The beginning of a beautiful friendship

YOU can flirt with a silly pepper grinder or have a brief fling with an amusing but impractical cake pan, but a cook’s relationship with a 12-inch skillet is no casual affair -- it’s a long-term commitment. This pan is your significant other in the kitchen: Day in, day out, it sears, sautes and deglazes for you. It stays with you step by step from browning to braising as you work on a multi-step recipe.

If it’s not a great match, you notice every time you cook how it’s too heavy or a pain to clean. If it’s an ideal partner, the honeymoon can go on for years. It can make or break a dinner party. And you can fry eggs in it too.

Whether you’re an active home cook or just starting out, the large skillet is the single most important piece of cookware you can purchase for your kitchen. We know. At The Times Test Kitchen, we test 700 to 800 recipes each year, and this is the pan we reach for most often. When preparing dishes for four to six people, it’s a real stove top mainstay.

We depend on this all-around basic pan to conduct heat quickly and evenly, to retain heat well, to be easy to handle and clean. It’s something you’ll use all the time, so it’s worth investing in a good, durable model that performs the way you want it to.

We tested seven 11- or 12-inch skillets that met our criteria in terms of materials -- i.e., they were made with metals that are great heat conductors -- and likely durability (we eliminated any with exposed copper or that enhanced conductivity with less-durable bottom disks). Nonstick pans were not tested because they cannot be used for deglazing. The price range was about $70 (Sur La Table) to about $200 (Demeyere).

Six of the skillets tested are clad, or made with fused layers of bonded metal. In general, aluminum and copper are good heat conductors, but aluminum tends to react with acids, and copper exteriors can be difficult to clean. This is where stainless steel comes in: Though not the best conductor, it is durable and makes a good interior and exterior surface.

The combinations of metals used in the skillets we tested varied. Four were stainless steel with an aluminum core; one was stainless with aluminum sandwiching a copper core; one was stainless, silver and copper. One skillet from a new Calphalon line is made of infused anodized aluminum, a material that the company claims marries the best qualities of traditional and nonstick surfaces.

A good 12-inch skillet is solid and balanced but not too heavy. It should not dent easily. It should conduct heat evenly with no hot spots. Its oven-safe handle should stay cool on the stove top, be comfortable to hold, and be securely attached. The best are also easy to clean and don’t stain or react with acid.

We tested for how quickly the skillets heated up, how well they retained heat and whether they heated evenly.

Then we tested for searing and deglazing -- did they sear well yet release the meat easily? Did they leave behind enough browned bits for deglazing?

Finally we considered design (were the sides sloped for easy flipping?) and ergonomics (how did it feel when we repeatedly flipped a cup of dried beans?).

The overall winner, the All-Clad Copper Core 12-inch skillet, rated highest in several categories and performed best all around, with good heat conductivity and retention, durability and a balanced feel.

Our least favorite of the tested skillets was the 11-inch Demeyere Atlantis. The heaviest and most expensive of the skillets we tested, it was more awkward to heft than the others and was least effective for deglazing.

The best of the lower-priced models was the $80 Anolon Advanced Clad, a whiz at searing and a respectable producer of browned bits for deglazing, but limited with regard to oven and high-temperature use.

Think about what matters most to you when shopping for your skillet. Go to the store and take the time to get to know a few that seem to fit the bill: Pick them up, give them a swing or two. Imagine spending a good portion of your life with one. Then settle in for the long haul.

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Best in show

(Pictured on cover)The All-Clad Copper Core skillet has a copper center surrounded by layers of aluminum and clad in stainless steel. It’s mid-range in weight, at 3.79 pounds, and has a “Stay Cool” handle.

What’s the difference: It has rolled edges for dripless pouring and a helper handle (across from the main handle). Hand wash.

What we thought: This skillet performed consistently well. It browned food evenly, heated most quickly and had good heat retention. After use it still looked like new. Well balanced; the straight handle was long enough for two-handed flipping or to brace against an arm, a consideration for women. Part of the handle did get hot. The best all-around choice.

How much: $179 at Williams-Sonoma; $180 at Sur La Table and Macy’s.

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Quick and ready

The Calphalon Contemporary Stainless weighs 3 pounds, is made of triple-ply aluminum and has a slightly curved stainless “Cool Touch” handle.

What’s the difference: This skillet has straighter sides and greater depth than the others.

What we thought: One of the quickest to heat, with good heat retention and very even browning. The extra depth compensated for any straight-side disadvantage in the flip test, and the weight and balance are good. Harder to pour without dripping; the bottom third of the handle got hot. Not easy to clean.

How much? $110 at Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond.

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Limited partner

The Anolon Advanced Clad skillet, with an aluminum core and clad with stainless steel, weighs 3 pounds.

What’s the difference: The straight stainless-steel handle has a silicone rubber grip.

What we thought: It heated quickly and was the best for heat retention, but it browned unevenly. The grip handles well but it’s oven-safe to just 400 degrees.

How much: $80 at Macy’s.

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Mixed results

The All Clad Stainless is from a bestselling line of cookware made with a triple-ply aluminum core clad with 18/10 stainless steel interior and magnetic stainless exterior. The skillet weighs 3 pounds.

What’s the difference: The magnetic exterior allows use on induction ranges.

What we thought: Good performance overall, with some hitches. This skillet seared best and heated up quickly, but it failed to retain heat well.

How much: $125 at Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens-N-Things.

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A real heavyweight

The 4-pound triple-ply skillet from Sur La Table is made with an aluminum core clad with stainless steel. Hand wash.

What’s the difference: The second-heaviest of the skillets, but the least costly. It has a radically curved handle.

What we thought: The heft and handle give the pan an unbalanced, bottom-heavy feel. It took some scrubbing to clean. But it performed adequately in all the tests, and for the price, it’s worth considering.

How much: $72, Sur La Table.

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Hi-tech interloper

Calphalon One Infused Anodized cookware is made of aluminum infused with a polymer. This 3.9-pound skillet has a helper handle.

What’s the difference: Calphalon says this line combines the best qualities of anodized aluminum and nonstick.

What we thought: This pan behaves too much like a nonstick to be an ideal all-purpose skillet. When we seared meat, the release was terrific, but it left too few bits to deglaze.

How much? $135 at Macy’s and Robinsons-May.

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Heavy-handed

From Belgium, the 11-inch, 4.72-pound Demeyere Atlantis has seven plies: two silver linings around a copper core, clad with stainless steel and with a “maintenance free” coating.

What’s the difference: There’s only a 30-year warranty (others have lifetime guarantees). Dishwasher- and induction range-safe, ovenproof to 660 degrees. Welded handles may make it less durable, though easier to clean.

What we thought: It’s harder to flip food with the shorter handle and it felt bottom heavy. It did well in the searing test, but left too few browned bits for deglazing. Easy to clean.

How much? $192 at www.knifemerchant.com, $216 at www.cookswares.com.