Useful Advice for Choosing the Right Saute Pan

Tap to Read ➤ Dhanashree Patane

A great cooking experience begins with the right choice of cookware. For all your sauté needs, a good sauté pan is a must. Here is a quick guide to help pick the right one.

Sauté is a French word, which refers to the act of tossing or flipping ingredients in the pan over high heat.

Most cooking fans out there know how important it is to choose the right cookware. Even if the ingredients and your cooking skills are at their best, cooking in the right vessel gives you the desired result of the recipe. So, here we are going to talk about the most widely used cookware, which is a pan.

Now, there are many types of pans available, which are used for different cooking purposes. Among these is the sauté pan. Most of us use sauté pans often which is why, it makes an important piece of cookware. When you plan on buying this pan, there are many important things to consider and understand, before you invest in a good piece.

Most people confuse sauté pans with a regular frying pan. Well, a sauté pan comes with a lid, a long handle―to help toss food as it cooks over high heat, a flat bottom with straight sides, and a lid.

It is designed in way to give a perfect sauté to food. So, make sure you pick the right one with all the design features, which only make sautéing easier. Here is what you should consider when buying one for your kitchen.

Tips for Choosing the Right Sauté Pan

The Design

⦿ The most important part of a sauté pan or in fact for any cookware is the design. Always choose a flat bottom for the base of the pan.

A flat surface helps in many ways. Firstly, it helps in even distribution of heat. It is easier for the food inside to brown quickly, without getting too soggy or burnt.

When you want to flip the food inside the pan, it is easier to slide food to-and-fro, in a flat-bottomed pan. It also helps in giving enough space for food to cook evenly, without overcrowding.

⦿ The long handles help in easy maneuvering. They are also comfortable to work with.

Choose handles that are well-fitted, that will give a firm grip, when moving or tossing the food in the pan. Handles with heavy screws and rivets are more durable, and will stay well-attached to the pan, which help in sturdy movement and handling.

⦿ Some pans come with handles that do not overheat while on the stove. These are great for handling the pan otherwise. But you will have to be careful about putting the sauté pan in the oven, as wooden handles or the ones with other cooling material, cannot be put in the oven. So, check for these considerations in the handle when choosing a sauté pan.

⦿ Next comes the lid of the pan. It is important that the lid fits perfectly on the pan. A tight-fitting lid helps in retaining heat in the pan.

Material and Conduction of Heat

⦿ This is a very important consideration when choosing a good sauté pan.

The surface of the pan and the material used decides the overall performance and whether or not the pan works well.

⦿ An important job of the sauté pan is to heat food evenly and quickly. It is also important that the pan cools down easily after heating. There are different metals that pans are made up of. Choosing the metal which evenly transfers heat from the heating source to the surface and eventually to the food inside the pan is important.

⦿ Cast iron, aluminum, or copper pots make the best choice for sautéing.

These metals are good conductors of heat, and they also heat the pan evenly. Opt for a pan with a thick bottom that allows thorough and even cooking of food. Thin-bottomed pans generally develop hot spots.

⦿ It is also important to consider the heating source, like if you will be using a gas stove, induction cooktop, or an electric cooktop.

Gas stoves produce high heat in a short time. Using metal pans that evenly distribute heat, like a thick-bottomed cast iron pan will help in a better cooking experience.

⦿ Electric cooking tops need pots with a thick bottom too. Since these heat up very quickly, a heavy sauté pan is most suitable for cooking.

⦿ Induction cooktops heat pots effectively, when the metal used in them is magnetic. So, use a pan made with cast iron or stainless steel for cooking on an induction top.

⦿ It is also advised to avoid choosing nonstick pans. They may not give the desired taste and texture to the food after sauté.

Depending on the type of cooking and the frequency of cooking too, decide on a pan. They are also available in many sizes. Opt for the one that you feel is easy and comfortable for your cooking skills!