Using the right tool in the kitchen is sometimes a difficult task. And with frypans and saute pans, it can be hard to decide which one you should be using to cook your dishes. But not to worry, each of these cooking utensils have their own pros and cons. Read on to find out all the info you need to know about the differences between a fry pan vs saute pan so you can choose the right one!
Fry Pan Vs Saute Pan - What Are They?
Fry Pan
Before we dive into the differences between a fry pan vs saute pan, let's start by understanding what a fry pan is. Also known as a skillet, a frypan is a pan that features a large flat bottom and slanted sides. The frypan has become a staple kitchen utensil in homes and restaurants alike around the world, with many dishes requiring one to be cooked with. The versatility of its shape, wide surface area and even heat distribution make it perfect for most cooking situations.
Saute Pan
A saute pan on the other hand has either very steep or straight sides on the outside of its flat bottom. The concept for saute pans is to create a pan for delicate yet quick cooking. Its shape also allows for easy stirring of ingredients, with less risk of spillage. The straight yet short sides also make it great for creating sauces, and as the name would suggest, sauteing food.
The Key Differences
Now to get into what the differences are between a fry pan vs a saute pan. First, the biggest difference between the two are the sloped sides. Fry pans have shorter and shallower sides compared to saute pans, and saute pans have steeper or even straight sides. Despite sounding like a small difference, this makes fry pans better for flipping and turning food, whereas saute pans are better for liquids and sauces.
This difference in shape also affects the heat distribution. Fry pans also have faster and more even heat distribution, making it perfect for frying, searing and browning most food. Foods that need to be flipped, like omelettes and pancakes are also best suited for frypans. Saute pans are great when more liquid is involved, such as for shallow frying, searing a steak whilst basting with sauce, or browning chicken thighs that could splatter with more oil.
What Do They Have in Common?
Even with these differences in mind, the debate between using a fry pan vs a saute pan exists because of the similar jobs they can both do. Either of these pans are great for searing, browning, and stir frying. They also come in similar material options, meaning that care and maintenance is also very much alike.
Fry Pan vs Saute Pan - Which is Right For You?
So, now that we know what the differences (and similarities) are between a fry pan vs saute pan, which one should you get? Answering this question comes down to what tasks you will be doing more with the pan. For foods that need more flipping or searing, a fry pan is the better choice. For sauces, sauteing, and other foods involving more liquids, a saute pan is best.
Recommended Picks
Buffalo Function Series Saute Pan
Made by a company with decades of experience in creating high quality cookware, Buffalo is now famous for the range of stainless steel kitchen items. This includes their stainless steel saute pan, which has been developed in 2 iterations - a dual short handle and a combination short and long handle version.
Being stainless steel, this saute pan is also great for shallow frying foods like schnitzels and fritters. The handy lid also minimises how much oil splatters around in your kitchen. For frequent use with frying foods, we recommend getting a splatter guard to pair with this saute pan. The ventilation holes in a splatter guard circulate air and allow excess moisture to escape, giving you better and crispier results.
Yoshikawa Cook-Pal Ren Nitride Iron Frypan
Yoshikawa, a brand famous for their traditional Japanese cookware, has developed a special frypan using nitride iron (carbon steel). Like the Buffalo stainless steel saute pan above, this frypan is free of non-stick coatings, making it perfect for high temperature cooking. Searing meat? This frypan is the perfect choice, and is also much lighter than an equivalent sized cast iron skillet.
Heat conductivity is another strength of this frypan, giving it the ability to heat up and cool rapidly for maximum convenience. And the special nitride treatment of this frypan also gives it a rust and corrosion resistance that lasts a lifetime, meaning this would be a great long term investment for your kitchen. Combined with Japanese made quality and strict manufacturing standards, the Yoshikawa Cook-Pal Ren Nitride Iron Frypan is the ultimate pan for amateur and professional cooks alike.
Cookcell Stainless Steel Non-stick Hybrid Frypan
Our final recommendation in this battle between fry pan vs saute pan is a pan that is supremely functional. Combining the best properties of both nonstick and stainless steel frying pans, Cookcell have developed a frying pan that any home cook will appreciate. Also known as a hybrid pan, these pans have the non-stick performance of a traditional non-stick coated pan but with stainless steel durability. But how does it do this?
The Cookcell Stainless Steel Non-stick Hybrid Frypan features a raised stainless steel pattern in the interior, consisting of a honeycomb pattern. Within the honeycomb pattern is a non-stick coating. This ingenious design allows food to have most of its contact with the nonstick parts of the pan, whilst cooking utensils contact the raised stainless steel. Non-stick performance is also amplified by the gaps created between food and the lowered non-stick areas, helping food to make minimal contact with the pan and slide off easily.
Pick One Today With Confidence!
Choosing between a fry pan vs saute pan doesn’t have to be confusing. Knowing what foods you will be cooking more is the key to knowing which to choose. For frying, searing and flipping, a frypan is better and for sauteing, simmering and liquids, a saute pan is better. And for either option, look no further than Uncle Buffalo to get the perfect, high quality fry pan or saute pan today!
