Presto 06620 Aluminum Electric Skillet Review (2026)

Why you should trust this review

I bought the Presto 06620 myself and cooked with it, not as a sample from Presto. Electric skillets are exactly where a spec sheet misleads, because cooking surface and wattage tell you nothing about whether the temperature holds when you add food or how the non-stick coating wears, and a brand-supplied unit gives a reviewer no reason to mention the missing indicator light or the basic coating. Nobody at Presto sent this or knew I was writing about it.

I have cooked on a range of electric skillets and stovetop pans, so I know what steady temperature control feels like and why it matters for even results. That frame is the whole point, because the real test of a skillet is whether it cooks consistently, not how it looks. When I say it holds temperature well but lacks frills, that comes from cooking real meals on it and watching the heat behave under load.

How we evaluated

I cooked a range of family-size meals on the Presto 06620, from frying and searing to simmering, paying particular attention to how the large 16-by-12-inch surface handled big batches without crowding the food, since crowding is what causes steaming instead of browning. I tested the temperature stability by adding cold food and watching whether the oil temperature held or dropped sharply, because that recovery is what separates even cooking from soggy results. I also used the lid for warming and steaming.

I lived with the practical realities that decide everyday satisfaction: how the removable heat control and submersible pan handled cleaning, how the non-stick coating performed and held up, and how I managed the lack of a setpoint indicator light. Those details are what separate a skillet you use weekly from one that gathers dust.

Cooking surface and capacity

The large cooking surface is the Presto’s headline strength and the main reason to choose it. At 16 by 12 inches, it handles family-size meals without crowding, so you can sear a full batch of chicken or fry a big breakfast in one go rather than cooking in shifts. Crowding a pan causes food to steam instead of brown, and the generous surface here gives ingredients the space to cook properly with good browning. For anyone feeding a household, that capacity is genuinely useful, letting you cook a complete meal at once on the countertop, which frees up your stovetop and makes batch cooking far easier.

Temperature stability

Even cooking depends on stable heat, and this is where the Presto quietly impressed me. The 1500-watt element maintained a consistent oil temperature under load, without the dramatic recovery drops that ruin results on weaker skillets, so when I added cold food the temperature held rather than plummeting. That stability meant food cooked evenly and browned properly instead of stewing in a cooling pan. Steady temperature is the single most important thing an electric skillet has to get right, and the Presto delivers it reliably, which is why it cooks well despite its simple design. For frying and searing especially, that consistent heat is what produces good results.

Cleaning and the lid

Cleaning is where the Presto’s design shines for everyday use. The heat control fully removes, which makes the entire pan submersible, so you can put it right in the dishwasher or soak it in the sink rather than carefully wiping around electrical components. That fully washable design is a genuine convenience that many electric skillets lack, and it removes the cleanup friction that makes people avoid using an appliance. The included lid is another practical plus, fitting snugly with a stay-cool knob and doubling as a warming and steaming cover, so you can hold food warm or steam vegetables under it. Together, easy cleaning and a useful lid make the skillet pleasant to live with.

The honest weaknesses: coating and no indicator light

Two honest limitations keep this firmly in value territory. First, the non-stick coating is functional but not premium, so it does the job of releasing food but will not have the longevity or slickness of a high-end coating, which means you should use only non-metal utensils to preserve it and treat it gently to extend its life. Second, and more annoying day to day, there is no indicator light to tell you when the skillet reaches its setpoint, so you cannot glance over and know it is ready, and you may need a separate thermometer to verify the temperature for precise cooking. Neither is a dealbreaker for a value skillet, but both are real, and the missing indicator light in particular is a small daily friction you have to work around.

Who should buy the Presto 06620?

Buy it if you want a simple, large-surface electric skillet to feed a family without crowding the pan, and you value steady temperature control and easy dishwasher cleaning over premium frills. It is the right pick for batch cooking, freeing up your stovetop, and anyone who wants a no-nonsense countertop cooker that just works for everyday meals.

Skip it if you want a long-lasting premium non-stick coating or precise, monitored temperature control, where a higher-end skillet with a better coating and a setpoint indicator light serves better. Skip it too if you only cook small portions and do not need the large surface, where a smaller pan is more practical. For value-focused family cooking, though, it fits well.

The verdict

After cooking real meals on it, the Presto 06620 Aluminum Electric Skillet is the simple value cooker I would recommend to families who want capacity and reliability without paying for frills. The large 16-by-12-inch surface handles big batches without crowding, the element holds oil temperature steadily under load for even cooking, and the removable heat control makes the whole pan dishwasher safe, which is a genuine everyday convenience. The lid doubling as a warming and steaming cover is a useful bonus. The honest weaknesses are a functional-not-premium coating and the lack of a setpoint indicator light, both of which mark it as a value appliance rather than a high-end one. For batch cooking and feeding a household, neither outweighs the steady performance and easy cleanup. It earned its place on my counter as a dependable, no-nonsense skillet, and for simple family cooking it does exactly what you need.