If you want a countertop pan that can handle more than basic frying, this Presto 07117 12-Inch Electric Skillet review will help you decide fast.
It aims to make everyday cooking easier with automatic heat control, a nonstick surface, and a buffet-friendly design.
Presto Skillet Review Summary
The Presto 07117 12-Inch Electric Skillet is a smart pick for buyers who want one appliance that can fry, roast, grill, stew, bake, and even handle casseroles without tying up the stove.
It is especially appealing if you cook family meals, like to serve food at the table, or want a more hands-off way to manage heat than a traditional skillet allows.
Best fit: home cooks, apartment dwellers, and families who want reliable everyday cooking with easier cleanup.
If you want a countertop skillet that feels practical rather than flashy, this one makes a strong case.
From a buyer’s perspective, the biggest strengths are automatic temperature maintenance, useful 12-inch capacity, and a nonstick build that simplifies cleanup.
The main tradeoffs are that it is bulkier than a regular pan and less flexible than advanced multi-cookers.
Scorecard
| Category | Score | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking versatility | 10/10 | Handles roasting, frying, grilling, stewing, baking, and casseroles. |
| Temperature control | 9/10 | Control Master heat control helps maintain cooking temperature automatically. |
| Capacity and serving space | 8/10 | 12-inch size and high sidewalls work well for family portions. |
| Cleanup ease | 9/10 | Nonstick inside and out, dishwasher-safe, and fully immersible after removing control. |
| Build and usability | 8/10 | Cast aluminum body, glass lid, stay-cool handle, and pour spout add convenience. |
| Countertop convenience | 8/10 | Compact enough for everyday use while replacing some stove or oven tasks. |
Bottom line: if you want a versatile electric skillet for family-style cooking and easy cleanup, the Presto 07117 is absolutely worth a close look.
Key Features and Specifications of Presto Skillet
The Presto 07117 is built around practical features that matter in real kitchens.
It is not trying to be a complicated smart appliance; instead, it focuses on dependable heat, manageable size, and simple serving.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Presto |
| Model / Part Number | 07117 / 7117 |
| Size | 12-inch |
| Dimensions | 12.13 in D x 15.75 in W x 7.58 in H |
| Weight | 5.9 lb |
| Power | 1250 watts |
| Voltage | 120V |
| Material | Non-stick cast aluminum pan |
| Color / Style | Black, modern |
| Included components | Skillet, 2 legs, glass cover, Control Master heat control |
| Special features | Dishwasher safe, nonstick coating, fully immersible after removing heat control |
| Warranty | Limited warranty |
Feature-wise, the most important selling points are the automatic heat control, high sidewalls, and nonstick surface inside and out.
Those three details are what make the Presto 07117 12-Inch Electric Skillet feel more useful than a basic stovetop pan for everyday one-pan meals.
- 12-inch cooking surface: a practical middle ground for couples, small families, and side dishes.
- 1250-watt heating power: enough power for steady electric cooking without feeling sluggish.
- Tempered glass cover: lets you monitor food without lifting the lid repeatedly.
- Stay-cool lid handle: a helpful safety detail for serving and checking food.
- Pour spout: useful for draining liquids and reducing mess.
- Spoon and spatula rest: a small but thoughtful design choice that keeps utensils handy.
- Fully immersible design: a major convenience once the heat control is removed.
- PTFE-free material type: a notable detail for shoppers comparing nonstick materials.
In short, the spec sheet supports the product’s identity: a versatile countertop skillet meant for convenience, not culinary precision.
Pros and Cons of Presto Skillet
Every electric skillet has tradeoffs, and the Presto 07117 12-Inch Electric Skillet pros and cons are easy to understand once you look at its design goals.
Pros
- Very versatile: it can roast, fry, grill, stew, bake, and make casseroles.
- Automatic temperature management: the Control Master heat control reduces constant adjustment.
- Easy cleanup: nonstick surfaces, dishwasher-safe parts, and immersion-ready construction help a lot.
- Good family-meal size: the 12-inch body and high sidewalls support everyday portions.
- Serving-friendly design: the glass lid and buffet-style shape make it useful at the table.
- Practical handling features: pour spout, stay-cool handle, and utensil rest improve usability.
Cons
- Bulky compared with a regular frying pan: it takes more storage and counter space.
- Less flexible than a multi-cooker: it does not replace every slow-cook or pressure-cook task.
- Heat control must be removed before immersion: cleanup is easy, but only if you follow the process correctly.
- Best for one-pan cooking: not the right tool for delicate, precision-driven cooking.
If you want a simple verdict, the strengths clearly outweigh the drawbacks for the right buyer.
The biggest limitation is space, not performance.
Who Should Buy Presto Skillet?
The Presto 07117 12-Inch Electric Skillet is a good fit for people who value convenience over complexity.
It is particularly useful if you cook a lot of skillet meals, want a backup appliance for the stove, or need a dependable way to keep food warm and serve it buffet-style.
- Families: the size and sidewalls work well for shared meals, casseroles, and breakfast batches.
- Apartment or dorm-style kitchens: a countertop skillet can replace some stovetop tasks when space is limited.
- Busy home cooks: automatic heat control reduces babysitting.
- Entertainers: the buffet-friendly design makes serving easier.
- Cleanup-focused buyers: the nonstick and dishwasher-safe design is a real advantage.
You should probably skip it if you only need a basic pan for occasional use, if your storage space is tight, or if you already own a multi-cooker that covers your needs.
For those buyers, the Presto 07117 may feel like an extra appliance rather than a useful upgrade.
How the Control Master Heat Control Performs
The Control Master feature is one of the biggest reasons this model stands out in the electric skillet category.
