5 Best Stainless Steel Fry Pans Under $100

I’ve tested over 60 frying pans, ranging in price from $20 to $950. After extensive side-by-side testing, I found five stainless steel pans that cost less than $100 but perform like premium brands that cost three times more.

This guide breaks down the pros and cons of those top five affordable options. I’ll compare how each one performs in key areas like heat conduction (how evenly it heats), heat retention (how well it holds heat), construction quality, design features, and overall cooking performance.

You’ll also find a detailed comparison chart showing exact measurements, materials, and test results to help you decide which pan is right for you.

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Use the links below to navigate the guide:

• Comparison Chart
• Henckels Clad H3
• Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad
• Goldilocks
• Cuisinart
• Misen
• Bottom Line: Which Stainless Steel Pan Under $100 Is the Best?

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Comparison Chart

Swipe to view the entire chart on mobile.

Frying Pan	Henckels Clad H3	Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad	Goldilocks	Cuisinart MultiClad Pro	Misen
Price	$	$	$	$$	$$$
Origin	China	Brazil	China	China	China
Materials	3-ply stainless steel (aluminum core)	3-ply stainless steel (aluminum core)	3-ply stainless steel (aluminum core)	3-ply stainless steel (aluminum core)	5-ply stainless steel (aluminum core)
Exterior Finish	Polished	Polished	Polished	Brushed (polished ring)	Brushed
Interior Finish	Brushed	Brushed	Brushed	Polished walls, brushed cooking surface	Brushed
Diameter Rim to Rim (in)	12.4	12.4	12.4	12.5	12.5
Diameter Flat Cooking Surface (in)	9.6	9.0	9.0	10.0	9.8
Wall Height (in)	2.0	2.3	2.1	2.0	2.0
Weight (lb)	3.0	3.0	3.3	3.7	3.6
Thickness (mm)	2.3	2.6	3.2	2.6	2.9
Handle Length (in)	8.0	7.9	8.0	8.8	9.0
Oven Safe Temp	500°F	500°F	550°F	500°F	800°F
Induction Compatible	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Top Reason to Buy	Large cooking surface	Heats quickly	Thick walls	Largest cooking surface	Sealed Rims
Top Reason to NOT Buy	Need to buy a set	Slight warping	Thin handle	Heavy	Slippery handle
Where to Buy	Amazon	Amazon	Goldilocks.com	Amazon	Misen.com

Henckels Clad H3

Henckels is primarily known for its knives, but the Clad H3 stainless steel fry pan is one of the best-performing low-cost options I’ve tested. There’s one catch—you can’t buy the 12-inch version on its own. It comes bundled with a 10-inch pan. If you’re looking for both sizes, it’s a great deal. If you only want the 12-inch, you’ll have to buy the set.

This pan features a polished stainless steel exterior, brushed interior, and fully-clad 3-ply construction with an aluminum core for better heat conduction. The handle design is flat on top and rounded underneath, giving you a secure grip without cutting into your hand. It also has flared rims to help with drip-free pouring.

Compared to other 12-inch pans, the Henckels stands out for its cooking surface. It has 9.6 inches of flat cooking space, which is more than most competitors in this price range.

For context, several others—like the Goldilocks and Tramontina—have only 9.0 inches of flat surface. That extra space gives you more room to sear proteins or brown vegetables without overcrowding.

To test heat retention, I heated each pan to 400°F, then recorded the surface temperature after 5 minutes with the burner off. The Henckels measured 123°F, which was the lowest in the group. That result isn’t surprising given the pan’s 2.3mm wall thickness—the thinnest of the five tested. Thicker pans tend to hold heat longer, which can be helpful for maintaining a stable cooking temperature.

Despite slightly lower heat retention, the Henckels H3 performs surprisingly well. It heats evenly and sears meat beautifully. In testing, it produced a well-browned, even crust on salmon without hot or cold spots.

If you’re okay with buying a set, this is one of the best-performing stainless steel pans you can get under $100.

Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad

The Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad 12-inch frying pan delivers excellent performance for way less than $100. Like the Henckels Clad H3, it uses a 3-ply construction with an aluminum core sandwiched between stainless steel layers, ensuring solid heat conduction. It shares the same 12.4-inch rim diameter, 3.0-pound weight, and brushed interior finish—but there are a few key differences that set it apart.

First, it’s made in Brazil instead of China. The walls are slightly taller at 2.3 inches (compared to Henckels’ 2.0 inches), and the edges are noticeably smoother and more refined in feel.

Heat conduction is where Tramontina really stands out. In my test, I placed each pan on medium heat and measured the center surface temperature at one- and two-minute intervals. Tramontina reached 356°F after one minute and 450°F after two minutes.

Henckels, by comparison, only hit 303°F and 410°F at those same marks. This indicates that Tramontina conducts heat more efficiently, which is ideal if you want a pan that heats up fast.

The tradeoff comes in the cooking surface. The walls have a more gradual slope than Henckels, which makes it easier to toss and flip food, but they reduce the usable flat area. Tramontina gives you just 9.0 inches of flat cooking space, compared to 9.6 inches on the Henckels. That difference matters if you often cook larger portions or want more room for browning.

Despite its excellent cooking performance, there’s one flaw worth noting. After several months of use, I noticed a slight upward warp in the base. When you run a finger across the pan, you can feel a shallow dip near the edges.

In theory, this can cause oil to run toward the sides instead of staying centered. In practice, I haven’t noticed it affecting cooking results.

If you want a well-built, fast-heating stainless steel pan well under $100, the Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad is hard to beat.

Goldilocks

The Goldilocks 12-inch stainless steel frying pan costs significantly less than $100 and delivers performance that rivals much more expensive brands. It features a polished stainless steel exterior, brushed interior, and noticeably thick construction—measuring 3.2 mm thick, the most substantial of all five pans tested.

That extra thickness contributes to the pan’s solid feel. It weighs 3.3 pounds, slightly heavier than Henckels and Tramontina but not the heaviest overall (Cuisinart takes that title at 3.7 pounds). When you hold the Goldilocks pan, it feels sturdy and well-balanced—more like a premium pan than a budget option.

In my heat conduction testing, it reached 386°F after one minute and 434°F after two minutes, placing it just behind Misen and Tramontina. 

But where it really performed well was heat retention. After heating to 400°F and sitting off-heat for 5 minutes, it retained 126°F—better than Henckels (123°F) and Tramontina (124°F), though slightly behind Cuisinart and Misen. That means it holds onto heat longer, which helps maintain consistent browning during cooking.

The handle has a slight curve underneath and a shallow groove on top for thumb placement. It’s easy to control and comfortable for most hands, but the biggest drawback is its thickness.

At just 5.5 mm, it’s the slimmest handle in the group. If you have large hands or are wearing an oven mitt, there’s not much to grab onto, and it can feel less secure when lifting or tilting the pan.

Despite that, the performance is rock-solid. I’ve used this pan for several years, and it continues to produce even sears and consistent results. It’s not just me—Goldilocks has been named the best budget cookware set by The New York Times for several years.

If you want a pan with thick, durable construction, good heat retention, and reliable cooking performance, Goldilocks is an excellent choice for under $100.

Cuisinart MultiClad Pro

The Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 12-inch skillet costs slightly more than the Tramontina and Goldilocks pans, but you get several premium features that justify the price.

First, it has the largest flat cooking surface of the group at 10.0 inches. That’s a full inch more than the 9.0 inches you get with Goldilocks and Tramontina. That extra space makes a noticeable difference when browning multiple pieces of meat or spreading out vegetables to avoid crowding. The pan also includes a helper handle, making it easier to lift when full.

The main handle is 8.8 inches long—nearly an inch longer than Goldilocks or Henckels. It features a slight curve and a wide groove on top, allowing your thumb to rest comfortably and securely.

This design prevents the pan from rotating in your hand when pouring or tilting, which is a common issue with rounded or narrow handles. It’s nearly identical to the handle on the Viking Professional 5-Ply skillet, which costs more than twice as much.

The interior walls are polished for easier cleaning, while the brushed exterior includes a narrow polished ring at the top, adding a subtle but high-end touch to the overall design. These refinements give the Cuisinart a more premium feel than most other pans in this price range.

