A pan's job is to move heat from the burner into food. How well it does that depends on what it is made of and how thick it is.
Key idea
Conductivity is how fast a metal spreads heat; heat capacity is how much heat a heavy pan stores. Copper and aluminum spread heat fastest; cast iron and carbon steel store a lot and stay hot when food goes in; stainless steel resists acid and rust but spreads heat poorly, so good stainless pans have an aluminum or copper core (clad).
| Material | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Copper (lined with tin or stainless) | Fastest, most even heat; quick to respond | Cost; polishing; tin lining wears |
| Aluminum | Light, cheap, spreads heat well | Reacts with acid unless coated or anodized |
| Stainless clad | Durable, no reaction with acid, oven-safe | Food sticks unless the pan is preheated |
| Cast iron | Holds heat; great sear; lasts generations | Heavy; rusts if left wet; season it |
| Carbon steel | Like cast iron but lighter; restaurant workhorse | Rusts; must be seasoned |
| Nonstick | Eggs and fish release easily | Keep heat moderate; no metal tools; replace when worn |
| Shape | Looks like | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Sauteuse (slope-sided sauté pan) | Sloped sides | Tossing food: sautés, omelets |
| Sautoir (straight-sided) | Straight sides, a lid | Shallow braises, pan sauces |
| Saucepan | Tall, one long handle | Sauces, grains, small batches |
| Rondeau (brazier) | Wide, shallow, two loop handles | Braises, browning large batches |
| Stockpot | Tall and narrow | Stocks and soups, boiling pasta |
| Sheet pan and hotel pan | Flat tray; deep rectangular pan | Roasting, baking; holding and storing food |
Why it works
When cold food hits a thin pan, the pan cools and the food steams. A heavy pan (or a hotter, emptier one) keeps the surface hot enough to brown. That is why restaurants sear in carbon steel or cast iron, and cook in batches.
Worked example: Pick the pan
You are making a tomato sauce that will simmer for an hour.
- Tomatoes are acidic.
- Bare aluminum and bare cast iron can react and give a metallic taste.
- Stainless clad (or enameled cast iron) won't react.
Answer: A stainless-clad saucepan or an enameled pot.
Common mistake
Crowding the pan. If pieces touch, steam can't escape and they boil in their own juices. Leave space, and cook in batches.
Practice at home
- Heat a dry stainless pan for two minutes on medium, then flick in a drop of water. If it skitters around as a ball, the pan is hot enough to sear. Try it at one minute too, and notice the difference.
- Sear two batches of mushrooms: one crowded, one spread out. Compare the color.
In Meal Prep
- Cast Iron and Cookware Care: seasoning, myths and facts, and caring for carbon steel, stainless and nonstick
- Pots and pans: the shapes, with pictures
The science behind it
- Specific heat: why a heavy pan stores more heat
- Rate of heat conduction: why copper and aluminum spread heat fast