It’s easy to get confused in the kitchen, especially when it comes to cookware. Two pans that often cause a mix-up are frying pans and sauté pans. I’m talking about frying pans vs saute-pans. They might look similar at first glance. But the differences between them can improve your cooking results and make your cooking time more efficient.
In this article I break down everything you need to know about frying pans vs. sauté pans. This will help you choose the right pan for the job. You can learn even more about different types of cookware at My Kitchen Hints.
Key Takeaways:
- Frying Pans: Sloped sides, best for quick cooking, searing, flipping (pancakes, eggs).
- Sauté Pans: Straight sides, deeper, include lids, ideal for braising, simmering, sauces, one-pan meals.
- Material Matters: Non-stick is good for delicate foods; stainless steel is versatile and durable; cast iron offers excellent heat retention.
- Own Both (Ideally): Covers most cooking needs, allowing you to choose the right tool for each recipe.
- Choose Based on Cooking Style Consider the main cooking style you prefer.
What Is a Frying Pan?
A frying pan sometimes called a skillet, is a kitchen staple known for its versatility and ease of use. Many home cooks start with a frying pan as their first pan.
Anatomy of a Frying Pan
Frying pans are easily recognized by their sloped sides that flare outwards. This design makes it easy to slide a spatula under food for flipping or turning. They are also relatively shallow. This means they don’t have a lot of depth and a smaller effective cooking area than sauté pans.
Almost all frying pans have a single, long handle that stays relatively cool during cooking. The sloped-sided pan design also aids in fast evaporation. Great for achieving crispy results.
Common materials for frying pans include:
- Cast iron: Known for excellent heat retention, cast iron is great for searing and achieving a crispy crust. It requires seasoning (a process of baking oil onto the surface) to prevent rusting and create a natural non-stick coating. A well-seasoned cast iron pan can last for generations. Checkout My Kitchen Hints for a comprehensive guide on cast iron cookware.
- Stainless steel: Durable and resistant to rust, stainless steel pans are a popular choice. They heat up quickly but may require more oil or butter to prevent food from sticking. Stainless steel pans are excellent for achieving a good sear on meats.
- Non-stick coatings: These pans have a special coating (often Teflon or ceramic). It prevents food from sticking, making them ideal for delicate foods like eggs. A nonstick pan is also easy to clean. But, you should avoid cooking with metal utensils on a nonstick pan as they can scratch the surface. For more info on non-stick options, see this nonstick cookware guide.
- Aluminum: Light and heats evenly.
- Carbon Steel Pans: These are lighter and heat up faster.
What Is a Frying Pan Used For?
The sloped sides and relatively shallow depth of a frying pan make it perfect for:
- Searing: Quickly browning the surface of meat at high heat to lock in juices. A good frying pan will allow you to get a beautiful, flavorful crust on your steaks and chicken pieces. You might even be interested in learning about searing with Hex Clad cookware, Gordon Ramsay swears by.
- Frying eggs: The low sides make it easy to flip eggs without breaking the yolk. A small frying pan is perfect for cooking a couple of fried eggs for breakfast.
- Stir-frying: The wide, open shape allows for quick cooking and even heat distribution. While a wok is the traditional vessel for stir-fry, a frying pan can work well in a pinch.
- Flipping and tossing food: The sloped sides are designed for easy maneuvering of food with a spatula or by tossing the pan. Think fluffy pancakes or perfectly fried rice.
- Pan-Frying: The design of skillets makes it great for this cooking techinque.
Frying pans are your go-to for high-heat, quick-cooking tasks that don’t involve a lot of liquid. A frying pan is also better than a sauté pan for tasks requiring a lot of flipping and tossing, like making a pancake.
What Is a Sauté Pan?
A sauté pan is like a frying pan’s bigger, more versatile sibling. It’s designed for a wider range of cooking techniques, especially those involving liquids. Sauté pans are typically deeper and have straight sides, offering more versatility in the kitchen.
