Whether your searing meat, reducing a sauce or stir-frying up a storm, there's no better candidate than a saute pan. Their large surface area and high sides make them an indispensable tool in the kitchen.
It's always important to do the proper research when looking for a quality pan. To help you along the way, we've created a guide to choosing the best saute pan for your particular needs.
Below we've outlined the 10 best saute pans of 2020. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Enjoy!
Recommended Products
1) Logastina Accademia 26cm
Saute Pan
- Made in Italy
- Compatible with induction, electric and gas
- Stainless steel riveted handles
- Nonstick properties
- Corrosion resistant
2) Sardel 4 qt Stainless Steel Saute Pan
- Oven Safe
- Lifetime limited warranty
- 5-Ply stainless steel construction
- Hollow heat resistant handles
- Induction compatible
- Made in Italy
- Usually on Pre-order 🙁
3) All-Clad E7853364 HA1 Hard Anodized Aluminum Saute Pan
- Flat base and tall sides
- Hard Anodized aluminum construction
- PFOA-free scratch resistant nonstick coating
- Secure-fitting lid
- Stainless-steel handles contoured
- Oven safe to 500 degrees F (without lid)
- Dishwasher safe (Handwash recommended)
- Lifetime limited warranty
4) Cooking Light Allure Nonstick
Deep-Cooker Saute Pan
- Glass steam vented lid with an elevated lift handle
- Riveted stay cool silicone handle
- Non-stick ceramic coating
- Advanced non-stick ceramic technology is water-based and manufactured without PFOA
- Silicone Handle
5) Cuisinart 733-30H Stainless
5.5QT Saute Pan
- Aluminum base
- Cool grip handles
- Drip free pouring with tapered rim
- Tight fit lid
- Dishwasher safe
- Reasonable price
6) Cooks Stainless Steel 5 Qt
Saute Pan
- Stainless steel with aluminum disk bottom
- Stainless steel lid
- Riveted handles for easy maneuvering
- Induction compatible
- Dishwasher safe
- Flat base
7) Cuisinart Contour Stainless Steel
5QT Saute Pan
- Pure aluminum-encapsulated base
- Cool, secure stick handles,
- Contoured Grip
- Tempered Glass Cover
- Oven and Broiler safe
- Freezer safe
- Dishwasher safe
- Lifetime warranty
8) Calphalon Classic Nonstick
5QT Saute Pan
- Dual layer nonstick
- Anodized aluminum construction
- Long "stay cool" handle
- Oven safe up to 450°F
- Tempered glass lid
- 10 year warranty
9) Ozeri Stone Earth
Sauce Pan
- Stone derived coating from Germany
- Proclaimed APEO, GenX, PFBS, PFOS, PFOA Free
- Layered Aluminum Core
- Low Price
- Induction Compatible
- Heat resistant silicone handle
- Tempered glass lid
10) T-Fal C51782 Prograde Titanium
Saute Pan
- Hard Titanium reinforced non-stick interior
- Thermo-Spot unique heat indicator
- Riveted stainless steel handles
- Induction compatible stainless steel base
- Dishwasher safe
- Oven safe to 500°F
- Lifetime Limited Warranty
Qualities to Consider
1) Size?
Consider how much pan you'll want for present and future cooking endeavors. Sizes usually range between 3 to 6 quart capacities (approximately 8-12" diameter).
If you're cooking just for yourself, a 3 Qt saute pan will usually suffice. However, having the cookware on the occasion you decide to cook for others, we recommend a 5-6 qt saute pan. The difference in cost is marginal and it's always better to prepare for the unexpected.
2) Material?
You'll find this review to be heavily biased towards stainless steel (usually aluminum core) saute pans. Stainless steel is dependable, easily cleaned (when used correctly), and a titan with heat distribution. It's also induction compatible for those who use an induction stovetop.
We also included some nonstick pans for those of you looking for a cheaper alternative. While most of the pans are PFOA free, there are a lot of pans that use PTFE, which is a chemical that we're still unsure about. Take a look at our healthiest cookware article for a food scientist's take on safe cookware.
3) Price?
You'll find saute pans as expensive as $400 and as cheap as $30. Unfortunately, price doesn't always correlate with quality. Here's our advice to you...
-If you're an avid home cook who has high standards for their cookware, we recommend biting the bullet and investing in a stainless steel work horse. These usually range between $150-$400 which can be a tough pill to swallow at first, but the quality, longevity and performance of these saute pans will pay for itself over time. We've included these pans below with the price titled "average-high"
-If you're an up and coming home cook looking for a reasonably priced, quality pan, you'll rarely find complaints in the $50-$120 range. We've included these below with the price range of "average".
-If your a simple cook with basic needs, there are several quality, nonstick saute pans that sell for approximately $20-$40. After thorough research, the Cooking Light Allure is our favorite due it's ceramic nonstick coating. We've included these saute pans below with the price label "low".
10 Best Saute Pans
1) Logastina Accademia
26cm Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
Yes, I know, placing the most expensive product first is never a good look for a product reviewer. But let me redeem myself by telling you how phenomenal this company is.
Logastina is an Italian based cookware company that was formed in 1901. They've earned their spot on our healthy cookware list (created by food scientists) and besides surviving over a century full of economic uncertainty, Logastina is well known for a few things...
1) Using high quality materials (praised by chefs)
2) Creating the first stainless steel cookware set EVER!
3) Surviving this long with prices that are far above their competitors.
When you buy Logastina, you're paying a high price for high quality. If you're an adamant home chef, we can't recommend them enough. If, however, you're looking for something a little cheaper, there are a good handful of saute pans that will get 90% of your everyday cooking jobs done proficiently. Continue on down the list 🙂
2) Sardel 4Qt Stainless Steel
Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
It's difficult to approach some of these reviews without sounding like a totally sleezy salesman. I've realized that sometimes the truth just sounds like a huge lie because of the seeming "exaggerations". My hope is that you don't solely trust my words, but conduct your own research. So this might sound a little over the top, but it's our truth...
Sardel sells the greatest stainless steel cookware available, and they do it for a reasonable price.
Again, don't take out word for it. Check the Sardel website and glance at the reviews. As of 10/5/2020, this 4 QT saute pan has 116 reviews, every single one of which is 5 stars.
People were amazed with the packaging, the feel, and most importantly, the even heat distribution of this pan. Sardel also made it onto our healthiest cookware article because they create reliably- made stainless steel cookware. An indispensable quality for cooks who care (which we all should).
These pans are usually only up for Pre-order. Their popularity has caused a mild backup in production it seems.
3) All-Clad E7853364 HA1 Hard Anodized Aluminum Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
The famous All-Clad reputation precedes itself. This pan is perfect for those who don't like the usually drastic angle of steeper saute pans. It has a nice, progressive curve that keeps food from abruptly splashing against the sides. It also has great cleaning reviews. People continually talked about how easily food scraps came off.
There were a few complaints about the heavy body and the uncomfortable grip. These usually aren't deal breakers, but are important to some.
4) Cooking Light Allure Nonstick
Deep-Cooker Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
Probably one of the only "nonstick" saute pans we thoroughly enjoyed reviewing. This pan is cheap, has a ceramic (non-teflon coating) nonstick surface and distributes heat very effectively.
The most common complaint was the the nonstick feature. Based on the conflicting reviews, we're inclined to believe that people who had bad things to say about the nonstick feature did not use the pan as instructed (low-medium heat), or they used no oil at all. While nonstick companies will tell you that you don't need any oil, it's recommend to always use at least a little lubricant.
Customers also loved the comfortable grip, sleek look and awesome price of the Cooking Light saute pan.
