From the humble beginnings of using clay and leaves as makeshift cooking vessels, the evolution of cooking materials and the advent of modern cookware have paved the way for a myriad of frying pans, containers and other cooking utensils that grace our kitchens today, marrying tradition with technological advancements.
Despite cooking on a daily basis, most of us are still confused with the difference between a frypan and a sauté pan. Adding to the confusion is that, at times, a skillet is also called a frypan or frying pan.
Now, let’s get the skillet-frypan confusion out of the way first. A skillet is typically a pan with slanted sides. The slanted sides are meant to make frying easier and for quicker cooking techniques, especially when stirring the ingredients frequently in the pan. It is typically suitable for dishes like frittatas, usually served straight from the pan.
Comparison between a frypan and a skillet:
Frypan: Scanpan Classic 28cm Frypan
Skillet: Lodge Logic Cast Iron Skillet 30cm
The reason these two pans get confused is that they can almost be used interchangeably. Generally, they are constructed from similar kinds of metal and are always available in the same diameter. Each one is suitable for a specific task, but that doesn’t mean the other pan can’t do it.
Now that is out of the way, let’s look at the difference between a frypan and a sauté pan. If you are a virgin pan buyer, we hate to break this to you, but you will probably hear (or have heard) people talking about frypan and sauté pans as if they are two of the same things. Hold your confusion and hear us out.
A sauté pan is a pan that has straight sides. We are pretty sure you have seen it, and we are confident you are still with us up to this point. The other obvious feature of a saute pan is its large surface, making it ideal for tasks like searing meat or pan sauce reduction. In addition, they are usually available with a lid, while frying pans don’t.
Saute Pan: Scanpan Clad 5 Sauté Pan 30cm
Frypan: Scanpan CTX 28cm Frypan
Here are some of our other favourite frypan options from Woll, Chasseur, and De Buyer:
|1. Woll Diamond Lite Detachable Handle Induction Frypan 28cm
Still can't tell the difference? When you browse through Kitchenware Australia, and find something you like but still feel stuck, get in touch with us and we will be happy to help you find the right cookware.
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