From our testing, the best electric skillet is the De’Longhi BG45 Electric Foldaway Skillet. This particular model excels in both performance and functionality.
Below we breakdown our testing, results and ratings for the top selling skillets.
| PRODUCT | RATING | COST |
|---|---|---|
| 1. De’Longhi BG45 | ★★★★☆ | $$ |
| 2. Elite Platinum | ★★★★☆ | $$ |
| 3. Presto Foldaway Skillet | ★★★★☆ | $$ |
| 4. Zojirushi Gourmet | ★★★☆☆ | $$$$$ |
| 5. Copper Chef | ★★☆☆☆ | $$ |
| 6. Nesco | N/A | $ |
It’s hard to imagine why a device that was groundbreaking over 75 years ago, has seen such a popular resurgence. Unless you are a cookware junkie, or just an avid cook, then you know why. Electric skillets have one major advantage over a pan on a stove. A thermostat.
Leather pancakes may indeed have been a thing in 1955, according to Good Housekeeping. Thermostatically controlled cooking saved the country from that dire threat. But it really comes in to play across multiple cooking processes. Which is what guided us when we decided to test the market and see how today’s products hold up.
What Makes an Electric Skillet Essential
In our house we had to use an electric skillet exclusively while we were waiting for a new stove to arrive. Surprisingly, it was effective for oven dishes like enchiladas and lasagna, and the expected things like deep frying or skillet dishes. Beyond it’s practical cooking abilities, electric skillet keeps food hot and ready, making it a valuable addition to any kitchen.
HOW WE TESTED
There were two large categories we looked at for this product group. The first category is the mechanics:
- Heat Distribution
- Ergonomics
- Clean Up
The second category focused on cooking styles:
- Sauté
- Deep Fry
- Searing
- Poaching
- Pancakes
Heat Distribution
We began by testing heat distribution with simple water boiling. We filled each skillet with a measured amount of water and brought it to a boil, observing how evenly the bubbles formed across the surface. This test highlighted any hot spots and demonstrated the efficiency of each skillet’s heat distribution.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is how well designed a product is to be used by actual humans. Subjectively we looked at how well you could maneuver while cooking, general feel of the product and overall sturdiness.
Sauté
For our sauté test, we set each thermostat to 300°F, melted some butter, and added sliced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. We tossed the veggies until softened and browned, assessing the time it took and the evenness of browning.
Fry
We double-fried french fries by soaking cut russet potatoes in ice water, then frying in vegetable oil. The initial fry happened at 325°F until fries were blonde, then at 375°F for the final crisp. We judged how long the oil took to reach temperature, temperature recovery after adding fries, and the fries’ taste, texture, and browning.
Sear
To sear a steak, we cranked the skillets to max, seared seasoned top sirloin, then lowered the heat to finish. We focused on the quality and evenness of browning and noted the time to reach searing temperature.
Pancakes
Yes, they’re all the same food. We had to confirm what Good Housekeeping put out there; leather or not? This is also a good ergonomic test of how easy it is to flip the cakes in the skillet.
Poached Fish
Tilapia was poached in 140°F milk with onions and seasonings. We noted temperature maintenance, thermostat cycle swings, taste, and texture.
Boiling
For heat distribution, bringing a measured amount of water to a boil was a simple yet revealing test. You get a great picture of how the element brings the skillet up to heat by observing the bubble patterns along the bottom of the pan.
Cleaning
Nothing ruins an experience quicker than a product that is a pain to clean up. Those products get left on the shelf. Since today’s electric skillets are almost exclusively non-stick, we first looked at how cooking residue rinsed off with just hot water. That focused on the cooking surface, so we also looked at the nooks and crannies, element area, handles, power connection and more.
BEST ELECTRIC SKILLETS
For each test, we rated each skillet on a 5-point scale, then combined the individual test ratings into an overall rating. We used these overall ratings, the prices, and our opinions based on two days of testing to produce a final ranking.
