When you move into a new home with a small kitchen or a busy flatshare that’s short on space, you have to get strategic about your cookware. Without the luxury of multiple cupboards to store woks, sauté pans and steamers, an all-in-one pan can be a smart way to save space without sacrificing your ability to whip up chef-worthy meals.
Whether your recipe requires you to pan-fry, sear, boil, blanch, braise or even bake, a good all-in-one pan can cover all your bases, heating food up quickly and evenly with delicious results.
Scroll through TikTok right now and you’ll see plenty of videos extolling the benefits of these multifunctional pans, which not only help declutter your kitchen but can also reduce time spent washing up. While they aren’t necessarily cheap investments, they’re often built to last and can save you money in the long run, particularly when compared with purchasing a full set of cookware.
With many of these pans coming in sleek designs and trend-ticking shades, they can add a stylish pop of colour to your kitchen, making them a stovetop display piece in their own right.
What should I look for in a good all-in-one pan?
All-in-one pans are all the rage right now, so it can be difficult to know which one to opt for. When you’re shopping for this type of cookware, versatility should be your top priority. The best all-in-one models, like some on our list, can handle up to ten different cooking tasks, easily switching from basic boiling and flash frying to more complicated sautéing recipes.
Opt for poor-quality materials and your cookware will scratch and tarnish quickly. Instead, you’ll want to look for a pan that’s made from a high-quality, durable material like stainless steel, cast iron or titanium, which can stand up to the challenge of high heat. Before purchasing, you’ll need to check that your chosen saucepan is compatible with your hob; gas hobs can generally work with any pan, but ceramic and induction ones might not suit stainless steel.
As with any kitchen tool, ease of cleaning is key, and a good pan will easily rinse under a warm tap without too much scrubbing. All of the pans on this list have non-stick surfaces as standard and many are dishwasher safe.
If you struggle with arthritis or have limited wrist strength, size and weight are important considerations too, so heavier options like cast iron might not be the best fit.
Finally, an oven-safe, heat-resistant handle and a sturdy, well-fitting lid can help to avoid nasty burns and retain succulent moisture in your dishes.
How we tested
We tested all of these pans on a gas hob, cooking a variety of sweet and savoury dishes. We scored them on durability, even heat distribution and ease of use, so you can make the best decision for your cooking needs.
Best all-in-one pans at a glance:
Find out more below
Our Place Titanium Always Pan Pro
Best: Overall
Our Place’s latest launch, the Titanium Always Pan Pro, has resolved some of the early teething issues customers faced with their OG model, namely the non-toxic coating degrading over time and the handle getting uncomfortably hot during cooking. Made from tough titanium, which fares better than standard stainless steel options, this sleek-looking pan has swapped out the brand’s previous ceramic non-stick coating with a honeycomb-shaped ‘NoCo’ technology, which is a dream for cooking food that easily releases to the plate. Delicate pancakes are a breeze to flip, stir-fries don’t get stuck to the base, and steaks sear evenly at terrifically high heat (this pan can withstand up to 535 degrees).
Ideal for pan frying, deep enough to sauté and a decent replacement for a braising skillet, this really is everything you want in a pan. It expertly covers ten different cooking functions and has a nifty nested steaming basket for preparing vegetables too. At 1.5 kg, it’s by no means the lightest pan on this list, but being virtually indestructible, it’s great for messy chefs who don’t want to worry about scratches or dents. Even better, it’s safe to chuck in the dishwasher with the rest of your dishware after use.
Buy now £175.00, Our Place
Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Possible Pan
Best for: families
Known for its powerful blenders, tech company Ninja has expanded into the world of pans, and its latest innovation is a masterful stroke. Made from tough aluminium, as the name might suggest, you can do it all with this saucepan: steam, simmer, roast, braise, bake, sauté, sear, boil and fry.
