Kitchn Love Letters

I’m a Private Chef and I Use This $20 Amazon Find Constantly (Bonus: It’s on Sale!)

published May 25, 2022
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breakfast skillet sits in cast iron pan with handle wrapped in towel with avocado garnish
Credit: Photo: Jason Rampe; Food Styling: Amelia Rampe

As a professional cook, one thing that irks me about cookware is that not all skillets come with lids. In fact, the majority of mine don’t! I can’t tell you how often I’ve rummaged through my cabinet to find a pot cover to (hopefully) fit a fry pan, cast iron, or nonstick to set the whites on a sunny side up egg, keep a stir fry warm, or simply speed up the cooking process by trapping steam. These situations leave me wondering the same question every time: Why don’t all skillets come with lids?

That’s where this ingenious Amazon find comes in to save the day (er, dish?). The Universal Pot and Pan Lid has restored my sanity in the kitchen — and I’m not alone. It’s racked up over 6,000 five-star Amazon ratings! I’m certain this thing is going to change your life for the better, too. Here’s why.

First off, this lid features six grooves that line its circumference to securely fit onto everything from my smallest (7″) to my largest (12″) skillet. I especially love that it works with my cast iron skillets, which, unfortunately, never come with lids. It even fits my lidless wok! I’m also a huge fan of the durable glass finish, which lets me see the status of what I’m cooking without lifting the lid (perfect for making shakshuka, might I add). There’s also a convenient steam hole to safely release accumulating heat. And when I’m finished cooking, I can place it right into the dishwasher for easy cleanup.

Instead of trying to find the right-sized lid in the midst of cooking, I can easily spot this universally sized lid, as it stands out visually next to the rest. If you’re tight on space, you can even ditch your various other covers and use this one exclusively, making the universal lid the perfect space-saving solution! One Amazon customer notes, “I don’t have a lot of space so having one lid for multiple sized pots and pans is the perfect solution for me.”

If the smart features of this kitchen gadget are enough to get you to click “add to cart,” a discount always offers a little extra encouragement. Right now, you can score this find for just $19.99 (instead of $26.99)! Trust me, this lid will definitely make cooking so much easier, so do yourself a favor, and grab it on sale. It’ll be a match made in kitchen-organization heaven.

Buy: Universal Pot and Pan Lid, $19.99 (normally $26.99)