In this article, I will be discussing the pros of ceramic coatings, as well as reviewing multiple products to help you look for the best ceramic electric skillet.
If you are considering an electric skillet, it is likely you have noticed the two general categories of non-stick skillets: Teflon and ceramic.
Electric skillets are a major help in the kitchen when it comes to providing an extra burner, reducing energy costs, and deep-dish frying or baking, but ceramic and Teflon both have their drawbacks and merits.
Nearly every new skillet these days is made with some type of non-stick coating, but the difference in certain chemicals is worth considering. In the end, you’ll want to evaluate how you’ll be using the skillet and weigh your expectations.
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Compare Ceramic Electric Skillets
| Model | Features |
|---|---|
Presto 16-inch Ceramic Electric Skillet CHECK PRICE ➜ | Size: 16" Non-Stick?: Yes Deep Dish?: Yes Watts: 1500 Dishwasher Safe?: No Immersible? Yes Stay-Cool Handles?: Yes Temp. Range: From warm to 400°F Warranty: 1 year |
| BELLA 12 x 12 inch Electric Skillet With Copper Titanium Coating  CHECK PRICE ➜ | Size: 12" square Non-Stick?: Yes Deep Dish?: Yes Watts: 1200 Dishwasher Safe?: Only the lid (skillet is fully immersible) Stay-Cool Handles?: Yes Temp. Range: From warm to 450°F Warranty: 2 years |
Elite Gourmet EG2212 CHECK PRICE ➜ | Size: 12" Non-Stick?: Yes Deep Dish?: Yes (2.15") Watts: 1200 Dishwasher Safe?: Yes Stay-Cool Handles?: Not specified Temp. Range: From 250°F to 450°F Warranty: 1 year |
Crux CHECK PRICE ➜ | Size: 12" Non-Stick?: Yes Deep Dish?: Yes (3") Watts: 1400 Dishwasher Safe?: Lid only Stay-Cool Handles?: Unspecified Temp. Range: Up to 400°F Warranty: 2 years |
Hamilton Beach CHECK PRICE ➜ | Size: 12" x 15" Non-Stick?: Yes Deep Dish?: Yes Watts: 1500 Dishwasher Safe?: Yes Stay-Cool Handles?: Unspecified Temp. Range: From 200°F to 400°F Warranty: 1 Year |
The Research Behind Ceramic: Features & Benefits
What are the Advantages of Ceramic?
In comparison to Teflon, the ceramic non-stick coating has been around for a relatively short time. However, it has gained massive popularity in that timeframe and it is certainly worth looking into.
Teflon has been known through the years for its impressive non-stick capabilities, though consumers have also become aware of its tendency to peel and flake. Is ceramic stronger while remaining just as non-stick?
Non-stick cookware often utilizes chemicals called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA for short. This chemical is also present in other processes such as food packaging and flame-resistant materials for repelling oils and grease. While this substance works beautifully for preventing cooked-on food, it is a known toxin and scientists are expressing concerns about human exposure to it in our food.
Ceramic is known as a non-reactive substance, which prevents it from releasing any compounds into food as it cooks. Gases are not released when the pan is heated, effectively keeping your food uncontaminated. Ceramic may not be as completely slick as Teflon, however, it remains a credible option for avoiding cooked-on food and has been used as non-stick with fantastic success.
Is Ceramic Higher-Quality than Teflon?
A few companies are in the market of selling ceramic cookware and therefore claim that it’s incredibly stronger than Teflon cookware. Considering ceramic coating is still a relatively new product, time has yet to tell of its durability through the years. However, due to the compounds used in ceramic coatings rather than the chemicals in Teflon, ceramic is highly unlikely to flake.
This fact alone means that more of the coating remains on your pan for continued use, and those chemicals will not end up cooking in your food. To that effect, ceramic cookware may indeed be more durable or successfully long-lasting than Teflon.
However, care in choosing the safest utensil must still be taken when using a ceramic pan. As metal whisks, spoons, and spatulas can scrape Teflon pans, ceramic can be similarly damaged (unless otherwise noted).
There is the possibility that ceramic may not scrape as easily as Teflon, though that could be due to the Teflon coating already flaking over time and with high heat. However, ceramic can still be damaged by metal utensils, so it is always a better idea to choose tempered plastic, silicone, or wooden utensils.
Are Ceramic Skillets Healthier than Teflon Skillets?
