Road Test: Sauté Pans

By Marcy T. Iler

A small sauté pan is an essential kitchen tool. In F&W Test Kitchen trials of pans $40 and under, these five proved to be the best; they're all 8 inches in diameter unless otherwise noted.

Anolon Advanced; $20
• A heavy pan that cooks food evenly at any heat level.
• The silicon handle is oven safe up to 375°.

KitchenAid Cookware Gourmet Essentials; $30
• The tapered silicon handle is easy to grip and is oven safe to 400°.
• The porcelain enamel exterior is easy to clean.

T-Fal Perfection Deluxe Edition 8 1/4-inch; $22
• The nonstick surface is scratch-resistant and dishwasher safe.
• The red "Thermo-Spot'" darkens when the pan is hot enough for cooking.

Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick Daily Sizzle; $40
• The pan has the biggest cooking surface of any we tested.
• A full-capacity mark at the top helps prevent overfilling.

Emerilware All-Clad Frypan; $30
• The thick base (5 mm) helps the pan heat evenly.
• The edge is flared, so sauces don't drip when they're poured.

Published March 2004