1. De’Longhi BG45 Electric Skillet
Overall Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Price: $$
Size: Advertised at: 16”×13”
Wattage: 1500
Material: Die Cast Aluminum
Weight: 9.9lbs
TEST RAITINGS: RECOMMENDED / WINNER
Heat -: ★★★★☆
Ergonomics -: ★★★★★
Sauté -: ★★★★★
Fry –: ★★★★☆
Sear –: ★★★☆☆
Pancakes –: ★★★★★
Poached Fish –: N/A
Cleaning –: ★★★★★
Why It Was Included in Our Roundup
De’Longhi is among the top searched-for by brand name on Google. It was also featured in the top 5 across several online editorial reviews.
Testing Review Results
Heat ★★★★☆
The De’Longhi heated up among the quickest in the group and performed consistently well. Like many of the skillets inn our roundup, it ran over the thermostat setting by about 50 degrees – about average for the group.
The thermostat ranges from 200°F to 400°F. The lowest setting is MINN (warm), then it goes up by 50 degree increments from 200°F to 400°F.
Temperature consistency is good, with a spread of 20-30 degrees from the center to the edges.
Ergonomics ★★★★★
Lots to like here. The De’Longhi has a solid sturdy design with ample cooking space. It’s nominally 16”×12”, but has 13¾”×9¾” of actual cooking surface.
The handles were the best in the bunch. They are comfortable and easy to grab, and never got hot, even set to maximum temperature. The cord is 36” long, which is not amazing, but will at least get you anywhere on the countertop.
Sauté ★★★★★
Like sauté co-champ Elite, the De’Longhi heated up fast to a good heat level. It held temperature well when the veggies were introduced, and gave them a nice level of browning in a reasonable amount of time.
Fry ★★★★☆
The De’Longhi got the oil up to temperature quickly, though not as fast as the Elite. Temperature drop was reasonable, but we would like to have seen a faster bounceback. The finished fries were very good – a little over-browned, but with a perfect interior.
On the fry cooking test, we really admired the quality of the handles. Even full of hot oil, the handles were basically room temperature.
Sear ★★★☆
The De’Longhi’s steak sear was among the best in the group. It heated quickly, and stayed fiery while putting a nice sear on our sirloin.
While that was the focus of the test, we found a flaw when reducing the heat for the second side: the heat dropped too far when the thermostat temperature went down. This gave us a steak with a great sear, but an overcooked layer below the surface. So, if you purchase the De’Longhi and are looking for the perfect steak, we recommend kicking it up to max and leaving it there while cooking the steak about 3 minutes on each side.
Pancakes ★★★★★
Nothing to say here but yum. The De’Longhi turned out perfect pancakes, matching the Presto. This was another spot where we appreciated how easy the De’Longhi was to work with. The whole thing sits solidly on the table and it’s easy to work on the cooking surface.
Fish Poaching N/A
Here’s a thing the De’Longhi doesn’t do well, or at all. The thermostat goes down to 200 degrees, and while something is happening below that level, it’s not consistent or repeatable. If you’re looking for a skillet that will hold low temperatures, the De’Longhi is not for you, and we would recommend the Elite.
Cleaning ★★★★★
The De’Longhi cleaned up nice and easy with a rinse in hot water. The nonstick coating did its job well, and the handles and exterior cleaned up easily too. The skillet is advertised as dishwasher-safe, but examining that aspect is a long-term thing.
Overall ★★★★
The De’Longhi BG45 finished in the top tier in every one of our tests except for the fish poaching test, where it failed completely at holding a low temperature. Moreover, the design was the best in the group and was the only skillet we felt comfortable handling and maneuvering when it was running at its maximum temperature. If you need low-temperature ability, go with the Elite, but otherwise our WINNER, the De’Longhi, is RECOMMENDED as our Best Electric Skillet.
