With the increased variety of sauteuse pans available on the market these days, finding the best sauteuse pan for your kitchen can be a confusing task.
But, with properly done research, you can skip the trial-and-error phase which not only ruins some of your home-cooked meals but wastes a good amount of money.
The suitable pan highly differs from one person to another. Because of the different uses this pan has, there’s a variety of them in the market fit for every use.
Aluminum, stainless steel, or cast iron are used to manufacture the most well-known pans.
However, every material performs differently than the other.
In this article, I’ll guide you through the different sauteuse pans and explain their uses, making the choosing process a lot easier and more efficient.
What is a Sauteuse Pan and How Can You Use it?
With the slight similarity in names with the regular saute pan, it’s not unusual for you to confuse them both for one another.
A sauteuse pan is, however, different than the saute pan in a few aspects. A sauteuse pan is a pan that has a lid, two loop handles, rounded, and somewhat sloped sides for better searing.
These pans can cook in different ways, with braising as the most known of them. In addition to searing, baking, broiling, and sauteing as well making this utensil highly versatile. You can use this pan in cooking, for oven use, or even as a serving utensil.
Having tall sides allows it to hold more juice and liquid than the usual saute pan, with the lid for sealing in those liquids.
The sauteuse pan is mostly common in European households usually with a size range of 2.5 quarts to 7 quarts. Depending on how big your household is, or what you choose to cook in it.
Best Sauteuse Pan
Best Overall: Calphalon 1932442 Classic Nonstick All Purpose Pan with...
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The Calphalon classic all-purpose pan is one of the best on the market because it combines several beneficial features without being overpriced. With this best sauteuse pan, you get a bundle of durability, ease of cleaning, fair price, elegant look, and can be easily stored.
Pros:
- Sauteuse Pan is constructed with hard-anodized aluminum material
- Has a dual-layer which makes cleaning up and releasing food easier
- Long-lasting and durable because of its high-quality material
- The pan can tolerate oven heat up to 450F
- Comes with a lifetime warranty reflecting the company’s confidence in their product
- Manufacturers used stainless steel in making loop handles for an elegant look
Cons:
- Although the stainless steel handles contribute to the pan’s aesthetic feel, stainless steel is a good conductor of heat therefore the handles tend to heat up quickly
- Not dishwasher safe
- Pan can get scratched easily
- The pan’s surface doesn’t distribute heat easily
Easiest to Clean: Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Sauteuse Oven, 3.5...
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This Le Creuset enamel signature sauteuse pan combines the best of all worlds. It looks spectacular, is highly durable, performs perfectly, and has several functions. If you’re deciding on investing, look no further than this best in its class sauteuse pan.
Pros:
- With a size of 3.5 quarts making it versatile to be used for all kinds of dishes. For example, casseroles, soups, meat, and even one-pot dishes
- The interior has a sand color smooth enamel finish making it perfect for enhancing caramelization
- The smooth interior prevents sticking and avoids stains
- Has a wide base which helps in searing meats and for an easier stirring of food
- Lids manufactured to maximize the effect of locking in flavor by the enhancement of continuous circulation of moisture and heat
- Manufactured to be shock-resistant to prevent chipping or cracking if put under high heat
- Comes in different wonderful color options
- Is oven-safe, stove safe, and dishwasher safe
- Its cast-iron construction makes the cooking process better by evenly distributing heat and locking in moisture.
- Easy to clean because of the smooth enamel
Cons:
- Has a high price
Best for Cooking Large Meals: Calphalon Premier Hard-Anodized Nonstick Cookware, 7-Quart...
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This Calphalon hard-anodized sauteuse pan is 7 quarts in size. Making it the best sauteuse pan for cooking for a large household or a big number of people. Also, the features it carries make it very durable and of high quality. The price is also very suitable for what this sauteusepan offers.
Pros:
- High durability – constructed with 40% longer-lasting nonstick material than the classic Calphalon pan
- Is safe to be used with metal utensils
- Has a nonstick interior made of three layers
- The exterior is made of hard-anodized aluminum
- Contains a tempered glass lid
- Stove and oven safe
- Can be used with most kinds of stovetops including electric, gas, and glass stovetops
- Comes with a lifetime warranty reflecting the brand’s confidence in the pan’s quality
- Large size
- Has an elegant look
- Dishwasher safe
Cons:
- Handles are made of aluminum which heats up quickly
- Glass lids are more prone to cracking
- More on the heavy side
Best Luxury Pick: Hestan - NanoBond Collection - Stainless Steel Titanium...
