces. We all deserve to be using the best cookware that yields tastier food and less clean-up. Made In, a direct-to-consumer kitchen brand, provides the perfect solution for cooks who want to take their cooking to the next level without replacing their entire collection of pots and pans. 

I tested its 10-inch nonstick fry pan in my own kitchen, and it's now the most-used and most-loved pan in my apartment. Read on to find out why Business Insider reviewers love this piece, and how it earned a spot in our guide to the best nonstick pans.

Design and specs

Made In's cookware is composed of five layers of bonded stainless steel and aluminum. It's heat resistant up to 500 degrees and is also oven-, and induction-safe. The nonstick pan is available in 8-, 10-, and 12-inch sizes, as well as a set of all three. Though we always recommend hand washing nonstick pans, we did put this one through the dishwasher and didn't notice any change in the surface.

The nonstick coating on Made In's pans is made with FDA-approved PTFE. If you're trying to avoid nonstick products that use PFOAs or PTFE is production, consider the best ceramic nonstick skillet in our guide.

Performance

I use oil or butter to cook with, but you don't have to use either with this pan. It handles ingredients of all types, from meat and fish to vegetables and sauces, with no sticking, burning, or residue. Other BI testers said that flipping eggs was painless; food slid off the pan without any need for nudging. 

The pan also takes less than a minute to clean, cutting down dishwashing time significantly. You can't go wrong with a good stainless steel fry pan in your kitchen. Stainless steel is lightweight, much easier to clean than cast iron, and won't impart the flavors of past meals that you've cooked. With proper heat management (it's recommended to cook on low to medium heat), your nonstick stainless steel pans will be in good shape for years to come. 

One of our testers, kitchen editor Lily Alig, has put the Made In Pan through its paces for two years now. "The pan is just as nonstick as it was when I first got it, but I have scratched the surface with metal utensils."

What are your alternatives?

We tested 21 skillets to find the best nonstick pans, and Made In earned a spot as our top high-end pick. Made In lost out on the top spot, with the Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick Fry Pan as the best overall. These pans are similar in build and price, but the Le Creuset was as close to flawless in our tests as any pan we considered and comes in more sizes. 

If you're looking for a ceramic nonstick coating, the Our Place Always Pan is our favorite ceramic nonstick skillet. The nonstick surface is slick, and the pan is available in eight colors; plus, it comes with a steamer insert and a spatula. A more budget-friendly option is the OXO Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan. We were impressed by the surface quality, though it takes a while to heat up.

The bottom line

Made In provides an accessible foray into premium cooking and isn't pretentious about it either. We've tested most of Made In's pots and pans, which you can read reviews of here; the company also sells regular stainless steel frying pans, sauce pans, saute pans, and stock pots.

If you're looking to update your whole collection or just started cooking on an induction cooktop, the Made In Stainless Set is one of the best induction cookware sets.