A sauté pan is a cooking implement with a design centered on the art of sauté.
The design combines properties of a
frying pan (a large surface area on which to cook and a long handle) and a
saucepan (deep straight sides), many also have a loop
handle opposite the frying pan-style long handle.
Sizes range typically from 3-6 quarts, sauté pans are sized by capacity like a sauce pan not
diameter like a frying pan.
A good sauté pan rivals a
wok as a
multi-purpose cooking tool. It's larger capacity and ability to hold liquids makes it suitable for small quantities of
soup (although the largeer surface means that your
liquid will heat faster, so it's not suitable for slow-cooking dishes such as
stews), it is excellent for preparing sauces quickly, and of course for general purpose pan-frying.
All good sauté pans come with lids, this allows them to also be used for braised dishes.
Do
not buy a non-stick
sauté pan. part of the glory of sauté is the art of
deglazing. If your pan is non stick you will be left with nothing stuck to the pan to deglaze. This will result in watery and flavorless
sauces. Also sauté pans should conduct
heat well. When you sauté you work to create a brown outer coating on the food, without burning the dish. This is accomplished by keeping the food moving quickly on a high-heat
surface. Copper sauté pans are prized by
chefs in
France, however many home cooks find that copper pans conduct heat a little too well and often end up with burnt dishes. Ideally an
aluminium-
stainless steel pan is ideal. One which uses an aluminium
core to conduct heat, while the
non-reactive surface of stainless steel provides a safe cooking surface, is probably your best
option (and usually run a bit cheaper than the highly expensive french
copper models). Expect to spend $150-$250 on a good sauté pan, keeping in mind that if you care for it it will last your entire life. Also purchace a sauté pan with
metal handles. This allows easy transition from
stove-top to
oven.