I Tested and Ranked The Best Sauté Pans in 2024

The best saute pan is not easy to find. I tried and tested the most popular options on Amazon, and here’s my ultimate and (very) personal ranking.

Owning the best sauté pan will help to elevate your cooking skills and final dishes. A sauté pan can easily be confused with a skillet or frying pan simply because people do not know the difference or when to use each pan retrospectively.

Sauté Pan vs Skillet: Whats the difference?

A sauté pan has a larger surface area for cooking and generally has side that is vertical and even all the way around, allowing you to place a lid on the pan. While a skillet has sides that flare out and are much shallower. Yes, they both serve some of the same cooking functions, but while a skillet can do some of these things, the sauté pan can do all of them based on its size and construction.

So there is a number of differences and similarities of sauté pans and frying pans.

Sauté pans are great for making whole meals using this pan only. The sauté pan will most likely be able to be placed in the oven, doubling its function as a baking dish. There are many different methods and techniques to be utilized while using a sauté pan that most other pans just can’t handle. There are also several differences between some models of sauté pans as well. Not just any sauté pan will do the job of another.

Our Top Rated Sauté Pans

• Best stainless steel: All-Clad D3 Tri-Ply 4-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan
• Best nonstick: HexClad Hybrid Nonstick Sauté Pan and Lid
• Best induction sauté pan: All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Sauté Pan
• Best 5 qt saute pan: Cooks Standard Classic Stainless Steel 5 Quart/11-Inch Saute Pan
• Best 3 qt sauté pan with lid: Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 3-Quart Sauté Pan with Lid
• Budget stainless nonstick: Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 3-Quart Sauté Pan

Below, I rank the best Sauté pans after hours of testing and review. From stainless sauté to nonstick, and ceramic sauté pans that are induction safe, I tried them all, and here are the only good sauté pan on the market.

The Best Stainless Steel Sauté Pan: All-Clad D3 Tri-Ply 4-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan

All-Clad is a brand that has surrounded me my whole life, and its D3 series is a perennial favorite among cooks, all thanks to its solid construction and consistently excellent performance. This sauté pan is well constructed with durable stainless steel surrounding an aluminum core. It has a riveted stainless-steel handle, and a tight-sealing lid. It’s compatible with all stove types, including induction, and is oven-safe (up to 600 degrees).

What we liked: We love how nice this pan feels in the hand — it was comfortable to grip and proved to be easy to control during cooking. Out of all the pans we tested, the All-Clad D3 sauté pan had the widest cooking surface, and its even heat distribution gave us the most consistent browning in both chicken recipes as well.

We also liked how quick it was to cool down when it was time to build the piccata sauce after the cutlets were fried, ensuring no scorching. The signature extra-long handle helped balance the weight of the pan when moving it from the stovetop to the oven, and the cabbage braised beautifully. Overall, this sauté pan is built well, cooks and performs great—making it totally worthy of its high price tag.

What we didn’t like: While this pan had the widest cooking surface out of any of the pans we tested, it also had the shallowest sides. Although that was great for searing, we had a bit more oil splatter on the stove during frying than we had with the other pans we tested. The price is on the high side. While the All-Clad pan is our top best rated sauté pan performance-wise, it’ll cost you more.

We’re recommending the 4-qt. version, but there is a smaller 3-qt. All-Clad D3 Stainless Steel Sauté Pan for just a few dollars less.

Material	Stainless steel
Special feature	600°F, Oven Safe, Induction Stovetop Compatible
Capacity	3.79 Liters

Get it from Amazon now: $199.95 & FREE Returns

Best nonstick sauté pan: HexClad Hybrid Nonstick Sauté Pan

Choosing a nonstick sauté pan over a stainless-steel one is more of a convenience pick over a longevity one. I have had this Hexclad pan for a few months now and its my go to choice for large cooking.

I’ve used it to fry bacon, a double batch of my world famous baked beans, and a huge batch of cheesy au gratin potatoes. This pan heats quickly and much more evenly on my electric stove than my older pans, and its heavy enough to sit still. The non-stick surface is truly non-stick; it is very easy to clean.

What I liked: I love the weight, dual handles the size and the lid with hole for steam escape. I have roasted two different times a wonderful black Angus, grass fed prime rib. That was 5 pounds each. They both turned out perfectly. I also like that you can use this pan on stove top and in oven. It practically cleans itself. I just wipe it out with paper towels and easy wash and dry.

What I didnt like: Its pricey.

The first thing our testers noticed is that this deep sauté pan has a large cooking surface and a 7-Quart volume which means you can fry up tons of chicken, poach a bunch of eggs, braise large pieces of meat, or even roast an entire chicken.

