Do you ever find yourself struggling in the kitchen, juggling multiple pans on a crowded stovetop, wishing for an easier way to prepare large meals or manage dinner during busy weeknights? I certainly did. There was a time when my small stovetop burners and limited counter space made cooking for my family a chaotic endeavor, leading to unevenly cooked food and endless cleanup. This problem truly needed to be solved, as the frustration often took the joy out of cooking and delayed precious family time. A versatile appliance like the Presto 06852 16-Inch Electric Skillet would have made a world of difference then, simplifying meal prep and bringing order back to my kitchen.
- Roast, fry, grill, stew, bake, make casseroles and more
- Great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and entertaining
- Tempered glass cover with stay-cool handle
Key Considerations Before Choosing an Electric Skillet
An electric skillet is a fantastic kitchen appliance designed to address those common cooking frustrations, offering a dedicated, consistent heat source for a variety of culinary tasks. People typically seek an electric skillet to expand their cooking capacity, alleviate stovetop clutter, ensure even cooking temperatures, or simplify cleanup. It’s an invaluable tool for preparing everything from a full breakfast spread to a hearty stew or a large batch of fajitas, especially when your stove is already occupied or you need an extra burner.
The ideal customer for an electric skillet is someone who frequently cooks for a family, entertains guests, lives in an RV or small apartment with limited kitchen space, or simply desires more control over cooking temperatures. If you’re someone who often finds themselves wishing for an additional burner or a larger, more consistent cooking surface, this category of appliance is definitely for you. However, if your cooking needs are minimal, or you rarely cook larger quantities, a smaller, conventional pan might suffice, or perhaps a multi-cooker if you’re looking for extreme versatility in a single pot. Before making a purchase, consider the skillet’s size – do you need a 16-inch pan or something smaller? Think about the material and nonstick coating, wattage for heating power, ease of cleaning (is it immersible?), and special features like a glass lid or cool-touch handles. The reliability of the heat control system is also paramount for consistent results.
- 7 Cooking Functions: Pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, make rice, yogurt, or simply keep your meal warm—all in one appliance.
- 𝟵 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟭: Pressure Cook, Rice, Steam, Sterilize, Oatmeal/Porridge, Stew/Broth, Bean/Grain, Meat/Poultry, Slow Cook, Sauté, Ferment, Sous Vide, Keep Warm
- 10 Cooking Functions: Pressure cook, slow cook, sous vide, sauté, sterilize, cook yogurt and rice, bake, steam, or simply keep warm, all in one easy appliance.
Spotlight on the Presto 16-Inch Electric Skillet
The Presto 06852 16-Inch Electric Skillet with Glass Cover is designed to be a kitchen workhorse, promising to simplify your cooking and expand your culinary capabilities. This robust appliance comes with a heavy cast aluminum base, a ceramic nonstick surface, a tempered glass cover with a stay-cool handle, and Presto’s signature Control Master heat control. It’s built to roast, fry, grill, stew, bake, and create casseroles, handling nearly any meal imaginable with its generous 16-inch cooking surface and high sidewalls. Presto has long been a reputable name in countertop appliances, and this model offers a large, versatile cooking area with an updated PFAS-free ceramic nonstick coating.
This Presto Electric Skillet is ideal for families, frequent entertainers, or anyone needing substantial cooking capacity. It’s less suited for those with very limited storage space or who only ever cook single servings.
Pros:
* Generous 16-inch cooking surface and high sidewalls.
* Multi-functional for roasting, frying, grilling, stewing, baking.
* PFAS-free ceramic nonstick surface for easy cooking and cleanup.
* Automatic, consistent temperature control.
* Durable, warp-proof heavy cast aluminum base.
* Fully immersible for easy cleaning (with heat control removed).
Cons:
* Legs may occasionally feel loose or require tightening.
* Potential for some uneven heating, particularly over the element’s shape.
* Nonstick surface, while good initially, might show wear with intense, prolonged use.
* Large size can be awkward for small sinks or storage.
* Glass lid needs careful handling to prevent breakage.
Exploring Key Features and Their Advantages
After years of using my Presto 06852 16-Inch Electric Skillet, I can confidently attest to how well its design and features address the common woes of home cooking. Let’s dive into what makes this appliance a staple in my kitchen.