These days, even with the scientific evidence of the gases released from Teflon at high heat, most Teflon pans are still considered safe. Modern skillets produced with a Teflon coating will not release any compounds until they reach 570 degrees, and everyday cooking typically doesn’t involve such high temperatures.
That said, it may be helpful to consider ceramic electric skillets, as the ceramic coating is merely susceptible to scratching rather than flaking.
Ceramic skillets may have the potential to save customers money by providing a longer-lasting product. Additionally, consumers may find a peace of mind knowing the coating will not end up in their food throughout the years of use.
Tips for Choosing a Ceramic Electric Frying Pan
Selecting the best skillet largely depends on your expectations and purpose for it. The aspects to consider for a ceramic skillet are nearly the same as if you were looking at Teflon skillets.
These styles are made very similarly, with the largest difference being the non-stick coating. However, as you shop the market for the perfect ceramic electric skillet, we do have a few suggestions:
- Removable Base. This is common to find these days, but not every skillet is made with a removable base, so it is important to verify. A removable base makes cleaning several times easier, as you won’t have to fight handles or worry about the heat control.
- Dishwasher Safe. Even if a certain skillet features a removable base, it may not be dishwasher safe. Electric skillets are often used for frying foods like tofu, chicken and bacon and will end up with tough grease splatters. This grease can be difficult to cut through when hand-washing, so a dishwasher-safe skillet may be quite helpful, convenient, and practical. It is highly popular for skillets to be dishwasher safe these days, but some of them still aren’t, so be sure to look for this label. If it’s dishwasher safe, the brand will proudly proclaim it. At the very least, the ideal skillet would be fully immersible even if it’s not dishwasher safe.
- Stay Cool Handles. There’s hardly anything worse than trying to hold a skillet and burning your hand on the handle. New skillets often come with a feature called “stay cool handles” so you don’t need to concern yourself with overly warm handles and knobs. Be sure to check the description of your ceramic electric skillet for this feature.
- Tempered Glass Lid. Older versions of electric skillets often had opaque, metal lids. These lids made it very difficult to monitor the cooking progress of the food. However, this has been changed by the implementation of tempered glass lids in many new skillets on the market. Between the glass and the vents for steam release, it is now far easier to monitor your food as it cooks within the skillet.
Top Five Ceramic Electric Skillet Reviews
1. Presto Ceramic Electric Skillet with Glass Cover
This skillet is a great option for cooking large portions of food at a time. With a 16” surface space, the skillet could allow for numerous eggs, bacon, and pancakes, or merely large servings of any dish at once. This could be quite helpful for large families, get-togethers, and potlucks.
Additionally, this electric skillet features a glass lid for easy viewing, stay-cool handles, and is fully immersible when the heat control is removed.
Finally, the high walls of this skillet provide a deeper dish for baking, sauces, fried foods, and helps prevent the risk of spills over the sides. The depth of this skillet is nearly equivalent to a casserole dish and may come in quite practical for a number of electric skillet recipes.
PROS
- Glass lid
- Fully immersible
- Deep dish
- Stay-cool handles
CONS
- Not dishwasher-safe
- Base is not removable
✅ This skillet would be a fantastic option for individuals who don’t mind hand-washing, and for customers who need a skillet large enough to serve a number of portions. With the jumbo size and the high walls, this ceramic electric skillet would be a fantastic choice for party servings.
2. Bella Electric Skillet with Ceramic Copper Titanium Coating
As with the previous product, this ceramic skillet is infused with titanium for additional strength. According to the manufacturer, this coating is strong enough even against metal utensils.
This particular skillet has a slightly smaller size (12") than the larger 15" versions, which could be helpful if you have limited counter space, storage space, or only need to use an electric frying pan for cooking a few servings at a time.
In comparison to the other skillets, this could also be a quite cost-effective option, especially with the great features it still offers. For example, this skillet is not only quite durable with the titanium-infused coating, but it is also fully immersible, has a tempered glass lid, and the handles stay safe to touch.
PROS
- Glass lid
- Stay-cool handles
- Fully immersible
- Titanium-infused strength
CONS
- Base is not removable
- Only the lid is dishwasher-safe
✅ This would be a great option for customers looking for a budget ceramic electric skillet with durability and non stick qualities. This would also be ideal for individuals who don’t mind hand-washing the unit but are still looking for an immersible skillet.
3. Elite Gourmet
This ceramic electric frying pan is one of the more budget options with most of the bells and whistles like its standard 12" size, dishwasher safe cleaning and non stick qualities. It also comes in different sizes, up to 7.5 quarts.