What We Liked
- Quality design
- Big cooking area
- Great sauté and sear
- Great handles
- Easy to clean
What We Didn’t Like
- Doesn’t work below 200 degrees
- Drops too much temperature when turned down
2. Elite Platinum EG-6203
Overall Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Price: $$
Wattage: 1500
Material: Die Cast Aluminum
Weight: 9.9lbs
TEST RAITINGS: RECOMMENDED
Heat -: ★★★★☆
Ergonomics -: ★★★★☆
Sauté -: ★★★★★
Fry –: ★★★★☆
Sear –: ★★★★☆
Pancakes –: ★★★☆☆
Poached Fish –: ★★★★☆
Cleaning –: ★★☆☆☆
Why It Was Included in Our Roundup
Elite was ranked in the top three spots on Amazon by both user reviews and top sellers. That high ranking pushed it to be one of the top editorial reviewed products in the category.
Testing Review Results
Heat ★★★★☆
The Elite finished in our top tier and would have finished as #1 if not for the fact that it ran hot almost all the time.
The nominal range of the thermostat is 200°F to 400°F in 50°F increments. It heats up among the quickest of all the skillets. Unfortunately, when set to anything above 300°F, it starts to run over by 50 to 130 degrees. Running consistently hot isn’t too big a problem since you can plan for it. Another issue is that the thermostat side runs 10-25% hotter than the far side.
Ergonomics ★★★★☆
The Elite is a traditional rectangular electric skillet, nominally 13”×16”, that boasts a honeycomb pebbled surface. The actual cooking surface is a bit smaller, about 12”×15”, which is above average for this group.
The honeycomb surface proved to be both good and bad. It was nice when trying to flip and stir things like the veggies in the sauté test. The surface had a bit of tooth that helped get a spatula under the food. It seemed to be a bit of a drawback, though, when it came to searing and cleanup. It features a notched-out corner that the manufacturer says is a pour spout, but it’s a terrible spout for pouring; you’re better off using one of the other 3 corners.
The handles felt sturdy and comfortable to grip. Unfortunately, the handle on the thermostat side got noticeably hot when the skillet was running at high temperatures.
The cord is 27½” long, which is a bit short. The thermostat features a trigger release mechanism, which was not that useful. We didn’t have any trouble removing the thermostats from any of the other skillets.
Sauté ★★★★★
This is where the honeycomb surface – unique to the Elite – really shined.
The pebbled surface allowed us to easily stir and flip the veggies to get even browning. The very high heat of the Elite also helped here – it was the fastest to heat up, and the fastest to brown the vegetables. The Elite was in the top tear of the sauté test.
Fry ★★★★☆
The Elite did a solid job in the fry test. Its high heat brought the oil up to temperature quickly, and, more importantly, bounced back quickly after adding the ice-cold potatoes. The Elite’s tendency to run caused us some trouble in the second fry. It ran too hot, so the fries browned too fast, and we had to pull them before they got the perfect texture on the exterior.
This was also where we discovered the “pour spout” did not work; luckily there were no casualties.
Sear ★★★★☆
One of the keys to a great sear is high heat over a short period of time. Too long, and you end up with overcooked steak, or worse, the heat is too low and you end up with an overcooked steak without a delicious crust. Since the Elite runs hot, it completed its sear fastest of all the skillets. However, the sear was only about 3rd best.
The honeycomb surface proved to be less than ideal for searing, since less of the steak was in direct contact with the skillet.
Pancakes ★★★☆☆
The heat strikes again! While pancakes finished quickly, they were overcooked – a bit leathery on the outside while the inside was underdone. Again, we expect this issue can be rectified by fidgeting with the thermostat to anticipate the overshoot.
Fish Poaching ★★★★☆
Surprise! The rocket-hot Elite was able to maintain a low enough heat to keep our fish on hold at 140 degrees for upwards of 20 minutes. The only reason we didn’t award the Elite a 5 on this test was because the first thermostat reading is 200, so we had to play around with the “warm” reading to get our liquid down to 140 degrees.
Cleaning ★★☆☆☆
Cleaning was a bit of a drag because of the honeycomb surface. Instead of coming clean with hot water, or hot water and a simple wipe down, it required the use of a scrubber and constant scrubs in circular motions to get it cleaned.
