Why do "saute pans" have straight sides?
I've read numerous times that when sauteing, the pan used usually has curved sides to allow one to toss the food. However, whenever I look at pans on shopping websites and such, the pan labeled "saute pan" has straight vertical sides and a lid. The lid is even more confusing when one thinks about it, since a lid would cause steaming--the exact opposite of the goal of sauteing. So what's up with this confusing naming?
edit:
As requested, here's a "link" to many pans labeled "saute"... Google shopping
Best Answer
North American cookware companies seem to use the terms "saute" and "sauteuse" interchangeably, but technically, the saute pan is the straight-sided one, and the sauteuse or "fry pan" is the slope-sided one.
In French cooking equipment terms, the straight-sided one is called a "sautoir", and the sauteuse has higher sides and while angled out, they are not curved. The curved, shorter sided one is called a poele (and probably what most North Americans would identify as a "frying pan"). So the issue is really that there are a lot of different names floating around for just 3 types of pans.
When you saute, you want to maximize cooking surface area, so that things don't steam. Sloped sides will reduce the cooking surface, so that's why a saute pan will have straight sides. Regarding the lid, it would be used in the case that you want to cover the pan after a sear, to braise or steam. It also makes your pan more versatile.
Regardless of the etymology of "saute", according to La Cuisine de Reference, the definition of saute is to cook quickly in a small amount of oil, and any of the aforementioned pans can be used for this cooking technique.
"Sauter - Cuire rapidement des petites pie?ces de viande, de poisson ou de le?gumes dans un sautoir, une sauteuse ou une poe?le, avec un peu de matie?re grasse."
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What is a pan with straight sides called?
A saut\xe9 pan has straight sides (the pan on the left in the photo above). It has a larger surface area, which makes it ideal for tasks like searing meat or reducing a pan sauce. We also like it because we're less likely to slosh things over the side! A skillet has slanted sides (the pan on the right in the photo above).What pan has sloped sides?
A skillet, sometimes referred to as a frying pan or a frypan, is a shallow pan with slanted sides. Skillets are commonly used to stir-fry or saut\xe9, which refers to a method of cooking in which ingredients are cooked quickly in a small amount of oil or fat, often over relatively high heat.Why are the bottom of saucepans flat?
The base of pots, pans and roasters is thus given a shape that anticipates the expansion in the opposite direction when heated, so that the cookware is still firmly and securely on the stove even during heavy frying. This is achieved by a concave bottom shape.What is a ridged pan used for?
A piece of cookware, often referred to as a riffle pan, that is used to grill foods in the kitchen using stovetop burners. Typically made as a heavy metal pan containing ridges spaced evenly across the bottom, the Grill Pan is built to closely simulate the grilling process for cooking various foods.Saute Pan vs Fry Pan, and why Saute Pan is the Most Versatile Pan in the Kitchen!
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Answer 2
The straight sides are helpful when you are deglazing the pan for a sauce. Otherwise, the sauce might stick to the sloping sides of the pan, vaporize and burn as it reduces. For me, sautéing is basically browning the meat, but catching the juices to make a saucy meal. The lid is used if the pan is too big for the amount of meat you use, if you don't use the lid, the juices will vaporize and there will be no sauce.
For more information about cookware see: http://www.vegetable-recipes-by-cooking-method.com/cookware-review.html
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