<figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x7xo42KTemQ12sj8D9TcrQLggPs=/347x0:5894x4160/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73968697/GettyImages_2192869388.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>From Caraway’s nonstick (and non-toxic) bundles to a hobbit-sized cast-iron frying pan, these little pans do big things</p> <p id="W9qFlf">What better way to frame a lone fried egg than with a hobbit-sized skillet? Why schlep out a monster pan when you’re cooking an oatmeal skillet cookie, or a quick shakshuka for one that requires a mere seven-ish inches of circumference for optimal poaching? Sometimes, less is more, and it’s something that the best small frying pans can do so very well. </p> <div id="qZEXR3"> <blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CerUE_9hFDv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"> <div> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div></div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div></div> <div></div> <div></div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div> </div></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CerUE_9hFDv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Joanie Zisk | One Dish Kitchen (@onedishkitchen)</a></p> </div></blockquote> </div> <p id="hfL4rV">When I moved around often in my twenties, I didn’t own much. As a result, home-cooking-wise, I was typically living off the minimalist duo of a jumbo, oven-safe, cast-iron skillet (think, a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L14SK3-Skillet-Cast-Black/dp/B00063RWUM/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=8TFX31XQ6IRZ&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Wsi5kewBd3JiuiMBtU_qAxpjLHk6RPE5rs4RWOTQqCjaYx2dPQPjqWkcM8v_ZwZX7eo16XT9CZFlGrDUlwAL6etnwJgZLrwKDlS-BNSVW9W5oz3gKoqg8yCWq8vm8vACX7FJfSY0Fz2BwlOoLY--DrmlIGzFdIDy-dzAje1Z7UySyNERWoKpfFZMCFKMBAJhynNXPAFyZhHv7oIZ0BWArNJV9I7jWYpKS8IsAv6Dl_C7qorpRg5UrnxqmmhAJ13lxuYXCAlSA32CT4h6CcBl9fJsYOTYKqHa0wOKSDWGuc4.0zfPDf3rsghk5UBHttSGyzespkqLu3peyYjHpb88eCI&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=lodge%2Bcast%2Biron%2Bskillet%2B15%2Binch&amp;qid=1742232583&amp;s=home-garden&amp;sprefix=lodge%2B15%2Binch%2B%2Cgarden%2C100&amp;sr=1-1-spons&amp;ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.9fe8cbfa-bf43-43d1-a707-3f4e65a4b666&amp;sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&amp;th=1&amp;tag=eater0c-20" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">15-inch</a> Lodge skillet) and what I called the single-serving frying pan, which was most often a 5- to 8-inch wide frying pan with some kind of mystery nonstick coating. While this might sound spartan, those two pieces of cookware allowed me to make almost anything my heart desired — for one, anyway. These days, I find myself cooking for more mouths more frequently, but the handiness of that tiny frying pan has remained essential for quick, single-serving meals and side-quest dishes, from pan-searing a strip steak to whipping up a stir-fry with my leftovers. </p> <p id="p9QEv3">Now, as someone who has sizzled their way through many pans over many years, I try to check a few specific boxes when looking for a great frying pan. Durability is important, so hardy materials such as stainless steel and cast iron are top of mind. I’m not against nonstick pans, but I have become increasingly creeped out by <a href="https://www.sfenvironment.org/should-i-be-concerned-about-using-non-stick-cookware#:~:text=Per%2D%20and%20polyfluorinated%20compounds%20(PFAS,packaging%2C%20clothing%2C%20and%20cookware.">synthetic “forever” chemicals</a> — otherwise known as PFAS — that coated the <a href="https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/12/04/dupont-chemours-and-corteva-will-pay-ohio-110-million-in-settlement-over-forever-chemicals/">nonstick pans of yore</a>. Instead, I’m opting for nonstick frying pans with more transparency about what exactly goes into their glossy coatings. (I’m also more aware of potentially harmful microplastics in utensils, and now exclusively use <a href="https://www.eater.com/24322909/best-silicone-kitchen-utensils-bpa-free-non-toxic">medical-grade silicone cooking utensils</a> and <a href="https://www.eater.com/24248617/best-food-storage-containers-tupperware-pyrex-oxo">glass storage containers</a>.). </p> <p id="nJBYWd">Below, I have rounded up a few options of small, single-serving frying pans for every budget and material preference, from almost-palm-sized nonstick frying pans to miniature pan-and-lid bundles. </p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="YTDW7q" /> <h2 id="iiq8ke">For beginner cooks, this nonstick frying pan and lid set</h2> <div id="YaNKs2"><div></div></div> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="EwztnG" /> <h2 id="J4CKYx">… Or, opt for Caraway’s nonstick pan without the lid</h2> <p id="MJ4kst">If you’re not looking to spend quite as much on a bundle, you can also opt to buy the above frying pan at under $100 in any number of its color options, including marigold, sage, and a dusty rose pink. </p> <div id="opBebq"><div></div></div> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="8JZiOs" /> <h2 id="iMBerc">Stainless steel is a workhorse</h2> <div id="AWljIt"><div></div></div> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="UmQ6wd" /> <h2 id="R8Vaic">A palm-sized frying pan </h2> <div id="es9yDq"><div></div></div> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="7brXz4" /> <h2 id="CIGKlP">An aesthetically-pleasing Japanese frying pan</h2> <div id="kdwC7e"><div></div></div> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="doVwcy" /> <h2 id="pljCUf">Caraway doesn’t just do ceramic cookware</h2> <div id="AbdF0S"><div></div></div> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="OehByq" /> <h2 id="kmjb4w">Smithey’s rustic pan is a pot rack flex</h2> <div id="7Yb6BM"><div></div></div> <p id="d7mHb8">Happy frying. </p> <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="chH55a" /> <aside id="ix7W8g"><div></div></aside><p id="Q6jerQ"></p>