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Pans For Cooking Fish [7 Best Options Under $25]
Argus Milton • Jan 26, 2021
Want to know the best Pans for cooking fish that are both safe and affordable? Here are 7 high quality pans hand selected by our team for under $25.
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Table of Contents
Overview
7 Pans for Cooking Fish Under $25
Materials
Cookware Bottoms
Types of Pan Handles
Care & Maintenance
Safe vs. Unsafe Cookware
Conclusion
Overview
In this article we list ten highly rated pans for cooking fish with a price tag of $25 or less, that have been tested and approved by our team. Having the right tools in your kitchen will greatly impact the overall quality of your food and cooking experience. Each cookware item was judged using the following criteria:
Material: When it comes to pans not all material is created equal. Depending on the make of your pan will determine a variety of things. How evenly your fish cooks, its crispness, moisture, and so on. Depending on the occasion or just your preference, the type of pan you choose for cooking your fish is going to make all the difference.
Heat Conduction: How heat is transferred to your food will impact the end product in either a very good or a not so good way. You want your pan(s) to have the ability to evenly transferred the right amount of heat to your food, especially when preparing the meatier varieties such as trout, tuna, yellowtail, bluefish, tilapia or salmon.
Reactivity: A reactive pan is simply referring to its response to highly acidic foods. Such foods include citrusy products, tomatoes and some wines. One of our favorite types of cookware, cast iron, especially falls into this category. The downside to reactive cookware is the resulting metallic taste that comes from the clash of acidity and “reactive” metal. Metallic tasting food is no fun for anyone! There are a couple workarounds discussed later in this article, that can help reduce and sometimes prevent the transfer of metallic taste to your food.
Maintenance: Although maintenance doesn’t fall super high on our list, it is something to consider depending on the individual and your kitchen situation. The questions we ask are; how easily can it be cleaned? Is it dishwasher safe? How durable is it? A Pan that is easily cleaned, sturdy and flexible always makes life easier for the cook.
Safety: In terms of safety there are several things we took into consideration. First we looked at the handle and how it’s attached to the pan (more below under “Types of Pan Handles”). We don’t advise using pans with screw-in handles, as the handle can become loose overtime, creating a prime opportunity for an accident.
Also, handles angled at a 45 degree angle with cutout vents provide an immense amount of safety and stability. Firstly, when angled in such a way it allows for more room for other pots and pans, this is especially important when cooking multiple things on your stovetop at once. Secondly, the cutout vents are designed to reduce heat transfer between the pan and the handle, reducing the risk of a hand burn. Please note, even with cutout handles you should get in the habit of using a glove or towel when working with hot pans.
Durability & Versatility: Lastly we looked at how much punishment a pan can take before beginning to breakdown. The “breakdown” of a pan can be anything from discoloration, warping or getting scratched up. Of course with any pan if you’re unnecessarily rough on it the natural conclusion will be for it to breakdown faster. You want to take care of your cookware in a way that helps maintain its structure and overall quality. This includes properly cleaning (more below), limited exposure to high heat and harsh utensils and not using for storage.
Rating: Each pan was rated on a scale from “1” to “5”, with five stars being the “best”. The more a pan checked out in each area the higher its ranking.
7 Pans for Cooking Fish - Under $25
Materials
It’s super important to understand the different types of materials that pans come available in and how they behave in order to make the best decision for you. Please note that manufacturers have adjusted to new safety protocols after 2013 due to harmful toxins found in a variety of pots and pans. More below under Safe vs Unsafe cookware.
Stainless steel
- Pros: Durable, Rust Resistant, Non-Reactive, Dishwasher Friendly.
- Cons: This metal is known for its poor heat conduction.
Carbon steel
- Pros: Heats Fast, Naturally nonstick after broken in, Maintains heat and is lighter than cast iron.
- Cons: Highly reactive
Cast iron
- Pros: Holds heat well, Can go from the stovetop to the oven no problem, Great for searing.
- Cons: Not a great conductor of heat, reactive to acidic foods, not dishwasher friendly, High maintenance.
Cast Iron Enamel
- Pros: Nonreactive, rust averse, user friendly, easy to maintain.
- Cons: Not dishwasher safe, Can rust easily if chipped.
Copper
- Pros: Heats up quickly, even heat retention.
- Cons: Highly reactive, high maintenance, Expensive.
Aluminum
- Pros: Great for beginners, Budget friendly, very good heat conductor and lightweight.
