The overall score is made up performance (50%), ease of use (25%) and surface durability (25%).

We assess the evenness of heat distribution by cooking pancakes. We also comment on sticking for non-stick frypans by frying an egg, however, this result doesn't form part of the overall score.

This test is conducted on non-stick pans only, the rest automatically receive 100% for this test. A section of the pan is scrubbed 10,000 times by a mechanical arm with a Scotch-Brite scourer attached under a 10-kilo weight to assess the resilience of the non-stick coating. 

We assess the comfort of the handle, and the balance and weight of the frying pan when lifting. We also look at how easy it is to clean the pans.

We recommend frypans that score at least 80% overall.

In some instances, at the request of members and when products are still available on the second-hand market and via sites like eBay, we include discontinued models in the tables.

This is the recommended retail price in May 2020.

Generally, a pan that is slightly concave (like a wine bottle base) will flatten on heating as it expands. If your pan turns concave on heating, you may find the food runs to the sides of the pan. When the pan is heated the majority of the pans we've tested have a concaved base.

A thick, heavy base usually has better heat distribution and cooking performance; a too-thin base can burn your food, cook unevenly and might even warp under high temperatures.

All the frypans we've tested are compatible to use on induction cooktops.

Hand-washing is recommended for most products.

Whether the frypan is oven safe, and if so, the maximum oven temperature.

Curved sides makes tossing, sliding, flipping or lifting food easier due to the slant in the sides. A straight sided frypan is good for stirring foods or when making sauces as the contents are less likely to spill out.