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The Hestan brand is known for the luxurious feel it gives its cookware utensils. As someone who’s crazy obsessed with aesthetics, this pan combines all the needed features in a sauteuse pan with a perfectly designed shape and finish.
Pros:
- From the NanoBond collection which is a molecular titanium sauteuse pan offering the most advanced cookware with maximum durability and long-lasting beauty
- Comes in a 3.5 quarts size making it suitable for everyday meals
- Dishwasher safe
- Doesn’t have any sharp edges
- Comes with sealed rims encased with stainless steel to avoid dangerous wear and tear
- Equipped with flush rivets which prevent any food build-up and makes it easily cleaned
- Offers superior cooking performance with high conductivity of heat
- Can handle high temperatures safely
- Has ProCore aluminum interior which offers a faster and an even cooking experience
Cons:
- Very expensive
- Handles can heat up quickly
Best Safety Features: GreenPan Valencia Pro Hard Anodized Healthy Ceramic Nonstick...
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The GreenPan Valencia Induction sauteuse pan is one that features all safety measures needed in an everyday sauteusepan. Combined with its ease of use, durability, aesthetic look, and excellent cooking performance, this pan is suitable for everyday use without splurging too much on a piece of cookware.
Pros:
- The Interior is equipped with a ceramic non-stick coating that is free of PFOA, PFAS, lead, and cadmium making it impossible for it to release toxic fumes even if left in the heat for a long time
- Dishwasher safe
- Stove-safe, oven-safe, and broiler-safe
- Contains a hard-anodized aluminum body that is scratch-resistant and lasts a long time
- The non-stick coating is infused with diamonds offering balanced heating
- Is safe to use with metal utensils
- Can be used with all kinds of stovetops including induction
Cons:
- The glass lid is more prone to breakage
- The handles are good conductors of heat
- Doesn’t come in large sizes
Material of the Best Sauteuse Pans
Cast Iron
The cast iron pan is the first one. This material is more on the tough side – meaning that it’s difficult to ruin an iron cast sauteuse pan.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a sauteuse pan that will last a long time, iron cast sauteuse pans are the ones for you.
Also, iron cast sauteuse pans stay hot for a long time when heated which makes them perfect for searing meat and overall keeping food warm for a long duration of time.
You shouldn’t leave certain foods to cool below a specific degree such as steak. Therefore, searing meat requires sauteuse pans that can hold a high degree of heat.
A mind-blowing fact that I myself never thought of is that when you cook food in an iron cast pan, the pan absorbs a small amount of the iron. You got yourself some beneficial nutrients!
Aluminum
The second is the aluminum sauteuse pans. I needn’t state the effect aluminum material has on the elegance of a pan. Also, due to the abundance of aluminum in our environment, aluminum pans tend to be cheaper than the others.
Moving on to performance-enhancing features, the aluminum cooking pan is popular among people because of its high durability.
Since they are commonly lightweight, which makes them very manageable when it comes to dealing with large pans.
To its heating capabilities, aluminum pans are very good conductors of heating. Making them able to heat very quickly and cook food evenly as well. Make sure not to leave the pan unattended because of how quickly it heats up.
Forasmuch as you’re taking care of the aluminum pans, they are durable and will last a long time.
Stainless Steel
The third is the stainless steel pans. Also aside from the elegant finish of stainless steel pans, people rated this material among the most durable materials for cookware. Often referred to as ‘immortal’.
What makes these pans very durable is, of course, my favorite feature, which is their nonstick material. Forget about stains or even rust when you use a stainless steel sauteuse pan.
The higher the quality of the pan (more constructive layers), the more likely it to not have stains or cause food to stick to the surface. Also, the ease of cleaning is a definite plus you should consider.
But remember, cleaning stainless steel surfaces are not similar to other materials, in regards to cleaning equipment. You mustn’t use any rough sponges because they’ll scratch the surface and ruin your perfectly polished pan.
Instead, soak the pan in water and after a while, the food leftovers will slide off with a regular sponge very easily and lightly.
Another factor to consider is the stainless steel reactivity to acidic food, which most people overlook. For a safe cooking experience, checking if the material of your cookware is safe for acidic foods is essential.
Fortunately, stainless steel pans provide you with the comfort of not thinking twice about the food’s pH level before cooking it since stainless steel doesn’t react with acidic food.
What Makes the Best Sauteuse Pan Different From a Wok
There are a number of features that make a sauteuse pan different from a wok, but the main one being its functionality.