Instead of requiring you to constantly dial heat up and down, it is designed to automatically maintain the selected cooking temperature.
In practice, that matters because electric skillets can be frustrating when they run too hot or require frequent tweaking.
With the Presto 07117, the attraction is steadier results for everyday dishes like pancakes, chicken breasts, rice-based skillet meals, stews, and sautés.
That makes it especially appealing for buyers who want more consistent heat with less monitoring.
This does not mean it replaces cooking judgment.
You still need to manage timing, ingredient size, and food safety.
But compared with a basic pan on a fluctuating burner, the automatic control is a meaningful usability improvement.
Buyer takeaway: if your biggest annoyance is uneven heat or constant stove attention, this feature is a real reason to buy.
Cooking Capacity and Family-Meal Use
The 12-inch cooking area is one of the most practical choices here.
It is large enough for family dinners, but not so large that it becomes awkward for daily use.
The high sidewalls also make a difference, especially for foods that bubble, simmer, or need a little more depth than a shallow skillet can offer.
That combination makes the Presto 07117 better than a standard frying pan for tasks like:
- Skillet chicken and vegetables
- Breakfast scrambles and hash browns
- One-pan pasta-style meals
- Soupy or saucy casseroles
- Pan frying in larger batches
For families, the real advantage is not just capacity, but serving convenience.
You can cook and present food in the same vessel, which reduces cleanup and keeps meals warm longer than a typical pan might.
If you often cook for more than two people, the size makes sense.
If you mostly cook single servings, though, the footprint may feel larger than necessary.
Cleaning, Immersion, and Dishwasher Safety
Cleanup is one of the strongest reasons buyers look at an electric skillet, and this model does well there.
The nonstick surface inside and out helps reduce stuck-on food, and the pan is designed to be fully immersible after the heat control is removed.
That detail matters.
It means you can clean it more thoroughly than some appliances, but you still need to respect the removable electrical component.
For buyers who do not want to hand-scrub a heavy pan after every use, this is a welcome design choice.
The fact that it is also dishwasher safe adds another layer of convenience.
Still, the best approach is to treat the nonstick coating carefully: use soft utensils, avoid harsh abrasives, and follow the manufacturer’s cleaning guidance.
Practical drawback: the control unit must come off before immersion, so this is easy cleanup, not careless cleanup.
Glass Lid, Pour Spout, and Serving Convenience
The accessories and shaping of the Presto 07117 show that Presto thought beyond basic cooking.
The tempered glass cover lets you watch food without lifting the lid, which helps preserve heat and moisture.
The stay-cool handle is another small safety plus during serving.
The pour spout is particularly useful for recipes that produce liquid, grease, or sauce.
It can help with draining and reducing mess when you move from cooking to serving.
The fact that the pour spout doubles as a spoon and spatula rest is a nice everyday convenience, especially when you are cooking several things at once.
These features do not sound dramatic, but they are the kind of thoughtful touches that make a countertop appliance feel easier to live with.
For many buyers, that matters more than fancy controls.
What You Can Cook in the 12-Inch Skillet
The biggest advantage of the Presto 07117 is that it is genuinely multipurpose.
If you are comparing an electric skillet vs. a basic pan, this model gives you far more flexibility for one-pan meals.
- Frying: eggs, bacon, chicken, fish, and vegetables
- Grilling: simple seared items and sandwich-style cooking
- Stewing: sauces, braises, and simmered meals
- Baking: casserole-style recipes and covered dishes
- Roasting: smaller cuts of meat and vegetables
That range is where the value really comes from.
Instead of being a one-trick pan, the Presto 07117 acts like a compact cooking station for straightforward home meals.
It is not meant to replace every kitchen appliance, but it can reduce how often you need the oven or stovetop.
Best-use case: simple, practical, reliable cooking for everyday meals.
Presto Skillet Alternatives to Consider
If you are comparing the Presto 07117 against other kitchen options, here are sensible alternatives that are commonly searched and widely available on Amazon:
- Presto 16-inch electric skillet — a better choice if you regularly cook for larger groups and want more surface area.
- 12-inch nonstick electric skillet — useful if you want to compare similar countertop models from multiple brands.
- stovetop cast aluminum skillet with lid — a good option if you prefer direct burner control and do not need electric heating.
- electric griddle — better for pancakes, bacon, and large batch breakfast cooking.
- multi-cooker with sauté and simmer functions — worth considering if you want more cooking modes in one appliance.
Compared with those options, the Presto 07117 stands out for being simple, compact, and highly versatile.
The best alternative depends on whether your top priority is more space, more features, or easier stovetop-style cooking.
Is Presto Skillet Worth It?
So, is Presto 07117 12-Inch Electric Skillet worth it?
For most shoppers who want an affordable-feeling, practical, everyday countertop cooker, the answer is yes.
It delivers where it matters most: steady heat, flexible cooking modes, easy cleanup, and a size that works for real meals rather than just side dishes.
The reason this model makes sense is that it solves common kitchen problems without overcomplicating the process.
If you want less stovetop babysitting, more serving convenience, and a pan that can move from frying to stewing to casserole duty, this is a strong buy.
If you need advanced precision, huge batch capacity, or ultra-compact storage, it may not be the best match.
Final verdict: the Presto 07117 12-Inch Electric Skillet is a worthwhile buy for families, convenience-focused cooks, and anyone building a practical countertop cooking setup.
It is not the most advanced appliance in the kitchen, but it is one of the more useful ones for everyday meal prep.
Buying advice: choose it if you want versatile one-pan cooking and easy cleanup; skip it if your kitchen already covers these tasks well or if storage space is extremely limited.