We Compared the Leading Electric Skillets. Here's Why FreeBurner is #1:
Written by Daniel Brooks
Most owners reach for the next obvious fix: a bigger stovetop pan, a second round of dishes, or a cheap plug-in cooker with a loose dial. The heat swings between blazing hot and barely warm, the edges burn while the middle stays pale, and the coating starts to lose its release. The dinner gets made, but the frustration returns the next night.
What to look for instead is a self-contained heat source you can actually control, a pot that wipes clean, and a body light enough that you will take it out of the cupboard. Depth matters too, because a shallow pan splatters and cannot braise. A lid you can see through and handles you can grip decide whether it feels like a tool or a chore.
That is why a comparison was needed. Electric skillet listings blur together, from 16 in (41 cm) giants to small round pans, and each promises even heat and easy cleanup. So we set five models side by side and weighed the trade-offs one criterion at a time, starting with how we compared them.
Here's what we found.
How We Compared Them
We compared five electric skillets on four criteria: Ease of Cleaning, Even Heating, Capacity and Versatility, and Build Quality. We read the published specs, materials, parts, dimensions and weights, then looked at design choices such as the lid, the handles and the heat control.
FreeBurner, OVENTE and Blue Diamond were judged on their published specs. For the Presto and the Elite Gourmet we also read real buyer feedback, noting what owners praise and what they say about size and weight. Every score rests on published information and what buyers have written.
Our top pick wins because it solves the crowded-stove problem with the fewest compromises. It is rated for five to six people, wipes out after dinner, and sets the heat on a five-level dial from warm to fierce. One pot covers most weeknight meals.
The secondary strengths add up. The glass lid has a stainless steel rim and a steam vent, the wraparound side handles are anti-scald and heat-insulating, and the pot stands on four feet over a base with heat-dissipation holes. It also handles hot pot, and it comes in red or black.
One honest limit: no steaming basket comes with it, and the dial is mechanical, with no app or presets. For one-pot dinners that is minor, because a plain dial is what busy cooks reach for, and steaming sits outside its fry, grill, braise and boil range.
The Results:
With a wipe-clean pot, a five-level dial and a body light enough to lift, FreeBurner is our top pick for anyone who wants dinner off a crowded stove.
Value
Picture the next busy dinner. The main course cooks in one pot on the counter, the side dish gets its own burner, and cleanup is a wipe instead of a sink full of pans. You stop shuffling pots around and stop planning the meal around one free burner.
The cost of doing nothing adds up quietly. The side dish goes cold, a second pan crowds the stove, and late-night scrubbing eats the evening you meant to spend at the table. A plug-in pot with its own heat source ends that routine.
This model is designed for weeknight one-pot cooking. It has a three-layer die-cast aluminum body with a non-stick, wear-resistant coating, wraparound anti-scald handles and a probe socket with a sealed design. Put it to work on a weeknight and let it earn its place on your counter.
What your evenings look like after
It is Tuesday night. The main course simmers under the glass lid on the counter while rice cooks on the stove, and the table is set before anyone asks about dinner. Afterward you pull the probe, wipe the pot and the kitchen goes quiet.
Others benefit too: apartment and dorm cooks with few burners, families of five or six, and hosts who want a hot pot at the table. It plugs in wherever you have an outlet.
Frequently Asked Questions
For everyday meals, yes. It fries, grills, braises, boils and stews, and it handles hot pot too. A five-level dial sets the heat, so it takes over the skillet jobs and leaves your burners free.
The body is three-layer die-cast aluminum alloy, with a non-stick, wear-resistant coating where the food sits. The outside has a high-temperature paint finish. The two side handles wrap the body and are anti-scald and heat-insulating.
Unplug it, pull the probe from the pot socket, let the pot cool, then wipe the non-stick interior clean. With the probe out, nothing dangles while you work. The wipe-clean pot is the point of the design.
Yes. The transparent glass lid lets you watch dinner cook without lifting it, and the steam vent hole lets steam out. The stainless steel rim frames the glass. It suits braises and stews.
The dial has five levels: warm, low, medium, high and fierce. Start low for eggs, go to medium for pancakes, and use high or fierce for a sear. Watch through the glass lid and change the dial as you go.
The pot is 7 cm (2.8 in) deep, so plan on shallow frying, grilling, braising and stews rather than deep frying. The glass lid with its steam vent helps with braising and stews.
The probe plug detaches from the pot socket so you can wipe the pot clean. Push it in fully before you start cooking. The socket has a sealed design.
The square body measures 30 x 30 x 8.5 cm (11.8 x 11.8 x 3.3 in) and is rated for five to six people. Measure the counter space and cupboard shelf for a 30 x 30 cm (11.8 x 11.8 in) footprint, and check the outlet beside it. It has its own heat source, so an apartment or dorm counter works.
Purchase and Delivery Process
Ready to free up your stove? Select the button on this page to open the store page for this electric skillet, choose red or black, then add it to your cart.
The store page shows the current offer, the options and the delivery details, so you can check everything before you pay.
Where Can I Buy the FreeBurner?
Getting your own FreeBurner with a 50% discount is simple. Just follow these steps: