My strategy: 1) Make bigger decisions - instead of buying a skillet, design your ideal kitchen (or if that's too big, just your set of pots/pans). You will eit

My strategy: 1) Make bigger decisions - instead of buying a skillet, design your ideal kitchen (or if that's too big, just your set of pots/pans). You will either find that the skillet doesn't make all that much of a difference and be ok with whatever because it's such a small part of the job, or you'll find that the decision is more obvious. 2) Listen to instincts. Be willing to choose based on the things you might initially dismiss as "stupid" like aesthetics and how much joy you feel using it. A skillet should feel right in your hand. If you try to flip food, the weight should feel like you can manipulate it easily. These things usually matter much more than objective quality measures. This doesn't mean dismissing red flags, just that online reviews or "expert" opinions aren't the end-all-be-all. 3) Buying in person if you can helps with 2