Anatomy of a Sauté Pan
The most distinctive feature of a sauté pan is its straight, vertical sides. This design gives it a larger capacity than a similarly-sized frying pan with a larger cooking surface. Sauté pans also tend to have a wider base for even heat distribution. Many sauté pans come with a lid, which is essential for simmering and braising. They often feature a helper handle opposite the main handle, making it easier to lift and move the pan, especially when it’s full. This straight-sided pan is key to its functionality.
Common materials for sauté pans include:
- Stainless steel (with core layers): High-quality sauté pans often have a core of aluminum or copper sandwiched between layers of stainless steel. This construction, often called “clad,” provides excellent heat conductivity and even heating. A stainless clad sauté pan is a worthwhile investment for serious cooks. Learn more about stainless steel cookware pros & cons.
- Copper: Copper sauté pans are prized for their rapid and even heating, but they can be expensive and require more maintenance. Discover the benefits of copper cookware.
- Non-stick: Like frying pans, sauté pans are also available with non-stick coatings for easy cooking and cleanup. However, a nonstick pan may not be the best choice for high-heat searing.
- Hard-Anodized Aluminum: Very durable.
What Is a Sauté Pan Used For?
The straight sides, larger capacity, and lid make sauté pans ideal for:
- Sautéing: Cooking food quickly in a small amount of fat over relatively high heat, similar to stir-frying but often with larger pieces of food. The actual sauté pan is designed specifically for this dry cooking method, allowing food to brown without steaming.
- Braising: Searing food and then simmering it in liquid, often covered, to tenderize it. An inch sauté pan is perfect for braising a few chicken thighs.
- Shallow-frying: Cooking food in a moderate amount of fat, where the food is partially submerged. Think fried chicken cutlets or breaded vegetables.
- Simmering sauces: The straight sides and lid help to contain liquids and prevent splattering while reducing sauces. The larger cooking surface area of a sauté pan also helps sauces reduce more efficiently than in a saucepan. The sauté pan offers superior performance for making pan sauces.
- One-pan meals: A versatile pan, the sauté pan can handle everything from searing meats to simmering vegetables to creating a flavorful sauce, all in one pan.
- Stews: Perfect for making one pot meals.
Sauté pans are deeper than frying pans with vertical sides, making them perfect for dishes with sauces or larger quantities of food. A straight-sided sauté pan is an essential part of any well-equipped kitchen.
Key Differences Frying Pans vs Sauté Pans
Let’s break down the key distinctions between these two essential pans. Understanding these differences will help you choose the right pan for your different cooking needs.
Side Design & Depth
- Frying pan: Sloped sides make it easy stirring and tossing food. The shallow depth is perfect for quick cooking and evaporation. The sloped sides make for easy stirring of ingredients. This is the classic pancake and fried egg pan.
- Sauté pan: Straight sides provide a larger capacity and are ideal for containing liquids. The greater depth allows for simmering and braising, making it suitable for soups and stews as well. The inch-wide cooking surface provides ample space for cooking.
Lid & Handles
- Sauté pans: Almost always include lids, which are crucial for trapping heat and moisture during simmering and braising. They also often have a helper handle for easier lifting, especially helpful with a heavy, clad saute pan.
- Frying pans: Rarely come with lids. They have a single, long handle designed for easy maneuvering.
Cooking Surface & Capacity
Even if a frying pan and a sauté pan have the same diameter, the sauté pan will have a larger cooking surface area and a significantly greater volume due to its straight sides. This means you can cook more food at once in a sauté pan, and it can handle much more liquid without spilling. An inch sauté pan is a common size. It can easily accommodate a family-sized meal.
Weight & Maneuverability
- Frying pans: Generally lighter and easier to maneuver, making them ideal for quick tasks like flipping pancakes or tossing stir-fries.
