Readying yourself for Pancake Day 2026 (Tuesday 17 February)? Though whisper-thin crêpes or soft American-style pancakes can be made in any decent non-stick frying pan, investing in a purpose-made pancake pan will make cooking and flipping the pancakes easier.
Pancake pans offer impressive versatility, making them ideal for searing, browning, light frying and preparing other batter-based foods like blinis or Scotch pancakes – not just traditional pancakes.
We put a range of pancake pans through their paces in the Good Food Test Kitchen, and if you’re looking for a quick recommendation, the Dexam Supreme non-stick pancake pan and the Ninja Foodi Zerostick frying pan are our number-one star-buy picks.
If you’re after something specific, though, read on to discover more of our tried-and-tested favourites. Plus, check out our guide to the best tools for Pancake Day to find whisks, moulds, spatulas and more.
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Best pancake pans at a glance
5/5 stars:
- Best versatile pancake pan: Dexam Supreme non-stick pancake/pizza griddle pan, £72
- Best frying pan for pancakes: Ninja Foodi Zerostick frying pan, £26.99
Best of the rest:
- Best investment pancake pan: HexClad 30cm griddle pan, £139
- Best griddle-style pan: Our Place griddle pan, from £47
- Best non-stick pancake pan: ProCook Professional 26cm Granite Crepe Pan, £28
- Best budget pancake pan: MasterClass ceramic non-stick crêpe pan 24cm, £16.96
- Best value frying pan: Stellar Rocktanium frying pan, £30
- Best pancake pan for ease of use: GreenPan Essentials ceramic non-stick pancake pan, £38.96
- Best frying pan for eco credentials: Kuhn Rikon New Life frying pan, £76.46
- Best small cast-iron pancake pan: Le Creuset Cast Iron Small Crepe Pan, £145
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How we tested pancake pans
We used our foolproof easy pancake recipe to test all the pans, plus our fluffy American pancake recipe – we then scored them against the following criteria on our testing matrix:
Handle comfort: Pancake-making sessions can last a while, so we looked for a handle that was comfortable, didn’t get too hot and could be easily gripped – rubber or plastic handles work well. We also liked handles that had a notch for hanging.
Heat distribution: We expect pancake pans to heat up quickly and evenly. If the finished pancake had darker spots or cooked quicker in certain parts of the pan, we marked the product down.
Non-stick: Arguably the most important criteria for pancake pans. We looked for a surface that allowed us to easily tease the pancake up to be turned or flipped. We also discounted any pans that omitted an unpleasant chemical smell, even after being washed several times.
Ease of flipping: We judged the pans on how easy the pancakes were to flip – both the handle comfort and shape and size of the lip are important here. A shallow, well-angled lip is ideal.
Finished effect of the pancake: Golden, evenly cooked, nicely round pancakes were what we were after – any burnt spots were taken into account.
Ease of cleaning: We judged how well the pans could be cleaned with hot soapy water and a sponge.
Best pancake pans to buy in 2026
Dexam Supreme non-stick pancake/pizza griddle pan
Available from Amazon (£62.94), Robert Dyas (£66.99), Harts of Stur (£72)
Best versatile pancake pan
Pros:
- Two-handled
- Versatility
- Dishwasher-safe
- Easy to use straight from the box
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
We were very intrigued on unwrapping the Dexam pan from its sturdy, recyclable display box – as it boasts that it’s not only great for pancakes, but also for pizza, scones, frying eggs and other goodies.
It’s a 34cm in diameter, so will easily handle all the above, and we loved the sturdiness of the pan and how stable it felt on the hob. It also has a smooth stainless-steel base, which can be used on induction. And despite all this sturdiness, the Dexam pan weighs just under 2kg.
The pan is ready to go straight from the box with a quick wash, and we find heating it super-quick. Though Dexam doesn’t say that the two handles on the pan stay cool, we noticed they didn’t get hot even after a long period on the stove. However, if the pan goes under the grill or into the oven, you should of course use oven gloves as the handles get extremely hot.
