A high quality sauté pan can be one of the most useful tools in your kitchen. They offer a wide, flat bottom ideal for searing meats or acting like a small griddle. Their straight, high sides make them ideal for cooking sauces, stews, and a variety of other foods. Pans with lids and the ability to be placed in the oven make it possible to create many of your favorite recipes in a single dish for the ultimate in weeknight convenience without hitting the drive-through.
Today’s skillets have several features designed to help you easily achieve the results you are looking for, but how can you tell which model is ideal for preparing your menu?
View The Best Saute Pan Below
1. Rachael Ray Brights Nonstick Saute Pan
Versatility and durability are combined in this sauté pan, making it one of the best sauté pans available today. It is constructed of hard-anodized aluminum, known to be stronger than stainless steel, and the handles are double riveted to prevent loosening over time. The handles have rubberized grips to give you an improved grip. This usually means you must sacrifice the ability to place the sauté pan in an oven, but these grips are also oven safe up to 350 degrees.
The non-stick interior reduces the need to cook with fat, and it is dishwasher safe, making cleaning swift and straightforward.
Pros:
+ Non-stick interior
+ Tempered glass lid
+ Rubberized handles are oven safe up to 350 degrees
+ Backed by a lifetime limited warranty
Why We Like It – This sauté pan combines durability and versatility in one large pan ideal for several different uses and backed by a lifetime limited warranty.
2. All-Clad Tri-ply Saute Pan
Our premium pick is a chef’s classic style design constructed of tri-ply stainless steel to be extremely durable while remaining nonreactive with the food cooked within. Solid metal construction means this sauté pan is entirely oven-safe, meaning you can cook on the stovetop and in the oven, using any of the five main oven types without a problem.
The steel lid is ideally suited to retain moisture while speeding cooking by trapping heat as well. It is safe to use with any type of utensils, including silicone, wood, plastic, and metal. Additionally, it is dishwasher safe for fast and easy cleaning after use.
Pros:
+ Made of tri-ply stainless steel
+ Oven Safe
+ Dishwasher safe
+ American made
Why We Like It – This sauté pan is one of the best choices for those who want one safe for both stovetop and oven at virtually any temperature and will not react with food for unadulterated taste.
3. Cook N Home Fry Pan Saute Skillet Set
One strength of some sauté pans for some is a drawback for others. The straight sides of a sauté pan mean they take more room to store, and this is compounded if you have a few different sizes. While they will nest to a degree, they will always take up more space than a set of nesting pans with angled sides. In this set, you receive an 8″ inch and a 10″ inch skillet.
They are constructed of thick aluminum, known for even heat distribution. Each pan has a lead and cadmium free non-stick coating and a soft handle oven safe up to 375 degrees.
Pros:
+ Set of 2
+ Even heat distribution
+ Non-stick coated
+ Oven safe up to 375 degrees
Why We Like It – This set of two fry pans in 8″ inch and 10″ inch diameters is ideal for smaller kitchens, increasing your options without taking up as much storage space as some other options.
4. Farberware Saute Pan
A high quality sauté pan is essential for one dish cooking, and this sauté pan can handle cooking a skillet stew for a large family or dinner party. It is constructed from heavy-duty aluminum for durability and even heat distribution. The handle and helper handle are heat resistant and double riveted for secure handling. Plus, the skillet and glass lid are both oven-safe up to 350 degrees to give you further cooking flexibility.
It is non-stick and dishwasher safe for convenience and backed by a lifetime warranty.
Pros
+ Large cooking surface
+ Even heat distribution
+ Non-stick coated
+ Oven safe up to 350 degrees
Why We Like It – This is one of the best sauté pans for those who cook for large groups or a big family regularly. With its large cooking surface and six-quart capacity, you can cook enough food to feed a bunch.
5. Tramontina Gourmet Deep Saute Pan
Those who have petite kitchens must pack as much utility, durability, and flexibility as possible into each pot and pan they purchase. If this is you, here is a sauté pan to put toward the top of your list. Although small, this pan has the durability to last for years. Both the pan itself and the lid have ergonomically designed stainless steel handles riveted in place to last through years of heavy use.
It has a PFOA-free non-stick coating to prevent food from scorching. It is oven safe up to 350 degrees, and the backing of a lifetime warranty means you never have to worry.
Pros:
+ Heavy-gauge hard-anodized aluminum
+ Ergonomic handles
+ Oven safe up to 350 degrees
+ Backed by a lifetime warranty
Why We Like It – Not all kitchens need large saute pans. The Tramontina Gourmet Deep Saute Pan is one of the best pans for an individual or couple with a petite kitchen.
6. Calphalon Classic Nonstick Saute Pan
Today’s hectic lifestyle means families need to be able to cook healthful meals with as little time, energy, and clean up as possible. This sauté pan offers a five-quart cooking capacity while maximizing the space available at the bottom of the pan. This means you can brown several cuts of meat or saute more vegetables than with smaller diameter pans, and the double non-stick coating means you can do so without adding fats.