- Sauté pans: Heavier and bulkier, especially when full, requiring more care when moving them around the kitchen. The helper handle is there to assist with this.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Frying Pan | Sauté Pan |
|---|---|---|
| Sides | Sloped | Straight |
| Lid | No | Yes |
| Best For | Searing, flipping | Braising, simmering |
| Liquid Handling | Poor | Excellent |
| Base | Smaller | Larger |
When to Use a Frying Pan vs. Sauté Pan
Choosing the right fry pan or sauté pan depends on what you’re cooking.
Best Uses for a Frying Pan
- Crispy bacon
- Pancakes and crepes
- Fried eggs
- Stir-fries
- Seared steaks or chicken breasts
- Quesadillas
- Scrambled-eggs-and-grilled-cheese type of food.
- Fried Rice
Best Uses for a Sauté Pan
- Chicken piccata (or any dish with a pan sauce)
- Vegetable braises
- Risotto
- Shallow-frying (e.g., breaded chicken cutlets)
- Pasta sauces
- Curries
- Stews and soups
- Braising a dozen chicken thighs
Can They Be Used Interchangeably?
Sometimes, yes. You can sear a steak in a sauté pan, and it will work just fine. But, you wouldn’t want to try reducing a large amount of sauce in a frying pan. Because the wide, shallow shape would cause it to evaporate too quickly and may burn. It’s like, trying to flip pancakes in a sauté pan with its high, straight sides would be awkward and difficult.
Trying to make sauces, especially sauces that need a careful reduction in a frying pan is not recommended. When choosing between an equal skillet or saute pan, consider the volume of liquid involved. The saute pan also generally has a wider and more effective cooking area.
Material Matters: How Construction Affects Performance
The material of your pan can significantly impact its cooking properties and how things cook. Understanding what materials make up cookware is crucial for making informed decisions.
Non-Stick vs. Stainless Steel
- Non-stick: Best for delicate foods that tend to stick, like eggs and fish. They’re also great for low-fat cooking since you need less oil or butter. However, they’re not ideal for high-heat searing, and the coating can be damaged by metal utensils. A nonstick pan is perfect for everyday cooking of simpler dishes.
- Stainless steel: More versatile and durable. Stainless steel pans can handle high heat, making them excellent for searing and browning. You’ll need to use more oil to prevent food from sticking, but they’re great for deglazing (making a pan sauce by adding liquid to the hot pan after searing). A stainless pan is a good choice for more experienced cooks.
Heat Conductivity
Pans with a core of copper or aluminum, especially sauté pans, excel at even heating. Copper is the most responsive to temperature changes, followed by aluminum. Stainless steel on its own is not a great conductor of heat, which is why it’s often paired with these other metals, especially in disk-bottomed pans. How well your pan conducts heat will affect how evenly your food cooks. There’s even specialized induction cookware designed for induction cooktops.
Durability & Maintenance
- Cast iron: Requires seasoning and careful cleaning (avoiding soap). But with proper care, it can last for generations. This is a classic example of traditional cookware.
- Stainless steel: Very durable and resistant to rust and corrosion. Many stainless steel pans are dishwasher safe.
- Non-stick: The coating can be scratched or damaged, especially by metal utensils. While some are dishwasher safe, hand-washing is often recommended to extend their lifespan.
Common Questions Answered
Can You Fry Eggs in a Sauté Pan?
Yes, you can, but a non-stick frying pan is generally easier. The sloped sides of the frying pan make it simpler to slide a spatula under the eggs for flipping. The same cooking area might be present, but the shape of the frying pan makes it better suited for this task.
Is a Sauté Pan Good for Deep Frying?
No. A sauté pan is suitable for shallow frying, where the food is partially submerged in oil. For deep frying, where the food is completely submerged, you should use a Dutch oven or a dedicated deep fryer. The high sides of a Dutch oven (which resembles a very squat saucepan) provide better safety and prevent splattering. Trying to deep-fry in a sauté pan could be dangerous.
Which Pan Is Better for Beginners?
A frying pan is often a good starting point for beginners due to its simplicity and ease of use. However, a sauté pan offers more versatility and can handle a wider range of cooking tasks, making it a worthwhile investment as your skills grow. Many home cooks find that owning both types of pans eventually becomes essential. Find some great options in this guide to cookware for beginners.