Both styles of pancakes cooked rapidly and evenly, and though the design meant we couldn’t toss the pancakes, they flipped back and forth impressively easily with just a flick of a spatula. Cleaning the pan was effortless; even though it was dishwasher-safe, it was unnecessary when making pancakes.
We were so impressed with this pan. It may not be the cheapest of the tests, but we felt that what it delivered in performance, its lifetime guarantee, and the quality certainly supports the price tag.
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Ninja Foodi Zerostick frying pan
Available from Robert Dyas (£26.99), Amazon (£26.99), Very (£36)
Best frying pan for pancakes
Pros:
- Oven-safe up to 260C
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
Not only is the Ninja Foodi Zerostick frying pan an excellent piece of kit for everyday frying tasks, but it excelled in our pancake test.
It’s equipped with a tough non-stick coating and long, thin handle ideal for deft pancake flips. This frying pan heats up quickly, and most importantly, evenly. It produced the smoothest and most even finish on our pancakes of all the frying pans tested.
Available in three different sizes: 20cm, 24cm and 28cm, we found all to be lightweight and easy to carry around. The frying pan also remained balanced on the hob. This ultra-versatile pan is suitable for all hob types, is dishwasher safe and is oven safe up to 260C. Read our full Ninja Foodi Zerostick frying pan review.
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HexClad 30cm griddle pan
Available from HexClad (£139), Amazon (£139)
Best investment pancake pan
Pros:
- Commercial-grade pan
- Oven-safe to 260C
- Dishwasher safe
- Stay-cool handle
- Serious non-stick
Cons:
- Expensive
- Needs seasoning before use
- Pancakes were thin in the centre
Star rating: 4.5/5
The HexClad commercial-grade griddle pan is super-looking with an intriguing laser-etched hexagonal patterned surface of stainless-steel ridges and, in the valleys, a serious non-stick surface. This combination brings a robust feel to the pan and will withstand metal utensils, the dishwasher, and the oven, making this a very versatile pan, not just for pancakes.
We found the 30cm diameter of the pan helpful as we could cook three American-style pancakes simultaneously, and our regular pancakes were huge. The first three pancakes stuck relentlessly, and we realised we had not seasoned the pan; once we did, we had no more problems with sticking.
We found the regular pancakes tricky as the batter continuously spread to the edges, leaving the centre thin; even swishing the batter around again only helped a little. The American pancakes, however, were superb; they cooked quickly and evenly, rose beautifully, and slid effortlessly from the pan.
Despite the problem with the regular pancakes, the HexClad pan has many attributes that make it a delightful pan to use. The pan is high-quality and versatile; it has a generous stay-cool handle and excellent conductivity, making the raising and lowering of the temperature quick and precise.
Its stunning good looks and lifetime guarantee make this a lovely pan to have in the kitchen. Read more about HexClad in our guide: Is HexClad worth it?
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Our Place Griddle Pan
Available from Our Place (from £47), Amazon (£89)
Best griddle-style pancake pan
Pros
- Available in two sizes
- Fabulous range of colours
- Lightweight
- Great non-stick
Cons
- Not induction-friendly
- Larger pan is too big for regular ovens
Star rating: 4.5/5
Prepare to be impressed by the Our Place Griddle Pan. It is a large and lovely looking pan in a variety of fabulous colours. It is not your regular pancake pan but a griddle, large enough to cover two burners and cook the whole breakfast.
We were surprised when we discovered it is not induction-friendly but is suitable for ovens up to 230C, doubling up as a generous baking or roasting tin. However, the larger pan is 53cm wide, including the handles, so it will not fit into a standard oven, but if you have a range oven with a gas or electric hob, this will suit you perfectly.
The pan has astonishing non-slip which, in the test, made exceptional American-style pancakes. We could cook eight pancakes in one go, perfect for families and parties.