What the HexClad offers that the Tramontina, All-Clad and our other stainless steel sauté pans does not is stress-free crisping of chicken skin or stir-frying of vegetables. When we cooked chicken thighs with the Hexclad, they released easily and right away.

Best induction sauté pan: All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Sauté Pan

The truth is our top two picks of both the best stainless steel sauté pan (The All-Clad D3) and the top rated nonstick sauté(HexClad Hybrid Nonstick Sauté Pan) are compatible with any stovetop induction induction. For a more budget friendly spcific induction sauté pan, the All-Clad HA1 Hard Anodized Nonstick Sauté Pan won our hearts.

I bought this pan as a gift for my partner, who used the old sauté pan so much that it wore out.

The heat distribution is excellent. And easy to clean because of the material it’s made from. Ergonomically, it is perfect for our family, because it’s neither too big or too small. Thou its not huge, it is solid and sturdy. We use it a lot for making small amounts of rice, for two or three people and it comes out perfect every time. The see through well-fitting lid is a plus to check on the cooking.

What I liked about this induction sauté pan: The quality is evident. From the minute I got it I felt it’s very well built and sturdy. It cooks evenly and is surprisingly easy to clean. The non-stick surface is so slick that most of my food residue washes away with just hot water, no soap and no scrubbing. Anything that doesn’t is easily removed with a sponge (no abrasive needed).

What I did not like about this pan: I didn’t really like that the metal handles on the pan (and especially its lid) can get hot. Although I bought some silicone grips which work fine, other sauté pans I used had silicone on the handles. Maybe it’s less premium, but definitely more practical.

Best 5 qt saute pan: Cooks Standard Classic Stainless Steel 5 Quart/11-Inch Saute Pan

If you need a 5 qt saute pan that is budget friendly, this sauté pan is one of the most reliable pans you will have in the kitchen and that is available on the market when compared to others and its functions. It is priced rather fairly but does not come with a warranty to protect it.

I am impressed with this pan. I did not have high expectations due to the low cost, but these Cooks Standard Stainless Steel pans are great! They look expensive and have a nice feel. The 5qt capacity is perfect for sautéing vegetables, searing proteins, making pan sauces and more. I like that the straight sides give you plenty of room for larger portions.

Helpful review: I have been using this pan for 4 years now. I’m very impressed with the quality. I love the ergonomic handle, the slightly domed top (my steamer basket fits perfectly in it), the second handle that makes it easy to pick it up when it is full, and how heavy duty the pan is in general. The bottom of the pan is super thick so you get great heat distribution. I can highly recommend this product! – The Native.

The sauté pan is constructed of 18/10 stainless steel triple clad that has a 3-layer bottom with an aluminum center. The base provides even heat distribution across the pan and creates excellent heat retention in the pan. The pan has a 5-quart capacity and comes with a solid stainless-steel lid that locks in moisture and heat during the cooking process.

The handles are separately riveted to create cool to touch handles. The pan is compatible with all types of heat sources including induction burners. The pan is oven-safe up to 500 degrees and it is very easy to clean as it is all dishwasher safe

Best 3 qt sauté pan with lid: Tramontina Tri-Ply Clad Stainless Steel 3-Quart Sauté Pan with Lid

I’ve had this Tramontina stainless steel deep sauté pan for several months now and I absolutely love it. The quality of this pan is excellent – it has a nice heft to it and feels very sturdy and well-made. The tri-ply construction with an aluminum core heats evenly without any hot spots.

This pan is almost identical to the first pan we reviewed in almost every way except for a couple, which is why it comes in at number 2 for stainless steel pans.

The pans have similar features except for this model is half the price of our top pick and also comes with a lifetime warranty to protect it from any damages or defects that may occur while in use.

But unlike our top pick, this pan is much heavier and not made of the highest quality materials as the other. The other one is also 2 quarts larger in size and capable of doing much more cooking techniques and methods.

One of my favorite features is that this sauté pan is induction ready. It works great on my induction cooktop and gets screaming hot very quickly. The stainless steel construction makes it oven safe as well, so I can start something on the stovetop and finish in the oven. The pan also comes with a tight-fitting stainless steel lid to lock in moisture and flavors.

Cleaning is easy – I’ve had no issues with food sticking or staining this polished stainless steel interior.

Other Sauté Pans we Tested

Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 3-Quart Sauté Pan with Cover

This is going to be the best budget option for a non-stick stainless sauté pan if you want something affordable. This pan is also a fraction of the price of our top pick “HexClad Hybrid Nonstick Sauté Pan”.

This pain is great for the price, cooks food perfectly and heats up evenly. The only thing I don’t like about it is that the handle is much too small and its hard to pick the pan up with the tiny handle. If the handle was bigger, it would be perfect.