- Cons: Aluminum will reshape when introduced to high heat, Becomes reactive at high heat.
Non-stick (AKA Teflon)
- Pros: Requires much less cooking oil than other pans, Budget friendly.
- Cons: Not very durable under high heat, Does not last very long, Is not dishwasher safe.
Ceramic
- Pros: Can handle high heat, Does not have chemicals.
- Cons: Does not have many non-stick benefits.
Cookware Bottoms
Clad construction
Consistent metal, induction friendly, quality 2.5 ml thickness is a good starting point.
Types of Pan Handles
Riveted handle
Sturdy & reduces heat transfer.
Welded handle
Smoother finish, easy to clean, more hygienic.
Screw handle
Budgeted cookware and potentially dangerous.
One piece handle
Seamless, ergonomic design, look for cutout vents that reduce heat transfer.
Silicon handles
Not always oven friendly, potential fire hazard.
Care & Maintenance of Your Pans
- Sitting water inside of pans for extended periods can lead to rust.
- Allow pans to cool before cleaning.
- Wash and dry by hand if possible.
- Takeaway– Take care of your pans and they will take care of you!
Safe vs Unsafe Cookware
When buying cookware you should use your own discretion regardless of claims made by the manufacturer. Our selection process consisted of a visit to the website of each and every manufacturer to learn how they went about addressing safety concerns surrounding harmful toxins found in metal cookware over the years. It’s important to educate yourself and have a functional understanding of how it all works.
With that being said we have listed potential dangers found in different metals in their natural state. This isn’t to suggest that manufacturers haven’t taken great steps in correcting the problem, but you should always know of the possible dangers inherent in certain materials as it pertains to the human body. Initiatives such as the “PFOA Stewardship Program” was launched to force a change that would prevent the inclusion of PFOA in the production of Teflon.
Toxic Cookware
- Teflon: Widely used for cooking as far back as I can remember, prior to the “fix” of 2013 Teflon products had within them what is known as PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene). PTFE is a plastic that when heated above 572°F, will begin to release toxins. These toxins can lead to Teflon flu when released in food. Symptoms include headaches, chills and high temperature. Research found that it impacts the lungs. Lastly, PTFE is fatal to birds.
- PFOA Perfluorooctanoic Acid: This is a manmade chemical also known as C8. When consumed it remains in the body for long periods of time. It has been linked to breast, prostate and ovarian cancer. When purchasing cookware make sure that the manufacturer specifically states that the product does NOT contain PFOA.
- Aluminum and Aluminum Foil: Aluminum in the human body has been linked to ALS and Alzheimer’s. The human body should consume more than 20mg of aluminum per day. When cooking with aluminum, especially with citrus such as lemon juice, that limit is greatly exceeded.
- Copper Cookware: This material can lead to metal poisoning when used to prepare food with citrus. Symptoms include vomiting blood, light headedness, yellowy skin and gastrointestinal Distress.
- Nickle Cookware: When transferred into food it can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
- Ceramic Coated Cookware: 100% ceramic is safe but not when coated. If a manufacturer claims otherwise I wouldn’t say they’re wrong but definitely do some research to determine how they went about making it safe. This is because when cracked cadmium and lead can get into your food and thus your body. These toxins have been linked to infertility. Even small amounts of cadmium can cause cardiovascular and reproduction issues in men, as well as a decrease in testosterone, damaged prostate function and bone issues.
Safe Cookware
The following cookware items are 100% safe…
- Real cast-iron: Please note that for men and post-menopausal women too much exposure to cast iron within their food can lead to iron toxicity. This is because blood is not flushed regularly and thus can lead to a build up of iron.
- Enameled Cast Iron Cookware
- Glass Cookware: Completely safe but isn’t nonstick. If nonstick be sure to do your due diligence in the manufacturer’s process to achieve a nonstick state.
- Stainless Steel
- 100% Ceramic cookware: The only downside is that it’s expensive.
- Carbon Steel: 100% non-toxic, only includes carbon and iron.
Conclusion
When it comes to pans for cooking fish you should always consider safety first. Depending on how you prefer your fish cooked should determine which pan you choose. I personally like my fish a little crispy on the outside, and therefore my number one go-to is cast iron. I’m also mindful of the fact that real cast iron doesn’t carry any harmful toxins, although as a man I must remember that using cast iron too often can result in iron-toxicity. Whichever option you choose I hope it serves you well in every way, and I wish you the best of luck!
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