ChefIron
Methodology

How we test cookware

The protocol every pan goes through. We publish it so you can judge the method as well as the verdict.

Protocol v0.1 · Published November 14, 2026 · Draft for public comment

This is the protocol every ChefIron review will follow. We're publishing it before the first results so you can check the method first. If you think a test is flawed, tell us. Changes will be versioned and noted here.

Principles

  • Same conditions, every pan. We use the same burner, the same room and the same instruments. We log the ambient temperature and the burner setting for each run.
  • Measure, then cook. Instrument readings come first. Cooking impressions add to them but never replace them.
  • Repeat it. We run every timed or temperature test at least three times and report the median.
  • Publish the raw numbers. Results go into the ChefIron reference database, not just into a star rating.

1. Specifications

We measure every pan ourselves rather than copying the manufacturer's listing.

MeasurementHow
Rim diameterOutside edge to outside edge, excluding pour spouts
Cooking floorThe flat interior base, measured across the widest span
Wall heightFrom the interior floor to the rim
MassBare pan, no lid, on a calibrated scale (±1 g)
Handle lengthFrom where the handle meets the wall to its tip
FlatnessStraightedge and feeler gauge across two axes, plus a spin test on glass

2. Heat-up time

The pan starts at room temperature and goes on the reference gas burner at a fixed setting. We record the time for the center of the cooking floor to reach 200 °C (392 °F), measured with a contact thermocouple.

3. Evenness

Once the center has held 200 °C for two minutes, we read nine points across the cooking floor (center, four mid-radius points and four near the wall). We report the spread between the hottest and coolest points. Where we have thermal-camera footage, we publish that too.

4. Recovery

We add a standardized cold load to the preheated pan and record how far the center temperature drops and how long it takes to return to 200 °C. Recovery is what decides whether a steak sears or steams.

5. Release

We season each pan with the same method (or use the factory seasoning, and say so), then fry eggs with no added fat after a fixed number of cooks. We photograph and score the result for sticking.

6. Long-term use

Test pans stay in rotation. We publish follow-ups at 3, 12 and 24 months covering seasoning wear, rust, warping and handle comfort. Readers' long-term reports are labeled separately from our own.

What we won't do

  • Score a pan we haven't measured.
  • Change a result because a brand asked us to.
  • Hide a pan that tested badly. Poor results get published too.