Overall ★★★★☆
Overall, the Elite is a very good skillet. It heats up fast and hot with low-temperature versatility too. The downside is that it runs too hot, and needs a careful eye and maybe a thermometer to get to the right temperature. The honeycomb surface texture is a mixed blessing: good for the sauté and pancakes, but not good for searing or cleaning. The Elite Platinum EG-6203 is RECOMMENDED, but keep an eye on that thermostat.
What We Liked
- Quality design
- Big cooking area
- Heats up fast
- Sautés well
- Dishwasher safe
What We Didn’t Like
- Runs excessively hot
- Tough to clean the honeycomb surface
- Takes longer to reach set temperature
3. Presto 06857 16” Electric Foldaway Skillet
Overall Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Price: $$
Heat -: ★★★☆☆
Ergonomics -: ★★★☆☆
Sauté -: ★★★☆☆
Fry –: ★★★★☆
Sear –: ★★★★☆
Pancakes –: ★★★★★
Poached Fish –: ★☆☆☆☆
Cleaning –: ★★★★★
Why It Was Included in Our Roundup
The Presto electric skillet consistently scores high. It’s a tops seller, most featured and reviewed on Amazon, and the most searched on Google. Needless to say expectations are high.
We reviewed Model 6857, which features a foldaway base, while the 6852 model has a static stand.
Testing Review Results
Heat ★★★★☆
The Presto seemed to take a little longer than the Elite and De’Longhi to heat up, but once it gets going, it seems to run at about the same pace as those top ones. Like most of the skillets, it ran over the thermostat setting but in Presto’s case it was about 90 degrees, putting it right up there with the Elite as far as running hot.
Presto does recommend having some type of heat barrier underneath the base just to protect damaging your counter from excess heat. Temperature consistency isn’t the best with a spread of 40-60 degrees from the center to the edges.
Ergonomics ★★★☆☆
Overall, it’s a solid build. The cooking surface is as big as any in our lineup, and it’s easy to maneuver utensils around in it. It’s a small thing, but the pour spout was the best in the test.
The Presto’s signature feature is the removable base that folds up and nests into the skillet for easy storage. This is a very helpful feature for a crowded kitchen, but there are downsides too. The base is relatively insubstantial compared to the De’Longhi and the Elite, and the handles do not instill any confidence. They also disengage from the skillet by pressing the buttons on top, which is an easy mistake, especially with oven mitts.
The manufacturer warns not to move the skillet if it contains hot liquid, and we echo that warning.
Sauté – ★★★☆☆
The Presto was middle of the road as in our sauté pan test. It was the last to produce satisfactory vegetables (which is better than the Copper Chef, which never produced satisfactory vegetables). The veggies came out good, but we would have liked to see a little more browning on the peppers.
Fry ★★★★☆
The Presto did well on the fry test. It took a little while to get up to temperature, but it maintained temperature well when we added the fries and got back up to temperature better than expected. When we cranked it up to high for the second fry, it performed just as well, giving us a plate of well-browned fries.
Sear ★★★★☆
It feels monotonous to write, but the Presto did about the same on the sear as it did on the sauté and the fry – ultimately well, but a bit too slowly. The Presto’s ability to maintain temperature well led to a nice sear with a solid crust, but not quite as good as that produced by the Elite or the Zojirushi.
Pancakes ★★★☆☆
The Presto topped the pancake test alongside the De’Longhi. It produced a great pancake without any trouble. There’s plenty of room for a big batch, and it was easy to get the spatula around everywhere it needed to go.
Fish Poaching ★☆☆☆☆
Even though the Presto has a warm setting below its lowest thermostat setting of 200°, we just couldn’t find the sweet spot for a low poach. We were looking to hold a temperature of around 140°, but we couldn’t do better than 150° with swings over 175°. We got a reasonable piece of fish out of this model, but it lacks cooking performance in this category.
