A pan without a lid is like a pan without a lid.

November 14, 2012 5:55 AM

I purchased a 14-inch Cuisinart open skillet and can't find a good lid for it. I measured the (radius?) and it's actually more like 14 1/8".

Here is the skillet. I purchased a lid from Amazon, but it is the thickness of heavy-duty tinfoil and doesn't fit well.

There are wok lids, but they are aluminum, and also very high, as in dome-like.

Are these pans just not meant to have lids? We are a family of six so I like having a big pan to work with. My wife hates it.

posted by craniac to food & drink (6 answers total)

They do make universal lids that tend to be sturdier in construction. A lot of them also tend to have glass in places so you can peek in while things are cooking.

It's not a perfect solution, but I have one for an open copper skillet and it's dealable.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:10 AM on November 14, 2012

Are these pans just not meant to have lids? Correct!

When you want a pan with a lid, you really just need to buy a pan with a lid.
posted by Kololo at 6:13 AM on November 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Usually sauté pans (with straight sides) have lids and frying pans (with angled/rounded sides) don't, but that's not really a hard-and-fast rule. Heck, different manufacturers use the same names for either type of pan.

You should be able to get open stock replacement lids at a restaurant supply store in any size; the quaity and price will both be better, and you can bring the pan to check what fits.
posted by bcwinters at 6:14 AM on November 14, 2012

From looking at Cuisinart's site under the Chef's Classic line, it looks like they don't even sell the 14" open skillet anymore. None of the covers they sell for that line are for 14" pans. I would suggest calling or emailing Cuisinart to see if they can sell you a lid that might fit.
posted by sgo at 6:14 AM on November 14, 2012

I recommend taking the skillet with you to a restaurant supply store. These places customarily sell pans and lids separately and will have lids buy the bushel hanging on the shelves.

Just try various lids until you find one you like. Sometimes you'll luck out and find a pretty one (I like the Vollrath) that will fit, sometimes you'll find one that just fits.

But 14 inch isn't an uncommon size, so you should be able to find something good.

-oh, what bcwinters said-
posted by bswinburn at 9:26 AM on November 14, 2012

I used to have a silicon universal pot lid that was very easy to clean and fit over pretty much everything.

Something like this, maybe?
posted by ablazingsaddle at 11:13 AM on November 14, 2012