How to Cook in a Chef Skillet

What Is a Chef Skillet?

A chef skillet is a frying pan with curved, sloping walls that rise smoothly from the cooking surface to the rim. Unlike traditional skillets with straight vertical sides, the chef skillet's curved profile creates a continuous ramp from base to edge—making it easier to flip, toss, and slide food out of the pan.

The design originated in professional kitchens where cooks needed to move food quickly and efficiently. Today, chef skillets remain the preferred pan for eggs, sautéed vegetables, stir-fries, and any dish that benefits from active movement during cooking.

What to Cook in a Chef Skillet

Here's what the No.5 is good for:

Eggs

• Fried, scrambled, omelets — The curved walls make flipping and folding easy. Guide →
• Frittata for two — Start on the stovetop, finish under the broiler. 3–4 eggs with whatever you're adding.
• Spanish Tortilla — Thick, custardy egg-and-potato. The sloped walls make flipping less terrifying. Recipe →

Baked

• Fluffy Pancake — One thick, soufflé-style pancake that fills the whole pan. Starts on stovetop, finishes in oven. Recipe →
• Cornbread — Golden, buttery, crispy-edged. Cut our standard recipe in half. Recipe →
• Sticky Toffee Pudding — Individual portions of the British classic, baked and served in the pan. Recipe →

Quick Tasks

• Caramelized onions — One onion, low and slow, until jammy and sweet.
• Toasted breadcrumbs — Stale bread transformed into crispy topping for pasta or salads.
• Toasting spices — Whole cumin, coriander, sesame seeds—dry-toasted until fragrant.
• Warming tortillas — 20–30 seconds per side. Stack and wrap in a towel as you go.
• Wilting greens — A handful of spinach with garlic and olive oil. Done in two minutes.

The Bottom Line

The No.5 is your pan for the small stuff—the everyday cooking that happens before the big cooking, or instead of it. Keep it on the stove. You'll use it more than you think.