Generous 16-Inch Pan with High Sidewalls: Capacity for Every Occasion
One of the most immediate benefits you’ll notice with the Presto 16-inch Electric Skillet is its sheer size. The substantial 16-inch cooking surface, combined with genuinely high sidewalls, offers an impressive amount of capacity. This isn’t just about cooking larger portions; it’s about having the flexibility to prepare complex meals without overcrowding. For a family like mine, hosting gatherings, or simply making a big batch of pasta or chili, this feature is invaluable. I’ve often found myself frustrated with standard skillets that overflow when trying to brown ground meat for tacos or stir-fry a generous mix of vegetables. This electric skillet handles it all with ease, preventing spills and allowing ingredients to cook thoroughly without steaming. It feels robust and provides plenty of room to move food around, ensuring everything gets the attention it needs. This extra capacity helps solve the core problem of limited cooking space and makes meal prep for multiple people significantly less stressful.
PFAS-Free Ceramic Nonstick Surface: Healthier Cooking, Effortless Cleanup
The cooking surface of the Presto 06852 boasts a ceramic nonstick coating, which is a major selling point for me, especially since it’s PFAS-free. In an age where we’re all more conscious about what goes into our food and how it’s prepared, having a nonstick surface free from these “forever chemicals” offers significant peace of mind. Performance-wise, it’s exceptionally slick right out of the box, allowing food to slide off with minimal oil or butter. This not only contributes to healthier eating but also simplifies the cooking process.
Beyond cooking, the true magic happens during cleanup. Even after searing proteins or caramelizing vegetables, a quick wipe with a paper towel often removes the bulk of any residue. For a more thorough clean, warm soapy water and a soft sponge are usually all it takes. I’ve found that even stubborn messes don’t adhere, which is a stark contrast to some older nonstick pans I’ve owned that required more scrubbing or delicate handling. While some user feedback has noted potential durability issues over extremely long periods or with less careful use, with proper care – avoiding metal utensils and high-heat abuses – my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. This feature directly addresses the common problem of food sticking and difficult cleanup, making the post-meal routine significantly faster and less burdensome.
Control Master Heat Control: Precision and Consistency
The included Control Master heat control unit is the brain of the Presto 16-Inch Electric Skillet. It’s designed to automatically maintain precise cooking temperatures, and in my experience, it does this remarkably well. Unlike a conventional stovetop burner where heat can fluctuate, this unit keeps a steady temperature, which is crucial for achieving consistent results whether you’re simmering, frying, or baking. I’ve used it for everything from gently warming sauces to crisping up fried chicken, and the temperature holds true.
The consistency provided by the Control Master unit translates directly into better-cooked food. No more guessing if the pan is hot enough or too hot; just set it and trust it to do its job. This is particularly beneficial for delicate items like pancakes or fish that require a consistent medium heat to cook through evenly without burning. It truly eliminates a major variable in cooking, allowing you to focus on the ingredients and technique rather than constantly adjusting the heat. This solves the problem of unevenly cooked food and provides a level of precision that many conventional cooking methods struggle to match.
Heavy Cast Aluminum Base: Built for Durability and Even Heating
The foundation of any good skillet is its base, and the Presto 06852 Electric Skillet features a heavy cast aluminum construction. This isn’t just a fancy phrase; it speaks directly to the skillet’s durability and heat distribution capabilities. The weight and solid feel of the pan are immediately noticeable. It sits securely on the countertop, and critically, the heavy-gauge aluminum is virtually warp-proof. I’ve had many lighter pans warp over time due to repeated heating and cooling cycles, leading to uneven cooking surfaces. This Presto electric skillet has remained perfectly flat and stable throughout years of use.
The material also plays a key role in heat distribution. While some users have noted the oval shape of the heating element beneath the pan can lead to slightly warmer spots in that area, the heavy cast aluminum generally does an excellent job of spreading heat across the entire surface. This means fewer cold spots and more even browning, stewing, or frying. The solid construction makes it feel like a professional-grade appliance that can withstand daily use and still deliver consistent performance, tackling the problem of flimsy cookware that quickly deteriorates.
Tempered Glass Cover with Stay-Cool Handle: Visibility and Versatility
A good lid is often an unsung hero in the kitchen, and the tempered glass cover on the Presto 16-Inch Electric Skillet is no exception. Its transparent design allows you to monitor your cooking progress without lifting the lid, which is vital for maintaining consistent temperatures and retaining moisture. This is especially useful when simmering stews, steaming vegetables, or keeping an eye on delicate baked goods. The stay-cool handle is a practical safety feature, allowing you to lift or adjust the lid without needing an oven mitt, enhancing convenience during busy cooking sessions.
