The 6 Best Small Frying Pans (for a Quick Little Dish)

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.

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 15-inch 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.

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 synthetic “forever” chemicals — otherwise known as PFAS — that coated the nonstick pans of yore. 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 medical-grade silicone cooking utensils and glass storage containers.).

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.

For beginner cooks, this nonstick frying pan and lid set

Caraway Ceramic Mini Cast Iron Skillet and Glass Lid (8-inch)

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Caraway — the aesthetic cookware brand that’s taken over your Instagram feed — gets top marks for its ceramic-coated cast-iron cookware, which is gorgeous and durable. This 8-inch ceramic frying pan from the brand is oven-safe up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, and comes with a handy glass lid. Plus, the brand is adamant about never including PTFEs and PFOAs in its nonstick coatings, so you can cook with peace of mind.

… Or, opt for Caraway’s nonstick pan without the lid

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.

Stainless steel is a workhorse

Eater x Heritage Steel Frying Pan (8.5-inch)

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Not to brag, but I will: Eater’s own collaborative cookware line with Heritage Steel was developed for (and by) folks who spend a lot of time over the stove and want their pots and pans to perform, which is why the 8.5-inch frying pan so deftly walks the line between a small and mid-sized pan with such versatility. This sleek skillet is designed with a slight lip for easier pouring, oven-safe to 800 degrees Fahrenheit, fully non-toxic, and made out of hardy 5-ply steel. 

A palm-sized frying pan

GreenPan Mini Healthy Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan (5-inch)

Prices taken at time of publishing.

There is nothing more charming than a 5-inch frying pan that looks like it could be used by a talking hedgehog in a cozy British fable. GreenPan — known as the “original healthy ceramic nonstick cookware” brand, makes this ceramic nonstick frying pan with a fun Bauhaus-y design, is dishwasher-safe, and is free of PFAS.  

An aesthetically-pleasing Japanese frying pan

Vermicular Lightweight Japanese Cast-Iron Frying Pan (7.9-inch)

Prices taken at time of publishing.

I like to think that this handsome, cast-iron Japanese frying pan comes from the same Ghibli universe as Calcifer. The lightweight pan is made out of enameled cast iron and has 3.3 inches of depth to handle your saucier creations, and you have the option of a chic oak or walnut wood handle.

Caraway doesn’t just do ceramic cookware

Caraway Stainless Steel Mini Fry Pan (8-inch)

Prices taken at time of publishing.

The brand may have made a name for itself for its colorful ceramic cookware (marigold and olive colorways? very 1970s, and very welcome in my house) but the brand has also dabbled in 5-ply stainless steel cookware, including this mini fry pan that is also compatible with the brand’s glass lid.  

Smithey’s rustic pan is a pot rack flex

Smithey No. 8 Cast-Iron Skillet (8-inch)

Prices taken at time of publishing.

When I read The Lord of the Rings, I imagine the hobbits cooking their (many) breakfasts in a pan akin to a Smithey cast-iron skillet, whose bronzed sides (they’ll turn classically cast-iron black with time and seasoning) are curved to encourage easier flipping. We also love to see a pan with double-ended hanging options. 

Happy frying.