What size Sauté Pan should I buy?
A good starting size is between 3 to 5 quarts.
Can I use a Sauté Pan in the oven?
Yes most, Sauté Pans are oven safe, but check with the manufature before using. For more details, see this oven-safe cookware guide: materials, safety, and top picks.
Buying Guide: Which Should You Own?
The best choice depends on your kitchen space, and cooking style. There are also considerations for cookware for special diets.
For Small Kitchens
If you have limited storage space, such as no room for a pot rack, prioritize a high-quality frying pan. It can handle many everyday cooking tasks, and you can always add a sauté pan later. A good frying pan can accomplish a surprising number of cooking methods.
For Home Cooks Who Love Versatility
If you enjoy cooking a variety of dishes and want a pan that can do it all, invest in a good-quality sauté pan. Its larger capacity and ability to handle liquids make it a workhorse in the kitchen. A clad saute pan is an excellent, though potentially more expensive, option.
Pro Tip: Own Both
Having both a frying pan and a sauté pan in your kitchen tools will cover about 90% of your cooking needs. It can be quick weeknight meals to more elaborate weekend recipes you’ll be ready. Each pan excels at specific tasks, and having both allows you to choose the best pan for the job. It will lead to better cooking results and more enjoyable culinary experiences.
This is the ultimate way to build a well-equipped kitchen, ready for any culinary quest. Some cooks might even opt for many sizes of each, like a small frying pan for eggs and a larger one for searing. Consider the pros and cons of cookware sets vs individual pieces when making your decision.
Care & Maintenance Tips
Proper care will extend the life of your pans and maintain their cooking properties. Find detailed guidance in this article on cookware care & maintenance.
Cleaning a Frying Pan
- Non-stick: Avoid using metal utensils, which can scratch the coating. Use gentle, non-abrasive cleaners and sponges. Never use steel wool.
- Cast iron: After cooking, clean with hot water and a stiff brush. Avoid soap unless necessary (if food is really stuck on). Dry thoroughly and apply a thin layer of oil to prevent rusting. This helps maintain the seasoning.
- Stainless steel: Can usually be cleaned with soap and water. For stubborn, stuck-on food, use a scouring pad or a paste of baking soda and water. Bar Keepers Friend is a popular cleaner for stainless steel pans.
Caring for a Sauté Pan
- Stainless steel: To maintain shine, occasionally polish with a stainless steel cleaner. For burnt-on food, you can simmer water with baking soda in the pan to loosen the residue.
- Copper: Copper pans will develop a patina over time. Some people like this look, but if you prefer to keep them shiny, you’ll need to polish them regularly with a copper cleaner.
Conclusion
Frying pans and sauté pans are both essential pieces of cookware, but they have distinct features and uses. Frying pans, with their sloped sides and shallow depth, are perfect for quick cooking, searing, stir-frying, and flipping. They’re the ideal choice for pancakes, fried eggs, and quick stir-fry dishes.
Sauté pans, have their straight sides, larger capacity, larger cooking surface, and lids. They excel at braising, simmering, shallow-frying, and handling liquid-heavy recipes. They’re the go-to for pan sauces, stews, and one-pan meals. A sauté pan offers superior performance when a recipe calls for a significant amount of liquid.
There’s a helpful article on the best cookware for different cooking methods if you are uncertain.
The best pan for you, is it a frying pan or a sauté pan. The decision should be based on your preferred cooking style and preferences. If you enjoy making high heat recipes that need constant stirring to prevent food from sticking, a frying pan might be your frequent choice.
If you prefer dishes with sauces or braised meats, the sauté pan will be your workhorse. Many serious cooks find that adding both to their piece pan sets, allows for more different cooking methods. For many home cooks, having both pans is key to being prepared for any recipe. If you could only have a new pan, and are still deciding between frying pans vs saute pans. Remember, for most the first pan to get is a skillet. You may even find inspiration from the best cookware brands when making your choice.