Beyond its primary function, the glass cover also contributes to the skillet’s versatility, enabling it to double as a buffet server. Once cooking is complete, you can easily transport the skillet to the table, and the lid helps keep food warm while guests serve themselves. It’s a small detail that adds significant value, eliminating the need for separate serving dishes and simplifying entertaining.
Cool-Touch Features: Enhanced Safety and Handling
While the product description highlights “Cool Touch” as a special feature, it primarily manifests in the design of the handles and, to some extent, the overall construction that prevents the exterior from becoming excessively hot in non-cooking areas. The stay-cool handle on the glass lid is a clear example, but the skillet’s base itself is designed to safely rest on countertops without scorching them.
This cool-touch design is paramount for safety, especially in busy kitchens or when cooking around children. It minimizes the risk of accidental burns when moving the skillet, adjusting its position, or even just touching the handles while checking on food. It offers peace of mind and makes the large appliance more manageable and user-friendly, solving the practical concern of heat management on your kitchen surfaces.
Fully Immersible Design (with Heat Control Removed): Effortless Cleanup
For me, ease of cleanup is as important as cooking performance, and the Presto 06852 Electric Skillet truly shines here. Once the Control Master heat control unit is removed, the entire pan and lid are fully immersible. This means no awkward maneuvering around electrical components or trying to avoid getting parts wet. You can submerge the whole skillet in your sink for a thorough wash. Paired with its nonstick surface, this feature makes cleaning a breeze.
While some users have questioned the “dishwasher safe” claim on the box versus the “Do Not wash in dishwasher” instruction in the manual, I personally stick to handwashing for large nonstick items to preserve their lifespan. Even with handwashing, the immersible design makes it incredibly easy. You don’t have to worry about water getting into crevices or damaging hidden elements. This thoughtful design tackles the often-dreaded post-meal cleanup, allowing you to spend more time enjoying your food and less time scrubbing.
Unmatched Versatility: Your All-in-One Kitchen Companion
Perhaps the most significant overarching benefit of the Presto 16-Inch Electric Skillet is its incredible versatility. The product description isn’t exaggerating when it says you can roast, fry, grill, stew, bake, and make casseroles. I have personally used this skillet for virtually every cooking method imaginable. From a big Sunday roast, to crispy fried chicken, tender stews, baked cornbread, and even as a makeshift griddle for pancakes and bacon – it truly does it all.
This versatility means it can replace several single-purpose appliances or free up valuable stovetop space. It’s perfect for holiday meals when you need extra cooking capacity, or for everyday dinners when you want a single appliance to handle multiple steps of a recipe. This feature directly solves the problem of kitchen clutter and the need for numerous specialized tools, consolidating your cooking needs into one efficient, multi-talented electric skillet.
Customer Voices: Real-World Experiences
Having scoured the internet, it’s clear that many users share my positive experience with the Presto 06852 16-Inch Electric Skillet. One user, a busy parent of six, raved about its versatility, calling it a ‘must-have’ for everything from casseroles to grilling, appreciating how it saved her significant time. Another echoed this sentiment, highlighting the even temperature distribution and easy cleanup, even using it in their RV for outdoor cooking. While some minor concerns were occasionally mentioned, such as the legs feeling a bit loose or the nonstick coating eventually showing wear after heavy, prolonged use, the overarching feedback consistently praised its generous size, multi-functionality, and consistent performance, solidifying its place as a valued kitchen appliance.
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
The struggle of managing a chaotic kitchen, grappling with limited stovetop space, and dealing with inconsistent cooking temperatures is a reality many home cooks face, leading to frustration and less enjoyable meals. The Presto 06852 16-Inch Electric Skillet with Glass Cover offers a compelling solution to these challenges. Its expansive capacity simplifies meal preparation for families and entertaining, its precise heat control ensures perfectly cooked dishes, and its easy-to-clean nonstick surface and immersible design make post-meal chores effortless. If you’re ready to transform your cooking experience and reclaim joy in your kitchen, click here to explore this versatile electric skillet !
Last update on 2025-09-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API