It’s slightly bigger than other options on this list, especially when its lid and nesting spatula are in place, which can be a bit annoying if you’re short on space or cooking for one. That said, it’s a fantastic pan for family cooking or batch-making big soups and stews, with plenty of space for multiple portions. Ninja claims that their ‘zerostick’ cooking surface is 20 times more durable than traditional non-stick pans, and while we can’t verify this number through our testing, we can confirm that it expertly kept sticky-coated meats and tofu from charring to its base.
While the Ninja 9-in-1 is definitely more traditional-looking than other options on this list, we actually really liked that it didn’t do away with the classic glass lid. It meant that we could see exactly when our food had finished steaming without the need to keep constantly checking.
Buy now £129.99, Ninja
Our Place Always Pan 2.0
Best for: design lovers
Our Place’s bestselling pan has gained a cult following online thanks to its stylish design and influencer endorsements. Colourful and reasonably lightweight, this statement kitchen accessory is superbly versatile, doing the job of ten other pans in one neat little package.
Nice design touches include a nested steamer that can double up as a colander for draining pasta, a dome-shaped lid that brilliantly locks in steam and a wooden spatula that neatly tucks into the pan’s handle. We used this pan to make curries, fried rice and seared salmon, and found that food cooked beautifully through and slipped onto the plate easily without needing any help from a spatula.
While we didn’t have any issues with the non-stick coating after a month of use, some users online have complained about food sticking to the base of the pan over time. The brand says you’ll want to make sure you hand wash this pan with warm water to avoid similar issues, so if you dislike the idea of cleaning in the sink, it’s worth bearing in mind that this pan isn’t dishwasher safe.
We did notice that the handle gets quite hot when used in the oven, so you’ll need to wear oven gloves when baking or roasting. Overall, this internet-famous pan is a reliable all-rounder. We particularly liked that it is PFA-free, meaning it’s free from so-called ‘forever chemicals’ linked to various health concerns.
Buy now £130.00, Our Place
John Lewis 31cm Cast Iron Shallow Casserole Dish
Best for: baking and stewing
When it comes to stellar pan materials, you really can’t go wrong with cast iron. With its natural non-stick surface and incredible durability (there’s a reason why your grandparents have had their casserole dishes for decades), these heavy-duty pans are built to last.
This price-pleasing option from John Lewis is particularly excellent at retaining heat to save energy when cooking, so it’s very effective for poaching and stewing hearty winter meals on the hob for several hours, or slow-cooking meats for a Sunday roast in the oven. Handily, the weighty domed lid is fitted with moisture-collecting nodules on the inside, which helps to lock water in; we found this was great for keeping meats like chicken and turkey soft and succulent.
This casserole dish also makes an excellent (if unusual) rice cooker. Simply turn off the heat and close the lid to steam-cook rice after you’ve boiled away the water, for fluffy, restaurant-worthy results. The one downside? Food and juices can become stubbornly baked into heavy cast iron, and it’s not advisable to leave it soaking overnight, so you’ll need a strong grip and good wrist strength to scrub this pan after use.
Buy now £70.00, John Lewis
Intignis 3-in-1 frying pan
Best for: Stir-fries and curries
Established in 2010 and known for its high-performance stainless steel frying pans, Intignis has branched out into multifunctional cookware with this 3-in-1 pan, which can be used as a mini wok, frying pan and sauté pan.
We put this pan through its paces over a number of weeks and found that it was particularly great for cooking stir-fries and noodle dishes, creating intense heat that allows for rapid flash frying while sealing in flavours and keeping bean sprouts and bok choy crispy and fresh.
A really useful feature of this pan is its heating indicator - a small red triangle at the top of the handle that turns white when the surface is hot enough for cooking. This is great for eliminating guesswork when you’re cooking time-sensitive steaks and seafood. A tapered lip in the bowl of the pan also allows for easier pouring of ramen and curries, which is more convenient than a ladle that struggles to capture every last bit.
At under £40, it’s a bit cheaper than other options, allowing for easy storage in and out of a cupboard without too much effort. If you’re concerned about the safety of pan materials, its non-stick coating is reassuringly PFOA-free, and it doesn’t need to be lubricated with oil either, which can save you money on your weekly shop.
