Prepare Food With Perfection Using the Best Sauté Pans

Balance your cooking skills with cookware that perfectly falls between a Dutch oven and a slanted skillet. Featuring immense versatility, the sauté pan is your best option to sear, simmer, braise, bake, deep-fry, and of course, sauté a variety of food. Now that you know you need a sauté pan for your kitchen, the only question is which one to buy.

Keep reading to find out more about our favorite picks of 2023.

What Makes Sauté Pans With Lids More Preferable

Do you cook regularly? Then you already know the importance of having a good sauté pan in the kitchen. There is a wide variety of sauté pans with tons of great features that you can choose from. However, the most preferable models are those that come with lids.

So why should you get a sauté pan with a lid? Because if there’s a lid, you have the option of using the pan with or without it. For dishes that require locking in the heat in the pan, having a lid is essential. Similarly, if you’re searing or frying some food in lots of oil, covering it with the lid will keep the oil from splattering everywhere.

And while you can use other lids of a similar size, having a matching one that comes with the sauté pan is definitely better as it will perfectly sit on the top without letting the heat or moisture escape.

Additionally, you can use the sauté pans with lids to perfectly reduce sauces and searing meats. Since these pans have taller, straighter sides, they offer a larger cooking surface for preparing such food with convenience. And while they’re the best cookware for sautéing, these pans are also great for steaming, frying, and searing – all of which may require covering the pan with a lid for best results.

Pick the Most Efficient Sauté Pan – Factors To Ponder Over

The variety available can be pretty overwhelming to compare, especially if you’re not aware of what to look for. To help you make a smart choice, we’ve jotted down all the important factors that must be taken into account before making your final decision.

Material

The cookware material should be one of your key considerations, and a sauté pan is no exception. You need to invest in a sauté pan that lasts you for years and offers you maximum efficiency and convenience in cooking. The best material for a sauté pan is one that provides excellent heat conductivity.

The most common materials available are stainless steel, aluminum, and copper. Some manufacturers also feature multiple materials for a smoother cooking experience, such as non-stick finish and advanced heat conductivity.

Size

Like any other pan, sauté pans are also available in various sizes to suit different needs. These usually range between 1-quart and 9-quart sizes. However, the ideal size falls between 3-quart and 6-quart, depending on your need.

Pick the correct size by deciding how many people you cook for, as well as the kind of cooking you will do using a sauté pan.

Handle

It is recommended that you choose an ergonomically designed handle, which allows easy maneuvering and ensures a better grip. The handle should be made of a material that stays cool during the cooking process, so you can easily hold it while using or picking up the pan.

The handle should also be securely attached to the sauté pan. A hanging hole at the end of the handle is a plus, which allows you to easily hang your sauté pan with the rest of your collection.

Lid Design

If you’re choosing a sauté pan with a lid, its design is also an essential factor to consider. The best sauté pans of 2023 should have a lid that seamlessly covers the top. You can choose between glass lids or lids made of stainless steel which is the same material as the pan. The advantage of a glass lid is that it allows you to keep an eye on your food without taking it off time and again. On the other hand, the former style could give it a more traditional look.

Regardless of what you buy, make sure it is oven-friendly before popping it in.

Functionality

Last but not the least, the functionality of the pan should be the ultimate deciding factor once you’ve ticked the rest. The pan should be able to provide you with an excellent cooking experience. If features like a pour spout or a helper handle are vital to you, make sure you get a pan one with those features.

Tips for a Lasting Sauté Pan

How easy it is to clean a sauté pan says a lot about its quality and longevity. The following tips will help you to clean your sauté pans and ensure it lasts a lifetime. First off, even if it is dishwasher-friendly, it is best to always wash your sauté pan by hand. Mild soap with warm water is all you need to wash them clean. Also, take note to not use metal utensils to stir as they may damage the surface. The best materials for utensils are silicone, plastic, and wood as they’re gentle on the surface and do not peel off the pan’s non-stick coating. It’s important not to use extremely high heat. You should stick to the ideal heat-withstanding level of your pan. Wild flames can burn the handles and ruin the rivets. Lastly, storing leftovers on a sauté pan – or any pan for that matter – can degrade the quality of your cookware and is not recommended.