Cleaning ★★★★★
Presto cleaned up easier than any in the group aside from the Copper Chef. We just needed some hot water from the spray nozzle, and everything slid right off. The detachable base makes cleaning even easier. The only downside is that the base has a lot of little grooves and crevices that do need work to clean.
Overall ★★★★☆
The Presto does well across the board except for its low-heat performance in the fish poaching test. it’s one downfall of not being able to hold a low temperature (below 160F). The Presto runs hot. As a consolation, Presto does provide a guide as for cook times and temperatures.
The fold-up base is its biggest differentiator among the top skillets in our cooking tests, but it wasn’t enough to the positive. The small storage space requirement is great, but the effect on the handles pushes it down a little bit in our rankings. Those handles jiggle a little when fully locked in, but they also have a quick release latch that can easily be disengaged by accident – disaster.
Now, had we tested the Presto 6852 (same design but with static handles) it would have likely finished in our second place spot. Instead, we call it RECOMMENDED, but we prefer the De’Longhi and the Elite just a little bit. If you like what you’ve heard about the Presto 6857 and don’t need the collapsable base, the Presto 6852 might be for you, and be about $10 cheaper.
What We Liked
- Big cooking surface
- Retains heat well
- Easy storage
What We Didn’t Like
- Untrustworthy handles
- Slow to heat up
- Poor low-heat performance
4. Zojirushi EP-PBC10 Gourmet d’Expert Electric Skillet
Overall Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Price: $$$$$
Wattage: 1300
Material: Ceramic pan with titanium nonstick coating
Weight: 9 lbs
TEST RAITINGS: NOT RECOMMENDED
Heat -: ★★★★☆
Ergonomics -: ★★★☆☆
Sauté -: ★★★☆☆
Fry –: ★★★★☆
Sear –: ★★★★☆
Pancakes –: ★★☆☆☆
Poached Fish –: ★★★★★
Cleaning –: ★★☆☆☆
Why It Was Included in Our Roundup
The Zojirushi was a shoo-in for our roundup because we needed a popular “high-end” model. The Zojirushi was rated as a top pick by FineCooking.com, and came in as top pick at ConsumerSearch.com. It also has the third-highest Star Rating on Amazon behind the Presto and Elite.
Testing Review Results
Heat ★★★★☆
Zojirushi really shines when it comes to heat control. It was the most consistent in our test in maintaining temperature and the most even heat distribution across the surface of the skillet; making it ideal for keeping food warm and baking tasks. It also holds heat well over time, which helps its consistency: from being the most consistent in maintaining temperature, to produce an even temperature reading across the surface of the skillet. It also has the widest heat range from 175 °F (Keep Warm) to 430 °F and featured the most detailed thermostat of the bunch.
The downside is that the Zojirushi takes a long time to get to a particular temperature, and that it can’t get as hot as the other skillets in the panel. Both the ups and the downs come from the Zojirushi’s removable insert design. It’s got a heavy insert that holds the temperature very steady, whether you want that or not.
Ergonomics ★★★☆☆
The Zojirushi’s biggest downfall is its size. The cooking surface is small – there’s only enough room for one steak or one pancake. There is a larger model you can purchase, but it only adds another 1½” of diameter for another $50 on top of the already hefty price.
The handles were okay. They were offset enough from the skillet to stay fairly cool throughout the cooking process, but they were small and awkward.
Aesthetically, the Zojirushi has a nice modern appearance with a built-in thermostat that runs along the face of the base. One great feature that none of the other skillets in our lineup have is a magnetic breakaway power cord. This is the safest and easiest choice for tableside cooking.
The insert portion can also cook directly on the stovetop like a regular skillet.
Sauté – ★★★☆☆
The Zojirushi’s deep kettle-style design and its small cooking surface combined to keep too much moisture in our vegetables in the initial segment of the sauté. It took the Zojirushi twice as long to complete the sauté as our speedy skillets. In the end, though, the veggies came out fine and were comparable to those produced by the De’Longhi and Elite.
Fry ★★★★☆
The Zojrushi produced the best fries, but we had to work for it.
It was a constant battle of taking temperature readings of the oil and tinkering around with the thermostat. It showed big swings when we added the ice cold fries in and it didn’t bounce back the way we expected it to. We ultimately ended up putting the lid on to bring our oil back to temperature to prepare for our second fry. This time around the heat maintained much better when we added the fries in.
This is a testament to how the Zojuriushi preforms when it comes to heat retention: once it reaches 325F+ the kettle itself holds the heat in pretty well due to its thickness and the insulation provided by the base.
Sear ★★★★☆
Zojuriushi finished in second to the Elite when rating the quality of the sear.
Additionally, it finished cooking the steak the quickest of all the skillets. This is another testament to how well the Zojuriushi retains heat.
Pancakes ★★★☆☆
Zojuriushi’s true colors really shined through here, solidifying its status as something entirely different than a traditional electric skillet.
For starters, the cooking surface only allowed for two pancakes, while the other skillets could comfortably hold four. When it came time to flip the pancakes we struggled to find space to get under the pancakes with the spatula.
There was noticeable residue left over on the cooking surface when we flipped the pancakes while the other skillets didn’t show any signs of residue.
The kicker, is the pancakes never really cooked. The browning was minimal and it topped out at around golden, the inside left nothing to be desired – you’d be much better off using a frying pan.
Since the Zojuriushi runs at lower temperatures than the rest of the skillets (mostly due to the fact that it doesn’t run over by 50F+ like the rest of the skillets) it was technically cooking at about 50F – 75F cooler than the rest of the skillets we stacked it up against. So just for the sake of experimenting we ran another batch of pancakes; this time kicking the heat up to max (425F). This time around it produced a nice pancake that was among the best we produced on any of the skillets.
Fish Poaching ★☆☆☆☆
Our winner in the Fish Poaching test holding constant temperatures between 140F and 160F. The Zojuriushi is the only one in our group that we would trust to hold the meat for an extended duration of time without overcooking it.
Cleaning ★★★★★
When it came to cleanup we found we needed to scrub, while most of the other skillets came clean with just hot water from the spray nozzle. Additionally, the base is a complicated, non-dishwasher safe part of the Zojuriushi. If you need to clean the base, you’ll find that water easily gets inside the inners of the base and you need to wait for it to dry completely before storing it. This is the same story for the Copper Chef.
Overall ★★★★☆
It didn’t take long for us to realize that the Zojuriushi did not belong in our test. Simply calling your product a skillet by putting the word Skillet in the title doesn’t make it so. With that being said, Zojuriushi is not a bad product, just seems to be designed more to cooking and serving Asian cuisine more than it seems to be designed for making a traditional breakfast.
Many times, spending more money doesn’t equate better results; this is true when testing the performance of the Zojuriushi as an electric skillet. We are not able to justify the Zojuriushi at its high price-point.
What We Liked
- Low heat performance
- Maintained consistent heat levels
- Safe pull away magnetized cord
- Sleek modern style design
What We Didn’t Like
- Not a true electric skillet
- Price-point was far too high for an electric skillet while not performing like one
- Cooking space too small
- Cleanup is less than ideal between the skillet itself and the base
5. Copper Chef 12” Electric Skillet with Removable Base
Overall Star Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Price: $$
Wattage: 1200
Material: Ceramic
Weight: 3.5 lbs
TEST RAITINGS: NOT RECOMMENDED
Heat -: ★★★☆☆
Ergonomics -: ★★☆☆☆
Sauté -: ★☆☆☆☆
Fry –: ★☆☆☆☆
Sear –: ★★★☆☆
Pancakes –: ★★☆☆☆
Poached Fish –: ★★★☆☆
Cleaning –: ★★★★☆
Why It Was Included in Our Roundup
While Copper Chef is not among the top recommended electric skillets by editorial reviews or Amazon, it is a popular choice for many due to the popularity of Copper Chef cookware and infomercials. Additionally, of all the Google searches related to the term “electric skillet”, Copper Chef is the most popular brand name.
