SANTOKU
SANTOKU
Updated August 2026 · 8 min read · UK Japanese knife specialists
In short
A skillet is a frying pan: a shallow pan with a flat base, low sloped sides and a long handle, used for searing, frying and sauteing. In British English the two words mean the same thing, and the distinction worth knowing is not skillet versus frying pan but skillet versus saute pan, which has taller straight sides and a lid for cooking with liquid.
If you have been reading American recipes, you have been told to reach for a skillet. If you then go looking for one in a British shop, you find a wall of things labelled frying pans and no skillets at all. That is not a gap in the range. It is a difference in vocabulary, and this guide explains exactly what a skillet is, where the word does and does not carry extra meaning, and which pan you actually need.
On this page
- What is a skillet?
- Skillet vs frying pan vs saute pan vs griddle pan
- What skillets are made from
- Which pan should you actually buy?
- How to cook in a skillet
- Cleaning and looking after it
- FAQs
What is a skillet?
A skillet is a frying pan with a flat bottom, low sloping sides and a long handle. The sloping sides are the defining feature. They let steam escape quickly instead of trapping it, which is why food browns in a skillet rather than stewing, and they give you a ramp to toss ingredients up and slide them back down, or to tip everything neatly onto a plate.
Sizes are quoted by the diameter of the top rim, not the base, so a 26cm pan has a cooking surface noticeably smaller than 26cm. British pans are sold in centimetres, typically from around 20cm up to 30cm for domestic use, with the American equivalents quoted in inches. Most are round; oval and square versions exist but are far less common.
The word itself is where the confusion starts. In British English, skillet and frying pan are used almost interchangeably, and frying pan is by some distance the more common term. In American English, skillet is the everyday word, and it carries a soft additional implication: an American writer saying “get your skillet screaming hot” is usually picturing cast iron. That is a tendency in usage, not a rule, and no manufacturer or standards body defines a skillet as something separate from a frying pan.
Skillet vs frying pan vs saute pan vs griddle pan
Here is the comparison that actually matters. Skillet and frying pan sit in the same row because they are the same pan; the genuinely different shapes are the saute pan and the griddle pan.
| Pan | Sides | Lid? | Best for | UK usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skillet | Low and sloped | Optional | Searing, frying, sauteing, tossing | Same pan as a frying pan; American term, often implies cast iron |
| Frying pan | Low and sloped | Optional | Searing, frying, sauteing, tossing | The standard British term |
| Saute pan | Tall and straight | Usually included | Braising, shallow poaching, pan sauces, anything with liquid | A genuinely different pan, not a synonym |
| Griddle pan | Low, often square | No | Char marks on steak, chops and vegetables | Ridged base, so it sears in stripes and cannot hold a sauce |
The practical takeaway: if a recipe says skillet, use your frying pan and carry on. If a recipe says saute pan, and the next line asks you to add stock and put a lid on, reaching for a shallow sloped pan will leave you with liquid boiling over the sides.
What skillets are made from
Shape tells you what the pan is for. Material tells you how it will behave.
| Material | Strengths | Trade-offs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cast iron | Holds heat extremely well, oven safe, lasts decades, works on induction | Heavy, slow to heat, needs seasoning and careful drying | Hard searing, steaks, cornbread and other oven finishes |
| Stainless steel | Durable, non-reactive with acidic food, dishwasher tolerant, builds good fond for sauces | Food sticks if the pan is under-heated or under-oiled | Searing then deglazing, everyday all-purpose cooking |
| Non-stick | Food releases cleanly, needs little fat, easy to wash | The coating is the wear part and will degrade with time and high heat | Eggs, pancakes, fish and other delicate items |
| Hybrid (steel over non-stick) | Raised stainless steel pattern takes the abrasion while the recessed non-stick does the releasing, so it tolerates metal utensils | Costs more than a plain non-stick pan | People who want non-stick convenience without babying the surface |
| Carbon steel | Lighter than cast iron, heats faster, seasons to a slick surface | Needs the same seasoning care as cast iron, reacts with acidic food | High-heat stir-frying and professional-style pan work |
The hybrid surface: raised steel takes the wear, recessed non-stick does the releasing.
Which pan should you actually buy?
For most UK kitchens the honest answer is one good mid-sized pan, plus a small one for eggs. Our Hive Hybrid range uses the hybrid construction described above, so you get non-stick release without having to keep metal away from the surface, and all of it works on induction.
Hive Hybrid™ 26cm Frying Pan
£74.99
Pros
The size that handles most weeknight cooking without crowding; metal-utensil safe; induction ready.
Cons
Slightly tight if you routinely cook for four or more — size up to 28cm.
