Fissler Original-Profi
The Fissler Original-Profi had only a 4° difference between the center and the edge. That's not just better than every pan in this group—it's the most even heat distribution I've ever measured, and I've tested over 60 brands.
Cites even heating, heat retention
However, there is now a new benchmark. After 5 minutes, the Fissler Original-Profi was still at 176°F—17° hotter than Demeyere.
If you're looking for a stainless steel pan that heats evenly and retains heat well, Fissler Original-Profi is the best you can buy.
The Fissler Original-Profi is a disc bottom pan, but the disc is nearly 7 mm thick, which makes it the thickest pan I tested. And because of its thickness, it has the best heat retention of any pan in the group, and the temperature difference between the center and the outer edge was essentially zero.
Cites even heating, heat retention
These pans have thin steel walls but a massive 7 mm thick base that spreads heat more evenly than any pan I've ever tested. There was only a 4-degree difference from the center to the edge after 2 minutes of preheating.
Cites even heating, heat retention
It also retains heat the best—even better than Demeyere.
The second one is Fissler Original-Profi.
Because of the thickness of the disc, this pan heats evenly and doesn't warp, but it slows everything down.
Three judgements rest on this sentence:
- supports durability Tested it cites warp resistance
- objects performance Tested it cites ease of cleaning (against), heating speed (against), noise (against)
- supports performance Tested it cites even heating, non-stick surface, surface finish
It's not a coincidence that the thicker, heavier pans I tested like Demeyere Atlantis, Fissler and Smithey, performed the best in my warping tests.
It was the slowest stainless steel pan to reach 400F and the second slowest to boil water.
It was also one of the loudest pans, with lots of buzzing and clicking.
The textured surface keeps oil under food and prevents sticking slightly, but it makes cleaning more difficult.
In the Fissler pan, the bun browned evenly across the full length after 3 minutes.
Cites even heating, non-stick surface, searing and crust
On the positive side, it keeps oil and fat directly under the food instead of letting it run to the edges. Rendered fat stays under the meat and helps it brown more evenly.
The texture also creates small pockets of air that help reduce sticking.
The test results were very clear: speed is not a strength of Fissler. The Original-Profi collection heated the slowest, followed by Demeyere, Fissler M5, and then the All-Clad collections.
Cites noise (against), heating speed (against)
I also tested these pans on induction, and Fissler Original-Profi was the slowest to heat when empty and one of the slowest to boil water.
Fissler, like many other brands, makes an annoying buzzing sound on induction.
The trade-off with a pan this thick is speed. It was the slowest pan to heat up.
Cites heating speed (against)
When you're searing, browning, or doing any high-heat cooking, even heating is critical. Fissler's thick base takes longer to heat, but the consistent temperature results in more even cooking without having to rotate the food.
Cites even heating
It also has a textured cooking surface that keeps oil directly under food, which helps with browning, but it makes eggs harder to slide and cleaning slightly more difficult.
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- supports use-case fit Tested it cites searing and crust
- objects use-case fit Tested it cites ease of cleaning (against), non-stick surface (against)
On the negative side, you can cook eggs on the surface, but not as easily, and they won't slide like they do on a smooth surface. You need a spatula to flip them, and cleaning can take a little more effort since food and oil can get into the grooves.
Cites non-stick surface (against)
In terms of comfort, Original-Profi handles are straight and don't rotate in your hand, but the sharp corners at the very end can dig into your hand if you grab the pan quickly.
Two judgements rest on this sentence:
- objects handling Tested it cites ease of cleaning (against), handle (against)
- supports handling Tested it cites handle
The Original-Profi is Fissler's most popular collection.
Cites reputation