Testing Review Results
Heat ★★★☆☆
The Copper Chef skillet has a nominal temperature range of 200 to 425 degrees in 50 degree increments.
Where most of the skillets have an integrated heating coil, the Copper Chef has a skillet part sit freely on top of a heating base. This has its ups and downs – on the plus side, the heat is very evenly distributed across the cooking surface. On the minus side, it took the longest to heat up of the tested skillets.
The Copper Chef skillet part is very thin, and does not retain heat well. The temperature dropped significantly when adding food to the skillet. It was noteworthy that the skillet put off an unpleasant plasticky smell when heated over 350 degrees.
Ergonomics ★★☆☆☆
The Copper Chef’s design is interesting, but ultimately flawed.
The unique plus it offers is that the skillet portion is completely detachable and usable on the stovetop or in the oven. This is definitely a good thing for additional utility (although that would be better if the skillet were of higher quality). Judged as an electric skillet, though, it’s a problem. There’s nothing holding the skillet to the base, so any bump starts it sliding off the base. There were some frightening moments in the fry test when we were worried the kitchen would turn into Stephen King’s Firestarter.
The handles on the stainless steel skillet are very good – big loops that are easy to grab, even with oven mitts. Unfortunately, there are no handles at all on the base portion, so you’re not moving that until it’s all the way cooled. This puts a damper on the Copper Chef’s tableside utility.
The size is a bit small too. The nominal size is 12”×12” with an actual cooking area of 10″ x 8″. The cord is awkwardly short – about 2 feet long.
The insert portion can also cook directly on the stovetop like a regular skillet.
Sauté – ★☆☆☆☆
When it came to sautéing, the Copper Chef came up short. Its greatest strength, the much-touted extremely nonstick surface, proves to be its weakness. The vegetables slid around like a puck on an air hockey table, but there was basically no browning.
Fry ★☆☆☆☆
After 25 minutes, Copper Chef never heated the oil to our target temperature of 325 degrees, even after adding the lid and kicking up the thermostat to 350. When we added the fries for the first round of frying, the oil quickly dropped to 250F, after 5 minutes it only recovered 7 degrees.
Once we removed the fries, we turned the Copper Chef up to max heat (425 degrees) and put the lid on in the vain hope that it would be ready for the second phase of our fry. Our oil topped out around 316 degrees when we added the fries back in for the second go.
Ultimately, the poor temperature performance of the Chopper Chef left us with a plate of chewy, greasy fries.
Sear ★★★☆☆
The Copper Chef skillet performed reasonably well at the sear test. We heated it to maximum, and while it did take quite a while to get there, once heated it produced a good sear on the steak, although it took longer than other skillets.
The focus of this test was the sear, but it’s worth noting that when we turned the skillet down to finish the steak, the temperature dropped far more than we were expecting. Our testing overall shows that the Copper Chef works best at either the top or the bottom of its range, with the middle temperatures showing questionable results.
Pancakes ★★☆☆☆
The Copper Chef’s pancakes came out sad and doughy with minimal browning. Worse, there was only room in the skillet for two pancakes. The unanchored skillet was awkward
In light of what we found in the steak test, we gave it another go with the last of the batter at maximum temperature. This produced a good pancake, but reinforced the issue of poor mid-temperature performance.
Fish Poaching ★★★☆☆
The Copper Chef did its best work in the poaching test. Set to minimum, it maintained a reasonable temperature range of 120-160 degrees. The fish finished nicely, but the temperature swings would eventually overcook it if left alone.
Cleaning ★★★★☆
The Copper Chef advertises itself as easy to clean, and they nailed that part, at least on the skillet. The skillet portion cleans instantly with just a little running water. Unfortunately, the base is harder to clean. Anything that drips onto the base gets cooked on solidly and takes a lot of work to remove. The base is also tricky to dry.
One cleaning-related note: despite not using this skillet too much, we started seeing signs of wear on the bottom. It’s concerning that the nonstick coating might not last long enough.