In my performance testing, Cuisinart stood out for its heat retention. After heating to 400°F and resting off-heat for 5 minutes, the surface temperature dropped to just 133°F—the highest retention in the group. That’s 10°F higher than Henckels and 7°F higher than Goldilocks.

It heats slightly slower than the fastest pans, hitting 314°F at one minute and 403°F at two minutes, but that’s a worthwhile tradeoff for better heat stability.

In real-world use, it sears evenly, maintains a steady temperature, and feels balanced in the hand. If handle comfort and heat retention are your top priorities, the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro is the best option under $100.

Misen

The Misen 12-inch stainless steel pan is the most expensive option on this list—but it still delivers impressive value for the price. 

It’s the only pan here with 5-ply construction, meaning it has five bonded layers (including aluminum and stainless steel) for improved heat retention and durability. The walls are 2.9 mm thick, and the total weight is 3.6 pounds, making it the second heaviest of the group behind the Cuisinart.

The flat cooking surface measures 9.8 inches—second only to Cuisinart’s 10.0 inches—and gives you ample space for browning, searing, or cooking larger meals without crowding the pan.

In my heat retention testing, Misen performed exceptionally well. After heating to 400°F and letting it rest for five minutes, the surface temperature held at 128°F, second only to Cuisinart’s 133°F.

It also heated faster than any other pan, reaching 390°F after one minute and 502°F after two minutes—the highest temperatures in the group. That’s a sign of both efficient heat conduction and strong retention, especially useful for high-heat cooking.

One standout feature is the sealed rim. Unlike most budget pans that leave the aluminum core exposed at the edges, Misen caps the rims with stainless steel. This eliminates the risk of aluminum corrosion, delamination (separation of layers), or sharp edges forming over time—issues that can arise if you run clad pans through the dishwasher regularly. Rim sealing is a design element usually reserved for premium brands like Hestan, so seeing it on a sub-$100 pan is rare.

The one downside is the handle. At 9.0 inches, it’s the longest of the group, offering great leverage and balance when moving the pan. But it’s also the most rounded. That smooth, cylindrical shape looks clean and feels comfortable—until you’re tilting the pan with oven mitts or washing it with soapy hands. Then it quickly becomes slippery and hard to control. It’s a small design flaw, but worth noting if grip and safety are priorities for you.

If you’re looking for the most feature-rich pan under $100—with 5-ply construction, strong performance, and premium build quality—Misen is the top choice. Just be aware of the handle.

Bottom Line: Which Stainless Steel Pan Under $100 Is the Best?

All five of these pans are well-built, high-performing, and offer exceptional value for under $100. But after extensive testing, one stands out as the best overall choice.

Cuisinart MultiClad Pro takes the top spot. It has the widest flat cooking surface at 10.0 inches, the best heat retention at 133°F after five minutes, and premium design features that you rarely see at this price—like a helper handle, polished interior walls, and a refined exterior finish. Most importantly, its handle is long, comfortable, and secure, with a groove that keeps it from rotating in your hand when pouring or tilting.

Second place is a tie between Misen and Goldilocks, depending on your priorities. Misen offers 5-ply construction, the second-best heat retention (128°F), the fastest heat-up time, and sealed rims—an uncommon feature in this price range that improves long-term durability. On the other hand, Goldilocks delivers nearly identical cooking performance with a thicker build (3.2 mm), solid heat retention (126°F), and a significantly lower price. The main drawback is its thinner handle.

Tramontina and Henckels are both excellent budget picks, but each comes with a caveat. Henckels is only available in a set with a 10- and 12-inch pan, so it’s only a good value if you need both. Tramontina performs well in heat conduction and design, but I noticed a slight upward warp in the base over time. While it hasn’t affected cooking in practice, it’s something to keep in mind.

Ultimately, all five pans deliver reliable, even cooking. The differences come down to finer details like wall slope, cooking surface area, handle design, and rim construction. If you want the best all-around stainless steel pan under $100, go with Cuisinart MultiClad Pro. If you’re looking for the most durable design or best value, Misen and Goldilocks are strong alternatives.