Commercial cast iron griddles
*When in doubt, just remember this: you can often perform the same cooking tasks in either a skillet or a sauté pan, but keep in mind that the angle of the sidewalls of each pan differ, which means that one might be better suited than the other for certain cooking tasks.*
Same goes for reducing sauces—sauces will reduce just as fast in a 12-inch sauté pan as in a 12-inch skillet.
Now this is a pretty tricky one. Frypans and skillets both rarely come with lids. When a frypan does come with a lid, it’s often made from glass which allows you to monitor food easily. Even so, it’s pretty rare for a lid to be available unless you specifically purchase the lid as an add-on.
Can You Put a Cast Iron Skillet in the Oven?
Skillets are the heavier option because of its thickness, the material used to craft it, and larger size. This extra weight allows skillets to distribute heat evenly and retain heat better, making it ideal for recipes that involve searing and braising.
On the other hand, the French skillet is excellent for frying large quantities of food or making stews and sauces that require simmering. These dishes are challenging to cook in a frying pan, which cannot hold excess moisture, and the food may easily fall out of the pan. Examples of such meals include risotto and paella.
The speed and temperature of the cooking, along with the liquid used, should help with your decision. Those slow-cooking recipes for sauces and liquid broths will benefit from a saute pan's depth and large surface. For those recipes that need meat grilled or seared at high heat, you might want to consider a frying pan. The sloped side of the skillet also makes it a great candidate for stir fry. But if you want to achieve the perfect finish for stir fry, a wok would be the best choice.
Aside from that, non-stick fry pans are unable to produce one of the most essential ingredients that chefs use in many appetising gravies and pan sauces: fond.
Fond is the crusty browned bits of vegetables and meat that are stuck on the bottom of the frying pan after searing. Some chefs absolutely dislike using non-stick frying pans in their kitchen. Let’s discover the reasons in detail.
Large Cast iron Dutch Oven
Whereas skillets are commonly made from cast iron or stainless steel, giving it its rugged and robust nature. You’ll also be hard-pressed to find a “cast iron frypan”, but you’ll often find “cast iron skillets”. Even though stainless steel is one of the common materials used to make skillets, cast iron is the more popular option.
Mini Cast Iron Skillet
Everyone can appreciate a good frying pan—especially when they turn out your favorite pork chops or soft scrambled eggs. A well-equipped kitchen typically contains several different varieties of frying pans or skillets, including cast iron, stainless steel, and nonstick. (We're not counting the other essential pots and pans you should have, too, like a saucepan, heavy-bottomed pot, or even a wok). Here is how to use, clean, and care for each.