Overall ★★☆☆☆
Overall, the main thing the Copper Chef skillet has going for it is its aggressively nonstick coating, similar to your typical non-stick frying pan. Going against it is poor performance in several tests, especially ones that require mid-range heat control, and a relatively small size. The overall design of a skillet sitting freely on a base is interesting, but ultimately not a winning idea. In the balance, the Copper Chef 12” Electric Skillet is NOT RECOMMENDED.
What We Liked
- nonstick surface
- skillet can be used directly on the stove (like the Zojurushi).
What We Didn’t Like
- Skillet rests freely on the base
- Trouble maintaining consistent temperatures
- Takes longer to reach set temperature
- Not ideal for sautéing
- Nonstick attributes seems to be based on a thin temporary coating
6. Nesco ES-08 Electric Skillet
Overall Star Rating: N/A
Price: $
Wattage: 800
Material: Die Cast Aluminum
Weight: 3.5 lbs
TEST RAITINGS: DISQUALIFIED
Why It Was Included in Our Roundup
We pulled data from the three most-visited electric skillet reviews, and found that the Nesco was consistently popular, including a “Best Choice” ranking in an Amazon review.
Testing Review Results
This skillet never made it through our series of test as it failed right out of the box.
Our first signs of trouble came in the unboxing. The stainless steel skillet had little shards of glass in it – not a great start, but we cleaned it out carefully for testing. The knob for the lid had to be screwed on, and it did not fit well.
During the first cooking test when we were trying to sauté vegetables, it randomly turned off twice. Our initial thought was that we blew a breaker, or that the cord came loose from the wall, but it turned out the connection from the thermostat probe to the skillet was bad. It would work if we held it together, but would cut out with even the smallest nudge.
In the end, we made the call to eliminate it from our test rather than run out to get a replacement. We decided that the unit was so small and thin, and that the performance so far was so lacking that we’d have a hard time justifying spending $25+ on this model. We do not recommend this skillet.
Heat – N/A
Ergonomics – N/A
Sauté – N/A
Fry – N/A
Sear – N/A
Pancakes – N/A
Poached Fish – N/A
Cleaning – N/A
What We Liked
- Surface cleanup was easy
- Compact storage
- Low wattage requirements
What We Didn’t Like
- Failed to work
- Could not sauté a single serving of vegetables without crowding the skillet
TEST SUMMARY
First place: The De’Longhi BG45 offers the best balance of design and function, with only low-temperature performance as a complaint.
Second place: The Elite Platinum EG-6203 might have taken the top spot, but it falls just a little behind because it runs so overly hot.
Third place: The Presto 6857 does a lot of things well, and if you really need the fold-up design for storage it’s great. Unfortunately, the rickety base and handles pull its design down a notch.
All three of these skillets are great choices, and we think you’ll be happy with any of them. Which one you choose will come down to your exact needs, so we hope the detailed individual reviews can help you narrow down the right skillet for you.
About Electric Skillets
How much should you spend on an electric skillet? The top-selling models range from $25 to $110. We found the sweet spot is around $50.
Skillet vs. Electric Griddle
Skillets and griddles are not identical. Griddles have no sides or maybe very low ones, up to 1/2″. Skillets are more traditional pans with sides from 2.5″ to 4″ and usually come with a lid. Griddles are perfect for pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Skillets, on the other hand, are great for cooking sausages, spaghetti sauce, lasagna, and even desserts like cakes.
What Can You Do with an Electric Skillet?
Short on kitchen space: Ideal for apartments, dorms, tiny houses, or RVs. They add extra cooking space and let two people cook without cramming into the kitchen.
The Entertainer: Perfect for hosting large gatherings. They allow the party to move outside, freeing up stove space for guests’ food.
Efficiency: A lifesaver in hot places like Arizona, they’re simpler and more versatile than grills, handling some oven jobs too.
Home away from home: I always associate “home sweet home” with the smells and flavors of a home-cooked meal. Being able to make up a dish in a motel room, at the office, or any location that doesn’t have a stove is a game changer.
The Presto 6857 Features Foldaway Handles for Compact Storage