Because the thinner batter spread unevenly without boundaries, all our regular pancakes were random shapes but still cooked evenly and tasted delicious. If you have the room, this is undoubtedly a griddle to love.
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ProCook Professional 26cm Granite Crêpe Pan
Available from ProCook (£28)
Best non-stick pancake pan
Pros
- Amazing price
- Cool touch handle
- Super-hard ceramic coating
- Excellent pancake results
Cons
Star rating: 4.5/5
Unpacking this sturdy pancake pan from ProCook, it was hard to believe it was one of the cheapest pans on the test as it looks and feels more expensive.
Made of forged aluminium, it delivers fast and even heat with no hot spots. The five-star ceramic non-stick surface was so good we spent some time chasing the American pancakes around the pan. But our favourite was the long, ergonomically shaped cool-touch handle, which made lifting and flipping easy and safe with this pan.
These great features resulted in the best cooking results: the pancakes cooked evenly, with excellent colour, in seconds and flipped easily through the air.
The American pancakes were light, fluffy and beautifully coloured. If we had one tiny gripe, the base of the pan is ever so slightly convex, which meant the butter and oil poured into the centre quickly ran away to the edge – otherwise, it is a terrific pan at a great price.
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MasterClass ceramic non-stick crêpe pan
Available from Amazon (£12.14), Harts of Stur (£16.96)
Best budget pancake pan
Pros:
- 15-year guarantee
- Very effective non-stick coating
Cons:
- Slightly less ergonomic to hold than others we tested
Star rating: 4.5/5
If you’re put off buying a pancake pan because you think you will only use it a couple of times a year, this budget-friendly pan should assuage your guilt. It’s suitable for all hob types including induction, goes in the oven up to 150C (which we would say is quite restrictive for most cooking) and is chemical free.
With an aluminium body and iron base, this pan is light with a shallow lip and a very effective non-stick surface. It also comes with a 15-year guarantee.
Despite its below-average price tag, this scored highly on all the things you want in a pancake pan. Most importantly, it’s simple to use – our crêpe came away cleanly from the sides and flipped very easily. All of our pancakes were evenly cooked and none of them stuck.
Washing up afterwards was very quick, apart from a few scraps of pancake that got caught around the steel rivets inside. If we are being very pernickety, the handle wasn’t as comfortable to hold as some of the others.
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Stellar Rocktanium frying pan
Available from Stellar (£30), Harts of Stur (£39)
Best value frying pan
Pros:
- Accessible price-point
- Lightweight
Cons:
- Pancake was a little patchy
Star rating: 4.5/5
If you’re not looking to break the bank, the Rocktanium frying pan from Stellar is a brilliant option. It’s has all the makings of a pan brilliantly engineered for pancakes: an effective non-stick surface, lightweight body and long comfortable handle.
This pan took around 2½ minutes to heat up, giving you enough time to whip up a delicious pancake batter. We were impressed with the results on our pancake test and enjoyed light, fluffy and evenly risen morsels. The Rocktanium pan is a fantastic all-rounder, too.
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GreenPan Essentials ceramic non-stick pancake pan
Available from Amazon (£38.96)
Best for ease of use
Pros:
- Oven-safe up to 260C
Easy to wash
Cons:
- Slightly heavier than other pancake pans we tested
Star rating: 4.5/5
We could find very little wrong with this pan. Marketed as being suitable for ‘intense use’, you can use it on all types of hobs including induction. It’s oven safe up to 260C.
The non-stick is excellent and the pan comes with a ‘limited’ life-time guarantee. The coating is guaranteed PFAS free without any toxic chemicals. Unusually, you can even use metal utensils on it and it can go in the dishwasher, though we found it washed very easily by hand.
The pan is ceramic, so it is slightly heavier than others which may be a consideration if you toss your pancakes rather than flipping them over with a spatula. We found it heated up reasonably quickly and the handle grip was comfortable.
Performance is very good – both our crêpes and our American pancakes browned evenly. The crêpe tossed easily both because of the effective non-stick and the very shallow lip of the pan. This feels good value for money, especially given the guarantee.
