You can immediately take control of midweek pandemonium when you pull out an extra large electric skillets with removable base with a lid. You already know how to do it if you’ve ever tried to fry breakfast for five people in a standard pan. Bacon fighting for room. Pancakes are getting jealous. Eggs on the edge. It’s never nice when the family is “hangry.” Everyone can consume warm food together with a bigger skillet. No long shifts at the stove.

Turn on the switch, and the heat is uniform. The surface goes on and on. Flipping six pancakes at once is like a fun trick. Clean up? Usually a soft stroke. And if you want to avoid spillage, the lid is your quiet hero. No more splattering fat or steam that gets away. Have you ever tried to cook chili as toddlers run around your feet? The lid keeps everything inside, even your sanity.

This is something most cooks don’t expect. An extra large skillet is great for doing more than one thing at once. Taco Tuesdays? On one side, sauté the peppers, and on the other, brown the meat. Grandma’s chicken? There is enough room to tan the thighs without pushing them together. No steaming, just golden magic. And somehow, leftover rice turns into stir-fry gold with room for all the veggies.

One of my favorite tricks? Feasts of breakfast for dinner. The skillet has all of these things at once: hash browns, sausage, eggs, and toast. Less work, more fun. Believe me, after having to clean up scrambled eggs off the counters in my first apartment, the covered, electric surface felt like finding Wi-Fi in the desert.

The extra room is a blessing if you’re hosting. No juggling pans. You stop thinking about logistics and start thinking about flavor. Potlucks, game evenings, and holiday get-togethers in the summer are never too much food. People will swarm the kitchen and wonder, “How did you cook it all so quickly?”

It’s easy to control. Turn the knob. Hold on a second. Make changes if you need to. No guesswork or alarms going off all the time. You can see through the cover. Look at those bubbling casseroles. You can serve meals to armies or just get ready for the week. You’ll be amazed at how people used to make casseroles before this came around.

One thing to keep in mind: before you go big, make sure you have enough counter space. You don’t want to have to shift your toaster while you’re rushing to eat. It’s still a big deal for families, meal preppers, or anyone who enjoys leftovers. Putting together a weeknight dinner shouldn’t be harder than doing a crossword.