Another notable feature is its higher temperature range, reaching up to 450°F. While the surface is ceramic, its body is made of thick cast aluminum that resists rust and warping.
PROS
- aluminum body resists rust and warping
- standard size is easy to store
- cost effective
- dishwasher safe
- rapid heat up and high temp range
CONS
- not suitable for larger families or larger batch cooking
- warranty is only 1 year
✅ This would be a great option for customers looking for a standard size ceramic electric skillet (serving up to 6 people) on a budget with the ability to sear at higher temperatures.
4. Crux Ceramic Electric skillet
The highly rated CRUX skillet is your standard 12" size but extra deep, which allows you to have the option to stir and fry your food without as much oil spatter. This is one of its most attractive features.
Because it is deep, it holds 6 quarts, making it great for larger batch sizes including for soups, stews and more.
The non-stick, scratch resistant copper-ceramic surface makes for easier cooking and cleaning. It also doesn't hurt that it looks stylish sitting on your countertop, if you don't feel like hiding it away in the cupboard or pantry.
PROS
- scratch resistant (metal utensil safe)
- extra deep
- easy to clean
- stylish with copper accents
- 2 year limited warranty
CONS
- temperature dial only goes up to 400°F which is fairly standard but not the highest available
- only the lid is listed as dishwasher safe
✅ This would be a great option for cooks looking for a non-stick ceramic electric skillet with high durability, and to eliminate the worry of grabbing the wrong utensil. This would also be ideal for individuals that plan on using the skillet for frying dishes such as fried chicken or braising meat such as beef pot roast.
5. Hamilton Beach Ceramic Electric Skillet
This Hamilton Beach ceramic electric skillet sports a 15” frame for cooking large amounts of food at once. Further, the large surface area can help with ease of stirring or flipping food (such as electric skillet pancakes) without the risk of it sloshing over the edges or crowding.
This ceramic skillet is considered deep dish for easily containing soup, small roasts, cakes, and oil for fried foods.
One of its more unique features is the ability to lift the pan off of the base, which means you can transfer it over to the table at dinner time, using pot holders. This also means that regardless if you are right or left handed, or whatever the layout of your kitchen, you can plug it in on either side of the pan.
In addition to this, one of the best parts of the skillet is its dishwasher-safe capabilities, which makes electric skillet cleanup fast and convenient.
PROS
- larger surface area for cooking
- skillet, lid and base are dishwasher safe
- removeable pan
CONS
- temperature only goes up to 400°F whereas some pans go up to 450°F
- not as convenient to store due to its larger size
✅ This ceramic skillet would be a fantastic option if you need a large cooking surface and high walls, but also are looking for a dishwasher-safe option.
Conclusion
Ceramic offers a legitimate alternative to traditional Teflon non-stick coatings without the risk of flaking or exposure to chemicals. These skillets are effectively non-stick and have been seen as fairly durable.
When I considered the most ideal features for ceramic electric skillets, it became apparent that dishwasher-safe options were preferable. The food involved with electric skillets is often messy and greasy, and the thought of skipping the brunt of that cleanup is certainly favorable.
Likely, the biggest feature that customers are looking for is value on a budget.
Considering these preferences, it has become clear that the best ceramic electric skillet is indeed the Bella 12" titanium ceramic model. While all of the skillets listed are excellent options, I feel as if this skillet comes closest to checking off each ideal trait. This electric skillet has certainly impressed me and, in my opinion, it comes out slightly above the others.
Related Electric Skillet Content
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lisa says
These reports were helpful, however, most of these products state that you can fry which is the what everyone is looking for, however, once it arrives, the instructions states " does not deep fry" which is the reason I am now returning the Presto which by the way, you now have to buy a cookbook for recipes, a rack for baking or roasting and I am pissed off and told the company how this is public deceiving. So why should I believe your conclussion, since you do not compare if this product fries, bakes, roasts, etc, all this I can accomplish with my pots and pans without the hassles and restrictions of a skillet?
Joss D says
Sorry to hear you had some issues with it and the company, Lisa. It's a frying pan, not a deep fryer. I included a deepness comparison in the table above and as you can see they are all deep-dish, which doesn't mean you can completely submerge something like in a deep fryer. However, you can still use a certain depth of oil in it like in our 'electric skillet fried chicken' recipe. What's nice about an electric frying pan compared to a regular pan is the portability, temperature control, keeping food warm for a buffet, level heating surface etc. I love using the electric skillet, but if you are looking for a deep fryer, this is not it.