Splayed Saute Pan

The Splayed Sauce Pan is a less common but very useful piece of cookware.

What is a Splayed Saute Pan?

A splayed saute pan is a perfect kitchen tool to prepare smaller portions of vegetables or meat with minimal oil. A cross between a saute pan and a fry pan, the sloped sides make it easier to deglaze your pan and make a sauce.

Related: Saucepan vs Skillet

What are the Uses of a Splayed Saute Pan in the Kitchen?

A splayed saute pan can cook any type of meat or other foods that you would cook in a fry pan or saute pan.

The sloped sides make it much less likely to have a spill or to have any food exit the pan when you stir it or mix it.

The sloped sides also make the angle where the sides join the bottom quite large. This extra room is perfect for spatulas or whisks get into the corners, making it easier to create a sauce or just to stir food.

The splayed saute pan is an excellent choice for searing meat and then deglazing the pan as the base for a gravy or sauce.

Curries are also a great choice for a splayed saute pan as you can stir and add ingredients with a low likelihood of a spill or splash exiting the pan.

Depending on the material that the handle is made of, many splayed saute pans are oven safe. Any dish that needs to be cooked on the stovetop and then finished or browned in the oven is a perfect dish for a splayed saute pan.

The sloped sides and wide angles at the bottom make it perfect to actually serve from at the dinner table. The large bottom angles allow serving spoons to scoop food from the entire pan.

Further Reading: Curry Leaves vs Kaffir Leaves

Buying Tips

A few tips when shopping for a new Splayed Saute Pan:

• I recommend buying an uncoated splayed saute pan so that it can be used at high temperatures and in the oven
• Aluminum makes a great choice
• I recommend that you select a splayed saute pan with a metal handle, again so that it can be used in the oven
• Make sure that you get one with a lid, not only to help keep food warm when serving, but to allow you to store and reheat your food in the same pan.