Sauté pans — are wide and flat, with straight sides, making it ideal for cooking dishes which require initial browning or searing followed by additional ingredients and preparation. The construction of a sauté pan also makes it easier to move the pan over the burner. Constant motion — shaking, tossing, and stirring — is typically used when preparing food in a sauté pan because this prevents the food from drying out, burning or sticking to the pan's surface. Moving a sauté pan over the burner is facilitated by the long, somewhat slender handle. A lid can also be helpful as many dishes require simmering after browning or searing the ingredients.

You will get the most use out of a sauté pan in the three to five quart range, although they are available in one to seven quart sizes. A three to five quart sauté pan is a kitchen necessity and will be used regularly by both novice and experienced cooks.

When purchasing a sauté pan, it is not necessary to find one with a non-stick coating. This hinders heat conductivity and the best sauté pans heat up quickly and evenly, yet also cools off quickly when removed from the burner. This makes it possible to brown and crisp foods without overcooking them. The best material for a sauté pan is copper, but both anodized and stainless steel-wrapped aluminum are effective, less expensive high quality alternatives.

The choice material for a deep sauté pan (sometimes referred to as a chicken fryer), however, has been preferred by cooks since the days of cooking over an open flame. A cast iron sauté pan is favored by many cooks, especially for frying foods. A cast iron pan can last decades if cared for properly. One drawback to cast iron is that does not react well with acidic ingredients such as tomatoes or citric juices, so preparing dishes with these ingredients in a cast iron sauté pan should be avoided.

With just a little information, a sauté pan becomes an easy-to-use kitchen essential, and with just a little experimentation and willingness to try, you will be whipping up meals you never thought you would be able to create in no time.