8 Best Pans for Cooking Fish Chosen By Our Chefs
What are the best pans for cooking fish? When it comes to preparing fresh seafood, a quality piece of cookware is essential, especially if you want to maximize tenderness and flavor while minimizing the chance of overcooking or inadvertently bringing out a “fishy” flavor.
Depending on the type of fish and how you like to prepare it, you might have slightly different culinary needs when it comes to your cookware. We’ve put together a list of the eight best pans for cooking fish so you can find the one most suited to your style of cooking and seafood preferences.
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- Best Overall Pan for Cooking Fish: Finex 15" Cast Iron Lean Grill Pan
- Best for Browning and Braising: Zwilling Clad CFX Ceramic Non-Stick Fry Pan
- Best Budget Pan for Cooking Fish: Ballarini Parma Plus 8" Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan
- Most Versatile Pan for Cooking Fish: Staub Square Cast Iron 12" Grill Pan
- Best for Multi-Tasking: Anolon Advanced Home 12.5" Divided Grill and Griddle Pan
- Best for Pan-Searing: Demeyere Atlantis Proline 9.5" Stainless Steel Fry Pan
- Best for a Crispy Skin: Hestan ProBond Stainless Steel Skillet
- Best for Single Servings: Demeyere AluPro Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan
1. Best Overall Pan for Cooking Fish: Finex 15" Cast Iron Lean Grill Pan
When it comes to grilling fish and seafood, the Finex 15" Cast Iron Lean Grill Pan is the perfect pan for cooking fish like this. This wide pan — which also earns top marks as one of the best grill pans — works on all stovetops and even features a domed interior surface to drain fat and grilling juices without smoking. It comes pre-seasoned, so all you have to focus on is sizzling up your fish and veggies.
Why This Product Is Chef-Approved
Besides the easy-to-store slimness of the Finex 15" Cast Iron Grill Pan, Chef Nick loves this pan's even heating, beautiful grill marks and the wonderful smoky flavor it gives food.
2. Best for Browning and Braising: Zwilling Clad CFX Ceramic Non-Stick Fry Pan
One of the best non-stick pans for cooking fish is the Zwilling Clad CFX Ceramic Non-Stick Fry Pan, featuring a ceramic non-stick coating that lasts 50% longer and is 300 times more durable than standard non-stick coatings. One of the best fry pans on the market, this piece is made from an aluminum core, which means it has a fast and even thermal distribution for even browning and cooking. It also comes in two different sizes.
Why This Product Is Cozymeal-Approved
We chose the Zwilling Clad CFX Ceramic Non-Stick Fry Pan for its fast, even heating, beautiful design and excellent non-stick properties — especially important when cooking fish.
3. Best Budget Pan for Cooking Fish: Ballarini Parma Plus 8" Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan
The best budget pan for cooking fish is the Ballarini Parma Plus 8" Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan. It cooks various types of fish, from salmon to sablefish, fast and evenly. This pan even features a handy thermopoint sensor to let you know when the pan is hot, so you won’t have to worry about starting too soon and under or overcooking your fish.
Why This Product Is Cozymeal-Approved
Our team is in love with the Thermopoint technology of the Ballarini Parma Plus 8" Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan. The fact that the pan lets you know when it's hot enough to cook on, combined with its super budget-friendly price tag, makes it a sure winner.
4. Most Versatile Pan for Cooking Fish: Staub Square Cast Iron 12" Grill Pan
The colorful and chip-resistant Staub Square Cast Iron 12" Grill Pan is one of the best pans to cook fish, thanks to the cast iron enamel cooking surface that can add extra flavor to your fish dishes. Additionally, the grilling grooves function well to collect fat, thus making your fish a little bit healthier without having to sacrifice any flavor. It’s one of the best cast iron pans for cooking fish that will also serve all your other grilling needs exceptionally well.
Why This Product Is Cozymeal-Approved
Not only do the fat-collecting grilling grooves of the Staub Square Cast Iron 12" Grill Pan make this another great pan for healthy cooking, its bright red color also makes us happy every time we look at it.
5. Best for Multi-Tasking: Anolon Advanced Home 12.5" Divided Grill and Griddle Pan
If you want to prepare your fish and sides at the same time but not necessarily together in the same pan, then the Anolon Advanced Home 12.5" Divided Grill and Griddle Pan is the perfect pan for cooking fish and vegetables separately. This non-stick aluminum piece features a split type of pan design with one half being a griddle surface and the other half a grill surface. It’s ideal for frying fish on one side while grilling some asparagus on the other!
Why This Product Is Cozymeal-Approved
Anything that saves time on cooking and clean-up gets out hearty support. The Anolon Advanced Home 12.5" Divided Grill and Griddle Pan is the ultimate multi-tasker's pan.
6. Best for Pan-Searing: Demeyere Atlantis Proline 9.5" Stainless Steel Fry Pan
Made from an innovative seven-layer material, the Demeyere Atlantis Proline 9.5" Stainless Steel Fry Pan is especially suited to searing and can also be placed in the oven or on induction hobs. If you love your seafood pan-seared, this is the best pan for cooking fish in that style.
Why This Product Is Chef-Approved
Chef Angela-Michelle uses the Demeyere Atlantis Proline 9.5" Fry Pan for everything from sautéeing vegetables to whipping up comfort foods.
7. Best for a Crispy Skin: Hestan ProBond Stainless Steel Skillet
When it comes to pans for cooking fish, you can’t go wrong with a stainless steel fish pan, particularly if you want to get a crispy skin. The Hestan ProBond Stainless Steel Skillet holds its own as one of the best stainless steel cookware pieces, available in two sizes for cooking up crispy fish with ease. It even features a flared rim to help with pouring any sauce or liquid.
Why This Product Is Cozymeal-Approved
We love the quick, even heating time of the beautifully designed Hestan ProBond Stainless Steel Skillet as much as we do its wide surface area.
8. Best for Single Servings: Demeyere AluPro Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan
The Demeyere AluPro Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan is an excellent non-stick frying pan for fish, ideal for preparing a single-serving or small portion of meat. Available in three different sizes, the collections stands out as some of the best non-stick cookware. It heats evenly and is great for sautéeing and browning, so you can use it to sauté onions and other vegetables before cooking your fish.
Why This Product Is Cozymeal-Approved
The 8" version of the Demeyere AluPro Aluminum Non-Stick Fry Pan is ideal for cooking small portions of fish or other foods. We find this an incredibly non-stick pan perfectly sized for a single serving.
While there is no singular best pan for cooking fish, all of the pans on our list are great cookware options that will serve your seafood needs and more. Non-stick, stainless steel and cast iron all have their unique advantages when it comes to preparing fish, so be sure to select one that’s best suited to your preferences.
Once you have your pan for cooking fish, head to the local market, grab a fresh catch and start cooking up something delicious.
For even more ways to elevate your kitchen, check out chef-recommended cookware in the Cozymeal Shop.
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