The Best Skillet For Tortillas In 2024

Great tortillas demand a shallow pan that’s purpose-designed for the task at hand. The high walls of a standard skillet will make it tricky to flip the contents, after all.

What’s the best skillet for tortillas though?

In this article I’m going to highlight three different pans, each of which have been designed for different circumstances.

I’ve also included a buying guide, which will help you narrow down your research even further.

(Head back to my massive cookware guide when you’re done for more help with this side of kitchen life!)

Recommendations

In the next section I’ll explain what to look for in a tortilla skillet, before highlighting some of the most popular products.

If you’re in a rush though, go ahead and use this quick recommendation summary.

BEST OVERALL – Le Creuset

Le Creuset makes some of the best cast iron cookware on the market. The company’s tortilla skillet is no exception, and the addition of an enamel layer means you’ll never have to season it either! It requires quite an up-front investment, but it’ll reward you with a lifetime of superior cooking performance.

BEST BUDGET – Lodge

If you like the idea of a Le Creuset but need to make your budget work harder, definitely take a look at the Lodge. The company is one of the go-to brands for cast iron cookware, and its tortilla pan is a very popular choice. You’ll need to season this one regularly for best results, however.

BEST HARD-ANODIZED – Cuisinart

Cast iron can be heavy to work with, but is highly durable. If weight is a problem though, take a look at Cuisinart’s hard-anodized aluminum pan. Just be aware that this material is not compatible with induction cooktops.

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Buying Guide

What are the properties that matter the most when you’re looking for a new tortilla skillet?

In this section I’ll explain what you need to keep a close eye out for when you’re conducting your own research.

What’s The Best Material?

When it comes to making tortillas, there are two important qualities to look for in your skillet material: heat retention and even heat distribution.

You won’t struggle to find a skillet made from stainless steel or aluminum, and both are pretty well suited to the task.

For the best results, however, you should look at buying a cast iron skillet. 

This stuff outperforms everything when it comes to retaining heat, and that heat will be spread around the pan very evenly too.

Although it’s not the lightest material you can work with, cast iron skillets sit on the stovetop hard and won’t move around.

They can also withstand higher temperatures too. Unless you’re buying this for nothing but tortilla-making, chances are you’ll want to add the skillet to the oven at some point. Do make sure it’s truly oven-safe though.

If you’re concerned about the weight of the skillet, consider hard-anodized aluminum instead. This stuff isn’t nearly as tough as cast iron, but it’s the next best option.

Size & Design

The size of your tortilla skillet will depend of course on how big you want them to be!

Most cast iron skillets are black in color, but if you opt for a different material it is sometimes possible to buy them in more colorful finishes.

Then there’s the shape of the tortilla skillet to consider.

These are typically available in either a round or a square shape. I would always stick with a round design, as it makes the skillet more versatile for other jobs.

Shallow Sides Are Better

You’ll need to use a spatula to turn the tortilla in the skillet. For this reason, shallow sides are an essential part of picking the right product.

If the walls are very high, you’ll struggle to work the spatula underneath the tortilla without making a big mess.

Ideally, the shallow sides will slope outwards too. That makes it easier to slide the spatula in, and angle it without damaging the tortilla.

Does It Need To Be Non-Stick?

Similar to when you’re working with fish, it’s important that your tortillas release easily from the pan.

Although raw cast iron doesn’t have an artificial non-stick coating, you can add one through the process of seasoning. 

Do this and you’ll bond a layer of oil over the many microscopic imperfections on the surface of the skillet. 

This stops food from sticking to the cooking surface, but you do need to keep the pan well-seasoned.

The alternative, of course, is to buy a skillet that has a true non-stick coating. Unlike cast iron, however, these pans typically only last a few years before they need to be replaced.

You need to balance how long you want the pan to last, with how much effort you’re prepared to invest in caring for your cookware.

If you’re relatively early on your cooking journey, go for a true non-stick pan. You can always upgrade to cast iron as your confidence and cooking skills improve.

Seasoned cooks (no pun intended) will likely favor an untreated cast iron skillet. Just make sure you store your cast iron correctly, so it maintains that pristine finish and avoids rust.

Tortilla Skillet Reviews

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular options that are currently available.

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Pan

I’ve reviewed Le Creuset’s Signature Skillet elsewhere on the site, but the company also makes one of the best tortilla pans too.

This one stands out from the pack by including an extra enamel layer on top of the cast iron. You get the same heat advantages of the core material, but you never need to season the skillet.

For many owners, that’s enough to justify the price! 

Although this layering technically makes the Le Creuset dishwasher-safe, I would still recommend washing by hand. It’s just not worth the risk of damaging that expensive surface.

The handles are angled in such a way that they’re both comfortable to hold, and resist heating up too much.

Finally, this is a skillet you can throw pretty much anything at. It’s oven-safe (with no upper temperature limit) and it can be used on every stovetop too – including induction plates.

If you want the very best tortilla skillet, this is the one to go for. It will last a lifetime and provide outstanding cooking performance every time you use it.

• Material: Cast Iron
• Surface: Enamel
• Color: Black / Orange
• Shape: Round

Lodge Seasoned Cast Iron Pan

Lodge is one of the best cast iron brands in the business, providing excellent performance at an affordable price point.

Its 10.5 inch tortilla pan is made at the company’s US foundry, and is supplied pre-seasoned so you can get working with it right away. 

Just don’t forget to top up that surface with more seasoning in the future, and once you notice food struggling to lift cleanly from it.

It’s compatible with every cooking surface you’re likely to encounter, from gas to induction and even open flames.

It’s also oven safe, and so offers some versatility for finishing off dishes.

I think it’s an excellent choice if you’re working to a strict budget and are cooking for one. Never spend money you don’t have to in the kitchen, after all!

• Material: Cast Iron
• Surface: Pre-seasoned
• Color: Black
• Shape: Round

Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Hard Anodized Crepe Pan

Cuisinart is a kitchen brand that you’ll no doubt be familiar with. If there’s something you need in order to fill out your cookware collection, Cuisinart almost certainly has you covered.

The Chef’s Classic is a rather small 10 inch tortilla pan, but it’s proved to be a bit of a favorite over the years.

It’s made of hard-anodized aluminum, and so it’s a lighter tortilla skillet overall. That also means you don’t have to worry about seasoning it over time.

As for non-stick properties, the Chef’s Classic features something Cuisinart calls “Quantanium”. This is applied to the cooking surface and makes serving easy, and clean-up even easier.

The stainless steel handle is generously sized, and is riveted to the pan. This helps to keep the heat away from your hands.

It’s oven-safe up to a maximum temperature of 500 F / 260 C, but it is not compatible with induction cooktops.

Every other cooking surface is fine, but if you have an induction stove at home then you’ll need to consider one of the other options in this guide.

• Material: Hard-anodized aluminum
• Surface: Quantanium non-stick
• Color: Black
• Shape: Round

Wrapping Up

If you’re happy to season your skillet over the long-term, the Lodge is a very affordable way to unlock a world of outstanding tortillas!

If you want the very best performance and convenience though, go for the Le Creuset. It requires quite an upfront investment, but will last a lifetime if you care for it properly.

If weight is a concern, Cuisinart’s hard-anodized skillet is an excellent alternative. It also has a true non-stick surface, which less experienced cooks will love.

Happy cooking!