The pan is constructed of cast stainless steel with a Teflon coating on the bottom surface of the pan. This means nothing will stick to the pan without grease or oil. The pan is also set apart from most other non-stick sauté pans because it can be placed in the oven of temperatures up to 450 degrees.

The sauté pan also comes with a tempered glass lid to prevent any splatter or spitting while cooking. The handles are also oven safe and will stay cool while working the pan on the stove top.

How we tested sauté pans

The first thing we tried cooking when searching for our top rated best sauté pans were the popular skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. To test which pan qualifies as a “good Sauté pan”, We seared them skin side down over medium-high heat, which showed us how quickly the pans conducted heat and how evenly it was distibuted across the cooking surface.

Once browned, we flipped the chicken thighs over and took the sauté pans to the oven for the final cooking, noting any variations in cooking times, as well as the browning of the undersides.

Some of the testing methodologies I used to find the winning best rated Sauté pans:

• Braising Test: I made braised chicken thighs so I can see and observer how each pan browned and braised, and to take note of how comfortable each pan was to move from the stovetop to the oven.
• Shallow Frying Test: For this test, I made chicken piccata to test each pan’s ability to shallow fry and build a sauce, as well as to see how easy it was to pour off excess oil and clean the pan up after use.
• Even Heating Test: To test for even heating, I heated each pan empty with my burner set to medium and carefully used an infrared thermometer to check for hot spots.
• Spinach Wilting Test (Winners-Only): I tested the capacity of the top rated Sauté pans by wilting a pound of spinach in each one.
• Cleanup and Usability Tests: Even thou many manufacturers market their pans as “dishwasher safe”, I washed each pan by hand after every test. I also looked into handle comfort, how the lid fit, weight balance, and other usability and design details.
• Durability Test: I banged them against each other to test their durability.

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Sauté Pan for you

Now that you know what the best rated sauté pans are, we now go over what to look for when purchasing a new sauté pan as well as the best type of construction and design that will best suit your needs.

You will want to make the sauté pan will be one of the last pans you will ever have to buy. So, you will want to make sure it is well constructed of high-quality materials and has some kind of warranty attached to it.

There several different kinds of sauté pans but they can be summed up pretty much into 3 categories. Stainless steel, cast iron and non-stick or Teflon coated. Each of these pans serves different purposes from each other. You could own all three types to make sure you are prepared for any cooking scenario or you could determine what you need in a sauté pan and go with the best decision.

Non-stick sauté pans are the easiest to use as long as you are able to take care of them properly. They are usually lighter and are coated with Teflon to prevent any sticking at any time. Usually, these pans cannot be placed in the oven and must be washed by hand, not in the dishwasher. You will also need to use only wooden or rubber utensils when cooking in this pan. The metal utensils will scratch the Teflon coating off.

A stainless-steel sauté pan is a very versatile pan to have and is used in most professional kitchens as well. The pan is heavy and is able to be placed in the oven and in most cases the dishwasher as well. However, the pan is very heavy and does not have a nonstick coating.

The cast iron pan is also a great choice because it is the cheapest of all the options and is incredibly versatile. This pan can go in the oven and is non-stick as well. However, it is very heavy and is not dishwasher safe. Cast Iron pans need to be hand cleaned and re-seasoned to be able to last forever.

Construction and Design

The construction of the sauté pan is very important because it needs to serve several purposes of other pans all at once such as a wok, skillet, saucepan, baking dish and others. The size of the pan will also make a huge difference with different cooking methods.

The most common sizes are 12-14-inch sauté pans. There are other sizes available, but for an overall, one use sauté pan, this is what to go with. The sauté pan also has to have the same design as a saucepan with the higher walls. The other “sauté pans” which are actually skillets have walls that protrude out and up sort of like a wok.

Most are made of quality materials that are heavy iron-clad with steel coatings or all cast iron for that matter.

There are some that have copper bottoms to help create even cooking surface over the whole pot so everything cooks evenly. This copper bottom does not work on an induction cooktop burner though as it is not compatible. If you have an induction burner, make sure to have a compatible sauté pan as well.

Some of the models also have lids which are great to have to avoid any mess by containment. However, make sure the lid is safe to be placed in the oven as well. Not all the lids are metal and most are made of glass, so be sure the lid can withstand that kind of heat before using in the oven.

Warranty

A warranty will help to protect your sauté pan when it breaks. Most quality manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty with their products because they are confident it will last forever. If the product does not come with some sort of guarantee or warranty then it is pretty clear that is a red flag and should not be considered as a reliable product that will outlast the test of time.

References

Jennifer Good (2012). Healthiest Cooking Oil Comparison Chart with Smoke Points and Omega 3 Fatty Acid Ratios. The Baseline of Health Foundation.
Saute Pans – Choosing and Buying the Right Saute Pan. The Reluctant Gourmet. 4 June 2012.