Which frying pan should you buy first?

The first frying pan sets the tone for a lot of cooking. Choose one that fights you and you'll decide you can't cook; choose one that suits how you actually eat and it becomes the pan you reach for every night. There is no single best pan, but there is a best first pan for most people.

Non-stick: the friendly one

A coated aluminium pan, light and quick to heat.

Good at: eggs, omelettes, frittatas, pancakes, delicate things, cooking with little fat, easy washing up. Less good at: deep browning, very fierce heat, lasting forever. The coating wears over time. Needs: wooden or silicone utensils, moderate heat, gentle washing, no metal scourers. Follow the maker's guidance on heat and care.

If you cook lots of eggs and simple dinners, this is the most forgiving start. Buy a solid one with a thick base rather than a bargain that warps; a thin pan heats unevenly and dies young.

Stainless steel: the long-haul one

Usually steel with an aluminium or copper core for even heating.

Good at: browning vegetables, mushrooms and halloumi, building a sauce with the brown bits on the bottom, oven use, lasting for decades. Less good at: eggs and delicate things, unless you are patient with heat and fat. Needs: proper preheating. Heat the empty pan, add oil, wait until it shimmers, then add food and let it release before you move it. Food sticks if the pan is too cold or you fiddle too soon.

It is the pan most restaurant cooks use, and it rewards learning. Nothing to wear out, nothing to season, happy in the dishwasher.

Carbon steel: the pro's secret

Thin, light-ish steel that you season with oil, like a wok.

Good at: fierce searing, crisp potatoes, browning, getting slicker with use, oven and outdoor fires. Less good at: long simmering of acidic things like tomato sauce, which can strip the seasoning. Needs: seasoning when new, drying straight after washing and a thin wipe of oil so it doesn't rust.

Lighter and quicker to respond than cast iron, and naturally fairly non-stick once seasoned. A wonderful second pan.

Cast iron: the heavyweight

Thick, heavy and slow to heat, but it holds heat like nothing else.

Good at: steady, even heat, roast potatoes, cornbread, pan pizza, charring vegetables, going from hob to oven. Less good at: being lifted with one hand, quick changes of heat, acidic sauces. Needs: the same seasoning and drying as carbon steel. Whether it is worth it for you is its own question: is a cast iron pan worth it.

Size and shape

A frying pan of around a medium size suits one to four people. Too big, and it won't fit over a small hob ring and heats unevenly; too small, and everything crowds and steams. Sloped sides make tossing and turning easier. A lid that fits is very useful. An oven-safe handle doubles what the pan can do.

Our pick

• Cook mostly eggs, quick dinners, little fuss: a good non-stick.
• Want one pan that lasts and browns well: stainless steel.
• Love searing and don't mind a ritual: carbon steel.
• Love slow, steady heat and heavy kit: cast iron.

Most people end up with two: non-stick for eggs and gentle cooking, plus one of the others for browning. That is a very good kitchen.