[jannie]

Just wondering, when I look at them, the so called chef's pans look just like large saucier pans – what's the difference. And chef's pans, the ones with deep rounded sides, look like a cross between a saute and a saucepan with sloped sides; I've always been intrigued by them but had one once and hardly ever used it because of the small contact area with the burner for the size of the pan.

I know what a saucier is for, but unsure really where the chef's pans come in to use, other than as a deep saute/sauce pan – any input?
Jannie

 

[foodpump]

Don't know what you mean by "Saucier pans".
There are a number of European style pans around. There is the Sauteuse, a s/s pan with sloping sides ease maneuovering the product around, to encourage the reduction of liquids and to facilitate incorporate air and or butter with a whisk; then there is the sautoir, a s/s pan with straight sides to prevent the reduction of liquids, usually used to poach food items, and to heat up liquids. Then there is the Poele Noir, basically a frying pan, with shallow sloping sides, that is used for sauteing and ommelettes.

Never, ever, EVER buy untreated (raw, UN-anodized) aluminum pans. If any liquids come in contact with the aluminum material AND a whisk or metal spoon, you get grey, metallic flecked liquids, the untreated aluminum reacts with acidic foods like tomatoes and wine, and the untreated aluminum oxidizes, making whatever it touches black and smudgy. Finally, untreated aluminum pits very badly, if it's a plain pan, without a "sandwich bottom" it will warp, and if the handle is riveted on, the rivets will loosen and liquid will dribble out of the rivet holes.

 

[joyfull]

Hi Jannie,
This link should answer a lot of your questions and more! Very informative..

eG Forums -> Understanding Stovetop Cookware

 

[shel]

You're right - it's a very informative page. In fact, it answered a few cookware questions I've had for a while, and will save me quite a few $$ on my next purchase. Thanks for posting it.

Shel

 

[jannie]

:roll: Wow, Joyfull thanks, that is a very interesting read!

I'm looking at my pots/pans and have realized that another consideration is how important it's become for them to react similary to the burner from one to another.

My sauce pans and 3.8qt stock pot are 2.0mm copper w/stainless linings, they work well and I never scortch or burn anything. But I got a large skillet with 2.5mm copper and realize the difference between it and my small saute which has 2.0mm copper. They react to the burner much differently, I wouldn't have thought so but I actually when cooking meat, fish etc, tend to have the burner (electric) set slightly lower for the thinner pan.

This brings up the consideration of although different materials may work better for different cooking purposes, I think I'll be content to use the 2.0 cooper for saucepans, 2.5mm for skillets and saute pans and go with thicker aluminum bases on stainless for my larger stock pots.

I'm wanting a stock pot in the 8qt range for pasta and chicken/vegetable stock and or possibly a dutch oven in the 6-7qt range for smaller amounts of pasta but mainly for making larger batches of soups. My inclination is to go with the All-clad stainless for the 8qt and the mauviel 2.0mm copper for the dutch oven.

I do make a lot of soups and also considering a 3qt copper saucier for 1-2 large portion meals. I use a 3qt saucepan now but usually like to saute some of the ingredients before putting them in the pot and after reading the above article think that possibly the saucier (curved sided saucepan) will cut down on the number of pots used at any given time in my little apartment kitchen.

I love French onion soup, often using it as a base and adding other ingredients and having the more open design where I can saute things like the onions/ mushrooms and sometimes meats in the bottom would be nice, I can do it in the regular saucepan but it isnt' a fun way to cook so I use a 2qt saute pan instead, for that part.
Jannie