The Best Saute Pans To Make Cooking Easier

Saute pans are one of the most versatile cooking utensils. They are like the perfect hybrids between frying pans and skillets. In addition to having a large surface area to quickly heat and sear food, you also have a large capacity with deeper walls to add and stir more ingredients without spilling. You can reduce sauces quickly without burning them, rapidly mix a variety of ingredients, and fry things. Ideally, a quality saute pan will have a long handle that keeps your hands away from the hob's heat as you stir while having a second handle that aids you in handling heavier ingredients. Saute pans often come with a lid that keeps food warm after cooking or reduces evaporation.

So, you want to get a saute pan but don’t know where to start or what to look out for? We’ve got you covered! Here’s all you need to know when choosing the best saute pan in 2021.

What are the factors to consider when choosing a saute pan?

Materials

There are many types and materials used for saute pans, along with different coatings and handles. There are non-stick options, natural finishes, and more. Here are some of the best materials you can find out there.

Aluminum
Heat conduction is excellent, and it doesn't corrode or rust.

Aluminum Clad Stainless Steel
The heating element is rust and corrosion-resistant, enables excellent heat conduction, and is insulation-ready.

Hard Coat / Anodized Aluminum
The material creates excellent heat conduction and is scratch- and dent-resistant.

Stainless Steel / Aluminum
This pan is a great cooking tool with excellent heat transfer, an induction-ready design, anti-corrosion, and dishwasher safety.

Copper / Stainless Steel
The material has excellent heat conduction properties.

Carbon Steel
Besides being induction-ready, it creates excellent heat conduction.

Thickness

When choosing saute pans, it is also important to consider their thickness in addition to the material they're made of. But how can you tell if something is thick or thin? You can measure cookware in millimeters or gauges, and the way you read these numbers is very important. One mil equals 1/10th of an inch, so as the mil rises, the thickness increases.

However, the gauge has the opposite effect— the higher the gauge, the thinner the metal. Several types of cookware available are between thick 10-gauge and thinner 22-gauge. The best saute pan is usually one with thicker metal, but depending on your cooking needs, there are always pros and cons to consider.

Size

Sauté pans come in a variety of sizes, starting from 1 quart up to 7 quarts. It's fine if it's somewhere right in the middle, around 3 to 5 quarts. The size is mostly dependent on how much food you’ll be cooking in it and how many people you’re cooking for.

The general rule of thumb is to correlate the number of people to the number of quarts and add one more quart if you wish. For just one or two people, a smaller saute pan around 2 or 3 quarts should suffice. For four people, a 4- or 5-quart saute pan will do.

How do you choose the perfect saute pan design?

Saute pans have a wide flat bottom, allowing ingredients to get enough room in the pan without crowding. You want the ingredients to be brown quickly but not burn or steam. For example, suppose you're sautéing chicken breasts. Overcrowding the pan will result in the breasts steaming rather than browning, and the end result will be soggy.

The wide, flat bottom also makes the pan easier to move around on the burner, allowing heat to distribute evenly. In comparison with a saucepan, the sides of a sauté pan are straight and low. Having straight edges makes it easier to cook sauces because the liquid will not spill over the sides. By having a flat bottom and higher sides, your food will cook evenly and thoroughly without spilling over the pan’s edges.

What should you consider in a saute panhandle?

There are a few reasons why you need a long handle. Moving the pan around on top of the burner is part of the process. There may not be any flipping involved, but every now and then, you shake back and forth. You wouldn't want a short handle, otherwise, you'd likely burn your hand or arm.

Also, you may be moving the pan from the top of the stove to the oven to finish cooking. It's important to buy cookware that feels good in your hands and has a long, sturdy handle. It doesn't matter what you're cooking in your saute pan— the handle has to feel secure and it can't fall off when you're handling it. It is therefore important to choose to sauté pans with handles that are securely attached to the pot. It is best if its handles are attached with screws or rivets. If you're moving the saute pan from the stovetop to the oven, a saute pan with a long handle on one side and a small handle on the other will be a great help.

Much of the new cookware on the market has handles that don't get hot when you're using it on the stove. This is a great way to move a pot from the burner to the sink, but if you plan to bake something in it, you'll need to be careful. While the handle may have a rubber coating so it doesn't get hot, that could melt in the oven. Heat resistance does not mean heatproof. You should always use oven mitts when removing hot cookware, so your sauté pan must have an oven-proof handle. Although wooden handles make things look nice and will keep things cooler than metal ones, don't plan on using them in the oven either.

How do you take care of your pan?

The following list of guidelines is intended to serve as basic rules for care and usage, but it is recommended that you follow the specific manufacturer's cleaning instructions. Each saute pan will have its own maintenance needs based on its materials.

Always keep your heat source away from empty cookware. Before cleaning or immersing cookware in water, allow it to cool to prevent warping. You should use silicone utensils with non-stick pans and metal utensils with standard-surface pans. When stacking non-stick or hard coat pans, use liners between pans to not scratch stick-resistant surfaces. Something as simple as a paper towel can serve as a liner.

To clean copper surfaces, apply a polishing paste. If you wash your cookware by hand, it will last longer and look better. Make sure you scrub in the grain direction of the material. Allow the saute pan to air dry completely after thoroughly rinsing, sanitizing, and disinfecting. Use a metal-safe detergent if you are putting it through the dishwasher. When cleaning seasoned carbon steel pans, do not use soap. Instead, to prevent oxidation, wash the pan inside and out with hot water and wipe the surface with crude cooking oil or shortening.

Best Saute Pan FAQs

What is the best pan option for frying?

A non-stick pan is your best bet, anytime, any day. They allow you to properly cook your food without losing part of it in the frying process. Plus, a non-stick pan is much easier to clean as fewer food particles will be stuck to it.

Should I use my saute pan for oven baking?

Not all saute pans are designed for oven use. You have to be careful of rubber or silicone coatings on the handles and heatproof details, as these could melt in the oven at high temperatures. This is why we recommend that you get an oven-proof saute pan if you will be doing more oven baking.

Dishwasher or hand-washing, which is better?

In the short term, the dishwasher can be a great time saver. However, hand-washing your cookware not only preserves them but also keeps them looking great even after several years of use. The dishwasher’s high temperatures can ruin non-stick coatings and possibly warp pans.