Hive Hybrid™ 20cm Frying Pan
£59.99
Pros
Light and quick to heat; ideal for omelettes, toasting spices and one-portion cooking.
Cons
Too small to be your only pan.
Hive Hybrid™ 4-Piece Frying Pan Set (20cm, 24cm, 26cm, 28cm)
£227.97
Pros
Covers every everyday size in one go and works out cheaper than buying the four pans separately.
Cons
A bigger outlay up front, and you need the cupboard space for four pans.
The full size range, if you would rather pick individually:
| Option | Price | Typically suits |
|---|---|---|
| 20cm frying pan | £59.99 | Eggs, spices, one portion |
| 24cm frying pan | £69.99 | One to two portions |
| 26cm frying pan | £74.99 | Two to four portions, the usual first buy |
| 28cm frying pan | £79.99 | Four or more portions, big batches |
| 26cm frying pan with lid | £84.99 | As above, plus covered cooking |
| 28cm frying pan with lid | £89.99 | As above, plus covered cooking |
| 4-piece set (20, 24, 26, 28cm) | £227.97 | Kitting out a kitchen |
| 8-piece pan and lid set | £259.94 | Kitting out a kitchen, with lids |
See the whole frying pan range
Every Hive Hybrid size and set in one place, including the lidded options. All induction compatible and metal-utensil safe.
Shop frying pans →How to cook in a skillet
Four habits do most of the work:
- Preheat the pan before the food goes in. Cold pan plus cold protein is how food welds itself to the surface. Give it a minute or two and let the oil shimmer first.
- Match the oil to the heat. High-smoke-point oils such as rapeseed, groundnut or refined sunflower cope with searing. Extra virgin olive oil and butter burn well below that, so use them for gentler cooking or add butter at the end.
- Do not overcrowd it. This is the single most common mistake. Too much food at once drops the pan temperature and traps steam, so the food poaches in its own juices instead of browning. Cook in two batches.
- Leave it alone. A crust forms while the food is in contact with hot metal. Nudging it every twenty seconds prevents that. When a piece of meat is properly seared it releases from the pan on its own.
Prep matters as much as pan technique. Evenly cut vegetables and steaks of consistent thickness cook at the same rate, which is where a sharp knife earns its keep — ragged, uneven pieces will always give you some parts scorched and others raw.
Cleaning and looking after it
Let the pan cool before it meets water. Dropping a hot pan into a cold sink can warp the base, which leaves it rocking on the hob and heating unevenly for the rest of its life.
Wash with a soft sponge and warm soapy water. Steel wool and abrasive pads scratch non-stick coatings and strip seasoning from cast iron, so keep them away from both. For stuck-on residue, soak rather than scrub. Dry the pan fully before it goes back in the cupboard, and with bare cast iron, wipe a thin film of oil across the cooking surface to keep rust off.
Storing pans stacked inside one another will grind the base of one into the coating of the next. If you have to stack them, put a tea towel or a pan protector between each one.
FAQs
Is a skillet the same as a frying pan?
In British kitchens, yes. Skillet and frying pan describe the same object: a shallow pan with a flat base, low sloped sides and a long handle. Skillet is the more common word in American English, where it also tends to imply cast iron. Frying pan is the standard British term for the same pan.
What is the difference between a skillet and a saute pan?
The sides. A skillet has low sloped sides, so steam escapes quickly and you can toss and slide food out easily, which suits searing, frying and stir-frying. A saute pan has taller straight sides and usually comes with a lid, so it holds more liquid without spitting, which suits braising, shallow poaching and finishing pan sauces.
What size skillet should I buy first?
A 26cm pan is the usual first choice because it holds two to four portions without crowding them, and crowding is what turns searing into steaming. Add a 20cm pan for eggs, toasting spices and single servings, and a 28cm pan if you regularly cook for four or more.
Can you use a skillet in the oven?
That depends on the individual pan and its handle, not on the word skillet. Bare cast iron and all-metal stainless steel pans are normally oven safe. Pans with plastic or wooden handle components, and many non-stick coatings, are not. Check the oven temperature limit the manufacturer states for that specific pan before you use it.
Do skillets work on an induction hob?
Only if the base is magnetic. Cast iron and magnetic stainless steel work on induction; plain aluminium does not, whether or not it has a non-stick coating. The coating itself is irrelevant. The quickest test is to hold a fridge magnet against the base of the pan: if it grips firmly, the pan will work on induction.
How do you clean a skillet?
Let the pan cool before it goes near water, because dropping a hot pan into cold water can warp the base. Wash it with a soft sponge and warm soapy water, and avoid steel wool or abrasive pads, which scratch coatings and strip the seasoning off cast iron. Dry it fully, and if it is bare cast iron, wipe a thin film of oil across the surface to keep rust away.