Buy now £38.99, Robert Dyas
Tefal Jamie Oliver Everyday Kitchen All In One Pan
Best for: renters
This pan might look like a bog-standard boiling pot, but after testing it for two weeks, we were surprised at how deftly it switches from basic pasta dishes on the hob to roast brisket in the oven.
A great entry point for flat sharers who are looking for something a little more advanced than a cheap nested pan set, this lightweight pot is one of the smallest options on this list, coming in at 20cm. There are five functions in total (stewing, baking, frying, boiling and poaching), and we felt reassured by the fact that Tefal’s smooth non-stick coating is completely free from harmful chemicals and toxins.
Made from tough hard-anodised aluminium, it doesn’t tarnish under high heats, and we like that its stainless steel handles have comfortable silicone grips - although they can get quite hot during cooking in the oven, so you’ll need to use them with care. Any burnt-on remains easily slid off this pan after use, making it a breeze to wash up if you don’t have a dishwasher.
Buy now £100.00, John Lewis
Nadiya Hussain 4-in-1 Non-Stick Wok, Steamer & Multi-Use Glass Lid
Best for: students
For anyone looking to replicate TV cook Nadiya Hussain’s incredible curries, this stackable pan set won’t disappoint. Teaming up with heritage cookware brand Prestige to launch the Nadiya Loves collection in 2021, this collab is designed to support everyday home cooking, although we’d argue its competitive price makes it perfect for students.
This non-stick wok cooked Thai and Indian dishes to perfection, handling hot liquids without needing too much movement from a spatula. The glass lid is a nice touch to avoid messy splashes from boiling stock. At high temperatures, the handles remain cool, and we like that it doubles up as a casserole dish that’s excellent for stews and braised short ribs. Additionally, it comes with a useful silicone steaming basket for speedy cooked vegetables.
As one of the cheapest options on the list, we were genuinely surprised at the quality of this pan. It has a PFOA-free non-stick coating on the inside and out, which makes cleaning a simple task. It's also safe to place in the dishwasher and comes with a 10-year guarantee for extra peace of mind.
Buy now £52.48, Prestige
Diamo 30cm Sauté Pan
Best for: On a budget
With a high-grade non-stick coating that’s PFA, PFOA, PTFE, lead and cadmium-free, this budget-friendly pan performs a variety of cooking tasks surprisingly well with little or no oil. Made from forged aluminium, it heats up quickly and beautifully browns foods, and we didn’t encounter any hotspots during use. Diamo claims that its black diamond coating is seven times more durable than standard non-stick surfaces, and during our testing, we didn’t experience any scratching or chipping.
A SoftTex handle makes it comfortable to hold and easy to toss dishes, and it handles basic tasks like omelettes and shallow frying bacon very well. While it doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of the other options on this list (for example, it isn’t oven-safe), it’s a great starter pan for anyone looking to level up from a basic supermarket frying pan. Essentially, you’re opting for price over extra functionality here, but if you’re on a tight budget, this is definitely one of your top choices.
Buy now £30.99, La Redoute
Goodful All-In-One Pan
Best for: large capacity
Cheaper than the popular Our Place pan, the Goodful All-in-One is a solid dupe that comes highly rated on Amazon. With a slick cooking surface and trendy design, it can handle an impressive amount of cooking tasks for its price: you can flambé, poach, pan-fry, boil, sauté, stew and deep fry. At 4.4 quarts, it has almost double the capacity of the Our Place version too, making it great for big one-pot meals.
With that extra space comes a heavier pan - at just over four pounds in weight, it’s approximately one pound heavier than the Always Pan from Our Place. That said, clean-up with a sponge is quick and effortless, and it’s dishwasher safe too.
We used this pan for stews, curries, paellas and bolognese, and found it surprisingly sturdy for the price, with its flat bottom and generous depth allowing for lots of space to fry. The only snag? It can’t be put in the oven, so if you’re someone who likes to bake, this might not be the right choice for you.
Buy now £54.36, Amazon
