How Big is a Skillet?

A skillet, sometimes also called frying pan, is an essential kitchen item so much so that you will hardly find a kitchen without one. This pan has a flat bottom, low sides and a relatively long handle which makes it ideal for frying, sautéing and re-heating foods, among other things.

How Big is a Skillet?

Skillets come in different sizes and for the most part, people choose certain sizes depending on the food that they will be using it for.

Butter Skillet

For instance, the answer to “How big is a skillet?” for melting butter, roasting garlic and spices is that it is generally the smallest in the lot, measuring only 3.5 inches in diameter and around 2 inches in depth.

Single Skillet

If you are living alone, you wouldn’t need a big skillet. “How big is a skillet?” in this case is usually around 5 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. This size is great for one egg, dessert and even heating-up a muffin.

Double Skillet

If you will be constantly cooking for just two persons, a skillet that is about 6.5 inches in diameter is ideal. You can cook two eggs at a time in this size of a skillet, make dessert for two and is also excellent for sautéing small portions of meat and vegetables.

Steak Skillets

A skillet that is excellent for steaks is one that has a 10.25-inch diameter and is also about 2 inches deep. This skillet is of course not confined to simply cooking steaks.

You can cook bigger portions of other meats and dishes in here as well. This size is one of the more common skillet sizes found in homes.

Bigger Skillets

Now, for “How big is a skillet?” that is suitable for very large portions and cooking for larger groups, you can choose between a 12-inch and a 15-inch skillet.

You can cook bigger cuts of chicken, whole fish and plenty of other dishes in any of these two skillet sizes.

You should be warned however, that these skillet sizes are quite heavy so unless you have a very strong arm or are used to carrying heavy loads, you may want to get the smaller sizes and simply have these two bigger sizes on hand if and when you need a bigger skillet.

A 12-inch skillet usually weighs more than eight pounds while a 15-inch skillet weighs about thirteen pounds!

So when considering skillet sizes, you should also definitely check for the weight so you will know which one you can comfortably handle on a regular basis – especially if you cook everyday.