5) Cuisinart 733-30H Stainless
5.5QT Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
Maintaining a 4.7 / 5 star review after over 1400 Amazon reviews (as of 10/05/2020) is pretty spectacular. The vast majority of customers who bought this Cuisinart were very content with the price and even heat distribution.
However, the most common customer complaints were the pan showing up with dings, warping over time, or having a slight lump in the middle. It should be noted, these complaints were VERY rare. I say "common complaints" to express to you that the complaints happened more than once.
Overall, if quality is not of the utmost importance, and you're looking for a good price on a solid saute pan, the Cuisinart would be our first point of interest.
6) Cooks Stainless Steel 5 Qt
Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
This pan had VERY similar reviews to the Cuisinart above. The VAST majority of the verified customers loved this saute pan and recommended it highly. There were some rare complaints about sticking and warpage, but it seems to be conflicting with the consensus.
We've never heard of this company, and so cannot comment on their reputation. We can tell you that the price is cheaper than just about any on the market and they somehow receive some of the most positive reviews we've seen.
It's always a gamble investing in cheaper equipment, but if budget is what you're looking for, the Cooks stainless saute pan would be an educated risk worth taking. We'll let you be the judge.
7) Cuisinart Contour Stainless Steel
5QT Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
Why'd we put two Cuisinart aluminum based, stainless steel pans on our review list?
Because this one has a tempered glass lid and the other has a stainless one. Simple as that.
Both have similar pros and cons. Everybody was happy with the price, heat distribution and ease of cleaning. Some people were upset with accumulate heat spots and warpage over time (most likely due to overly high heating, but maybe not)
8) Calphalon Classic Nonstick
5QT Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
I know I know, the cons list is longer than the pros list. Why would we put this pan on the review?
The bottom line is, teflon nonstick pans have some inherent downsides that are important to mention. The plus side is that this saute pan is nonstick as long as it's used correctly.
That is, low-medium heat ONLY, no dishwasher, no abrasive materials (metal usually), and no cooking sprays. These things can all compromise the integrity of the nonstick (teflon) layer. Higher temperatures can also leach PTFE gas bi-products into your food which, yes, sounds scary. It may be harmless. To be honest, there's a lot we (and the industry) don't know. Just something to keep in mind.
There were also some complaints of warpage. In spite of all the negatives, the reviews are mostly positive. People were generally happy with the way it performed as long as it was used as instructed.
9) Ozeri Stone Earth
Sauce Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
The extremely high reviews on this model couldn't be ignored. People were generally ecstatic with the extremely low price, and the overall heating capacity of this pan. With that being said, we gave it 4 stars because we really don't know much about the material being used.
This pan claims to be APEO, GenX, PFBS, PFOS, and PFOA free, but then what nonstick material is being used? Ozeri says it's a, "stone derived coating from Germany", which is an extremely vague statement. This company can be using the safest nonstick coating available, but we have no facts to validate it. At this point, it's a big "we don't know".
Either way, the pan has received incredible feedback and we can't let our biases dictate what we put on our reviews. Customers liked this pan a lot. You deserve to know 🙂
10) T-Fal C51782 Prograde Titanium
Saute Pan
Dimensions
Unique Features
Pros
Cons
Summary:
I spent the majority of my college years with a T-Fal frying pan. It was the easiest pan in the world to clean and it always cooked my meals proficiently. After over 6000 amazon reviews, T-Fal's three main sauce pans have sustained a 4.6 / 5 stars (as of 10/05/2020).
These pans have notoriously received praise for their crazy longevity (which is pretty rare for your average nonstick pan) That said, these pans do contain PTFE (not PTFO, cadmium or lead) which is still a chemical in question. This pan also has a center that rests higher than the outer corners. This will make oils accumulate on the side and not the middle (not a huge concern with simple cooking projects).
Concluding
We understand the need for quality cookware. A saute pan is just another piece of equipment that aids us in becoming better, more experienced cook. We hope this review was helpful.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns, don't hesitate to leave a comment below.
Cheers!
Michael
Founder of Robust Kitchen