A sauteuse pan is more of an everyday pan and you can use it for foods that don’t need tossing and turning around. Usually, foods contain a lot of liquid because of their sides and lid that seals in the liquid.
On the other hand, you can better use a wok for stir-fries – basically, dishes that need a lot of tossing and turning because of the vast space woks offer.
When it comes to which one you’ll most probably use more, then the sauteuse pan is your go-to. Sauteuse pans are versatile pans which you’ll find yourself cooking with every single day.
How to Take Care of a Sauteuse Pan
Here’s how to take care of a sauteuse pan so it can last longer:
Cast Iron Sauteuse Pan
So you’ve decided to shoot for a material that is on the safe side because of its long history of usage among our parents and grandparents. But, this surely does come at a cost.
With the increased number of years of existence, comes a higher percentage of debunking myths.
So, whether you just bought a new cast-iron pan, inherited one from your family, or even bought a used one from a yard sale, this guide will save your pan’s life.
First Wash
The first cleaning after you’ve just bought the best sauteuse pan – whether new or used is different than the others. By different I mean, using hot and soapy water which you’ve probably heard is bad for a cast-iron pan. Myth debunked.
The first wash is necessary because of the rust bits and factory residue on the pan. We don’t want to cook meals in a rusty pan, do we? Therefore, wash your pan well with hot soapy water before your first use.
It’s best if you repeat the hot soapy water rinse every year for a lasting clean sauteuse pan.
There’s this term you’ve probably heard when buying an iron-cast pan called “Seasoning” which seems out of context, right?
Seasoning is the process of making your iron-cast pan nonstick. The season is simply the baking of the pan with multiple layers of oil, making it non-stick.
With newly bought pans, there’s probably a factory-manufactured seasoning layer on it. But with used ones, I recommend you create a seasoning layer at home. Don’t worry, the process is as easy as it can get.
After you finish the first wash and pan seasoning, what’s next? Here are a few tips for the prolonged maintenance of your pan.
Regular Washes
For regular washes, when you use enough fat for cooking, washing with warm (not soapy) water should be sufficient.
Rinse with warm water and gently scrub the stuck food pieces with a gentle sponge, paper towel, or a plastic pan scraper.
If the pan has food residues strongly stuck to it, use salt and oil to scrub the pan like canola oil and kosher salt to scrub the pan, and then normally rinse and dry the pan.
Whenever you feel like the non-stick coating starts getting weaker, place the pan on low heat after drying it, pour a tiny amount of oil, and spread it among the entire surface of the pan.
Contradictory to what we all hear, soaking an iron-cast pan is actually bad for its maintenance. When you use the pan, the best method is to clean it right away instead of soaking it in water for a long time thinking this will ease the cleaning process.
Aluminum Sauteuse Pan
Aluminum pans that have a nonstick protective coating, therefore you must treat them differently than other pans for ensured prolonged usage.
After you use the aluminum pan, the best way to wash it is to use warm water with some gentle soap. Remember that not all cleaning detergents are the same. Always use gentler ones when cleaning aluminum pans as harsh detergents will degrade the protective coating.
Clean the pan well without leaving any food residue stuck to it. The acidity of certain foods may react with the pan, and in return, degrade the coating.
Not only does this ruin the coating, but leaving food to react with a kitchen cookware is bad for the safety of people eating.
Take care when using certain utensils on the aluminum pan because scratches can occur easily. Avoid metal utensils at all costs, and instead, opt for wooden and plastic utensils for the safety of the pan’s nonstick coating.
Cleaning
Since aluminum material is different from stainless steel and iron when it comes to it getting scratched, it’s recommended you coat the pan with a thin and soft cloth when storing it next to other kitchen cookware. This prevents you from getting the pan scratched when you are taking it out of the storage place.
Do not wash aluminum pans in the dishwasher unless the manufacturer states that it’s safe to do so. But, I generally do not recommend washing aluminum pans in a dishwasher since the dishwasher detergents are always harsher than the usual ones. Also, the cleaning process can cause scratches on the surface of the pan.
If in any case, the pan is stained or discolored, don’t attempt to clean it with harsh chemicals or extremely hot water. This will ruin your pan for sure.
Instead, clean it with a mild aluminum cleaner – they are made to remove stains without affecting the quality of the pan’s surface.
Precautions
Since aluminum pans are known to transfer heat better than most other materials. Using high heat is not needed when cooking in an aluminum pan. Because the high heat is a major factor in the discoloration of pans. So, use heat that is sufficient enough to cook the food without causing discoloration to the pan.
Correspondingly, when heating the pan, make sure not to place the pan over ranges that are bigger than the pan’s surface as this will lead to discoloration as well.