It is oven safe up to 450 degrees, giving you higher flexibility of use than with some other sauté pans. Additionally, the backing of a lifetime warranty means you never have to worry.
Pros:
+ Heavy-gauge hard-anodized aluminum
+ Tempered glass lid
+ Oven safe up to 450 degrees
+ 5-quart cooking capacity
Why We Like It – Designed for heavy use, fast cooking, and backed by a full lifetime warranty, this sauté pan is one of the best sauté pans for those cooking for a family every day.
7. Cooks Standard Saute Pan
Do you wish some of the other sauté pans on the list were safety rated for higher temperatures? If so, this may be the best sauté pan for you. The pan is constructed from multi-ply stainless steel with an aluminum core for excellent durability and even heat distribution.
The wide cooking area is ideal for several applications. A built-in tapered lip makes it easy to pour food directly from the pan without a mess. It is compatible with all major oven types and oven safe up to 500 degrees. Plus, riveted handles ensure a steady hold on the pan.
Pros:
+ Multi-ply stainless steel with aluminum core
+ Riveted handles and metal lid
+ Oven safe up to 500 degrees
+ 4-quart cooking capacity
Why We Like It – This sauté pan is designed to withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees, whether you are cooking on the stovetop or in the oven, and hold up through years of intense cooking.
8. Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Saute
This pan is one that seems designed for those who want the most out of every utensil, pot, pan, or baking sheet in their kitchen. It is constructed from triple-ply stainless steel for amazing, dishwasher safe durability. The metal lid fits securely, and it, along with the pan as a whole are oven safe for up to 550 degrees, meaning you can even use it for broiling.
The rim is tapered all the way around for easy pouring, and the pan is backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Pros:
+ Triple-ply stainless steel
+ Tapered rims for pouring from the pan
+ Oven safe up to 550 degrees
+ Backed by a lifetime limited warranty
Why We Like It – With a rim designed to make pouring directly from the pan easy and mess-free, excellent distribution, and an oven-safe design rated for up to 550 degrees, this sauté pan can be the workhorse of your kitchen without a problem.
9. SKY LIGHT Deep Saute Pan
If you want the convenience and practicality of a non-stick pan but wary because most non-stick coatings are known to leech toxic fumes at high temperatures, this is a pan you need to look into in further detail. It is coated with an environmentally friendly stone-derived non-stick coating that holds up as well or better than most others without releasing toxic fumes into your food while cooking.
The pan has a sizeable five-quart cooking capacity, ergonomic, stainless steel handles, and a glass lid. It is compatible with most oven types and oven safe. It can be hung for space-saving storage, and it is supported by a full lifetime warranty.
Pros:
+ Eco friendly and high heat safe non-stick coating
+ Oven safe
+ Dishwasher safe
+ Backed by a full lifetime warranty
Why We Like It – This is a sauté pan for those who are ecologically and health-conscious but still want the convenience and practicality of non-stick pan.
10. Emeril Lagasse Saute Pan
If you simply want a pan that can handle cooking a lot of food, often, for years, this is a good one to consider. It is constructed of anodized aluminum with riveted stainless steel handles to hold up to a lot of use and abuse. It is covered with three layers of non-stick coating capable of holding up no matter which utensils you use.
It is safe for up to 450 degrees, and the glass top is oven safe up to 350 degrees. Wash it in the dishwasher and then hang for space-saving storage.
Pros:
+ Tempered glass lid
+ Triple-layered non-stick coating
+ Oven safe to 350 degrees
+ Dishwasher safe
Why We Like It – With a durable body, large cooking area, stovetop tolerance up to 450 degrees, oven tolerance up to 350 degrees, and a non-stick coating made to last, this is an excellent pan all around to suit most kitchens’ needs.
Saute Pan Buyer’s Guide
What is the best saute pan?
The best kitchen cookware is versatile and durable, and this is as true for a sauté pan. The best sauté pan will be one constructed from a durable metal, a handle that will not come loose, and a well-fitting lid. Non-stick coatings are good for a while, but they can shorten the life of your pan as well.
What is the difference between a saute pan and a frying pan?
The main difference between the two pan types is that sauté pans have straight sides while frying pans, or skillet pans, have slanted sides. Because of how the diameter of pans is measured, this means a sauté pan of the same diameter has a larger cooking surface in contact with the heat source.
What do you cook in a saute pan?
While sauté pans can be used to cook just about anything you would want to cook in a skillet pan, their straight, deep sides make them best suited for cooking reduced sauces, searing meat, and deep-frying smaller foods.
All in all, a sauté pan is a pan most cooks turn to daily because of the high utility and flexibility they provide. Because of this, durability is one of the first things you should consider when looking to add a new pan to your kitchen arsenal. Solid pan construction using aluminum or stainless steel is often preferred. A pan with riveted handles is also a good choice. A pan coated with a non-stick material is also often favored for how easy it is to clean the pan after each use.