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Kuhn Rikon New Life frying pan
Available from Kuhn Rikon (£76.46), Amazon (£84.95)
Best frying pan for eco credentials
Pros:
- Made from recycled aluminium cans from Europe
- Suitable for all hob types
Cons:
Star rating: 4.5/5
Sporting impressive eco credentials, the Kuhn Rikon New Life frying pan is made from recycled aluminium cans from Europe. This versatile pan is suitable for every hob type, is oven safe and dishwasher safe, too.
The handle is a little stubby, but comfortable nonetheless. The walls of the pan are gently curved, making the New Life pan a great choice for pancake-flipping masters!
This pan is quick to heat up, but we found our pancakes a little patchy, aesthetically. However, we couldn’t fault them when it came to flavour and texture. A fantastic option for pancakes, and more.
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Le Creuset cast-iron small crêpe pan
Available from Le Creuset (£145)
Best cast-iron pancake pan
Pros
- Superb quality pan
- Two colours
- Lifetime guarantee
- Accessories included
Cons
- Heavy
- Short handle, which gets hot
- A few attempts needed to get it right
Star rating: 4/5
The small Le Creuset cast iron crêpe pan is a classic-looking pan from the renowned French brand and comes in two lovely colours, a cerise red or satin black. A wooden spatula and crêpe spreader are included, which we struggled to use successfully – hopefully, practice will make it perfect.
At 27cm, the Le Creuset makes an excellent-sized crêpe. We followed the instructions for using the pan closely, but our first four pancakes stuck to the pan.
Eventually, the non-stick kicked in with use, though Le Creuset stated that the pan did not need to be seasoned. We had no problems with the American style which, thanks to the outstanding conductivity of cast iron, was cooked quickly and evenly, and was fluffy and light.
This pan will not suit everyone: it is heavy, and the handle is short and gets hot during use. But with use, it will become a workhorse for those who can lift it and serve them well for many years.
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Other pancake pans tried and tested
- Nordic Ware smiley face pancake pan, £53.66
- Premier Cookware Essentials pancake pan 24cm, £12.99
- Le Creuset 24cm toughened non-stick crêpe pan, from £129
- Circulon Infinite French skillet 25cm, £38.49
Why buy a specialist pancake pan?
A good, multipurpose non-stick frying pan will generally do the job when it comes to pancake making, however the non-stick element is really important.
The pancake pans that passed our test all have great non-stick credentials, but also have a flat, shallow design with a small lip to help flip the pancake.
The heat of the pan is very important when making pancakes – pancake pans are often thinner than regular frying pans so they conduct heat quickly and efficiently.
In a similar vein, handles are likely to get very hot during a batch cooking session, so rubberised or plastic handles are common to protect your hand. A tapered handle will also feel more comfortable in the hand.
A pancake pan can also double up as a general use fryer. They’re particularly good if you like to cook with minimal oil – some of them barely need any at all. Recipes like omelettes are ideal for pancake pans as the shallow sides will help them slide out easily onto the plate.
What to look for in a pancake pan
Usage: Consider how you’ll be using this pan. If you just want to use it to make crêpes and pancakes, you can go for a smaller size (around the 24cm mark). However, if you want this to double up as a fryer, go for a larger diameter.
Material: If you’ll be using this pan frequently, opting for a material like reinforced cast metal should ensure longevity.
Coating: The coating is also of paramount importance. Among our sample were a number of heavy duty, cast iron, skillet-style pans that had no non-stick coating. While this ‘natural’ finish has its benefits in some ways, it’s a no-no when it comes to pancake making – we found ours just stuck to the bottom and had to be scraped off.
Hob types: Most of the pans we tested were suitable for all hob types, including induction, but a select few had to be tested on gas. Do check before buying to ensure the pan is suitable for your cooker.
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If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk. Which pan do you use to make pancakes? We’d love to hear your product recommendations in the comments below…