Stainless Steel Sauteuse Pan
I consider cleaning stainless steel cookware simple and there are surely a greater number of ways than one to take care of stainless steel pans.
Regardless of whether you are attempting to get rid of water spots that minerals cause in the water, attempting to remove difficult oil or food spots, or figuring out how to remove tough marks caused by overheating and staining, I will cover a couple of approaches to do so.
Keeping your quality stainless steel cookware’s appearance clean and shiny can be an annoying task yet I can’t pressure enough the importance of keeping up clean cookware. Like pretty much every other material item that you own, there are several ways to maintain them.
Cleaning
The most well-known way to clean your stainless steel pan is with baking soda and water. A simple approach you can do to eliminate tough food stains from the surface of your pan. This technique can work greatly yet you should do it a few times to get stubborn food stains or buildup off.
It is also important to clean your pan not long after cooking with it to make the cleaning process a lot easier. Therefore, the food and oil buildup doesn’t have as much chance to sink into the pan and cause discoloration.
To begin, you’ll need to cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda and add water. Opt to add about a quarter to a half cup of water. Depending on how large the pan is, you may have to add it accordingly.
How to Avoid Stains
Concerning baking soda, you shouldn’t over-add. When you have both baking soda and water added to your pan, start brushing it around the bottom part of the pan and edges (if there are any spots/stains on them).
You’ll need to keep brushing around until you have a glue-like consistency covering the parts where the stains or discolorations are. Let the pan sit for a couple of minutes prior to cleaning it off with a sponge. After that all worked out in a good way, your pan should be spotless and looking brand new.
In case the process doesn’t work out that effectively, you can just repeat the cycle. Commonly all the stainless and discolorations from the first time. However, if you don’t want to repeat the process, you can simply leave the baking soda and water mix for a longer period of time or even overnight.
Alternative Cleaning Methods
Another relatively less popular way to clean your stainless steel pan is using lime juice and salt. This mixture proved to effectively clean food stains and discolorations on the pan’s surface.
All you have to do is squeeze out lime juice into the pan, add some spoons of traditional salt on top of the juice, let them work together for about ten to fifteen minutes.
After the time has passed, add some more salt to the pan, brush the mixture together using a non-abrasive sponge or a washcloth. You’ll find that the food spots are easily coming out. Lastly, rinse the mixture out with warm soapy water and dry as usual.
Although it may seem that this method requires a lot of steps and sticky resources, it may come in handy in case you run out of baking soda and find yourself unable to clean the stainless steel pan.
Utensils You Can Use with Stainless Steel Pans
Moving on to which kitchen utensils you should use with stainless steel pans. You can use metal utensils can be used on stainless steel cookware, however, it’s better to use silicone, wood, or plastic utensils on nonstick stainless steel cookware.
Although some brands may promise very durable stainless steel pans, sharp utensils may harm the surface of the cookware over the long haul. Moreover, you shouldn’t cut foods inside the pan whatsoever.
Instead, cut the food on a cutting board and then transfer it into the pan to avoid any scratches.
Understand that the usage of metal utensils in stainless steel pans will eventually leave your pan scratched and harmed. Which of course greatly affects the appearance of the pan.
Precautions
If you plan on keeping the best sauteuse pan you bought looking flawless, I suggest that you stay away from all metal and sharp utensils when cooking and cleaning your stainless steel cookware.
In addition to steering clear of rough cleaners, steel wool, salt, and rough scrubbing pads to avoid the chance of scratching your pan. In regards to the dishwasher cleaning, although it’s not impossible to simply toss it in a dishwasher, I recommend not to.
Dishwasher detergents are always harsher than the normal detergents, in addition to the process being rough and may risk scratching the pan big time.
Conclusion
To conclude, investing in your kitchen cookware is never money in vain. Especially with a utensil like the sauteuse pan since it’s considered an everyday pan. Therefore, making it one of the most versatile cookware.
The best sauteuse pan can serve you well beyond just one function. With its several functions like broiling, baking, searing, braising, and even serving, there’s no doubt that you will use this kitchen utensil with every penny’s worth.
Think about the features you prioritize in a sauteuse pan, and from that point, look for a pan that gathers these features, not the other way around.
I have been using this technique with almost all my buying decisions these days, and let me tell you that, as someone who is considered an impulsive buyer, this technique has saved me a good deal of money.
Therefore, with the variety available on the market and the products, I listed as the best depending on what you’re looking for, finding the best sauteuse pan is now a piece of cake.
