A saucepan is a necessary culinary ingredient for pasta and sauces alike. It features a long handle and a spherical shape with high sides. Higher amounts of food may be cooked simultaneously in the pan due to its larger surface area and high sidewalls. Due to its larger surface area, it can cook or heat food more evenly. A saucepan is safe to manoeuvre around the stovetop and oven thanks to its length (albeit shorter than a frying pan’s handle) and excellent grip.
It evenly heats the surface.
It is a versatile pan that may prepare various foods with liquid bases, such as soup or sauce. The liquid or sauce inside a saucepan with steep sides may be cooked more evenly due to the greater surface area. The pan’s high edges and depth make it suitable for braising, deep-frying, and even boiling when preparing grains and pasta.
It comes in different materials.
Cast iron
Cast iron cookware warms evenly and softly, perfect for letting flavours mellow over time. Cast iron cools gradually because it can hold onto heat. Cast iron is excellent for keeping food at a safe temperature for extended periods, but curious kids should never have access to it. Cast iron can withstand high temperatures and is, therefore, suitable for ovens. The best way to clean it is by hand.
Copper
One will have complete control over cooking thanks to copper’s rapid heating and cooling rates. This function will ensure that the food is adequately and uniformly prepared. Copper cookware is durable and compatible with other metal cookware. To prevent copper from reacting with food minerals and altering flavour, several cookware manufacturers cover their copper cookware with stainless steel. Copper cookware needs to be hand-washed and is oven-safe.
Stainless steel
It is a popular material for pans due to its durability, ease of maintenance, and efficiency in transferring heat. Even in a small kitchen, a stainless steel pan can be shown.
Ceramic
Like the rest of the ceramic cookware, ceramic saucepans are usually praised for their aesthetic appeal. Many ceramic pans have appealing designs on their own and painted surfaces. They may be used on the cooktop at high temperatures without worrying about the pan warping or melting due to their quick and equal heat dispersion.
These pans are also quite solid and easy to clean, so one doesn’t have to worry about them breaking during regular use. When finished cooking, one won’t need to bother seasoning them because they are easy to clean.
Ceramics is a fantastic material for searing because of its thickness and endurance to extremely high heat. To prevent scratching the surface of a ceramic skillet while cooking, use wooden or silicone utensils.
Aluminium
Aluminium pans are excellent heat conductors but can damage or burn if not handled correctly. A low-maintenance saucepan should be made of aluminium because it is lightweight and dishwasher-safe. It is suggested to consult the manual if one is unsure about how to clean something. A hard-anodized aluminium skillet is suitable if you cook on medium to high heat. The hard-anodized aluminium in saucepans distributes heat more evenly, making cooking easier. You can produce that perfect sauce much faster with this device.
Saucepan VS other pans
A saucepan differs from other pans’ shapes (such as a frying pan). The pan is perfect for heating and cooking liquids due to its thick sides and depth. As a result, it’s a culinary tool that every cook should own. This is a piece of cookware you must have if you frequently cook or heat liquids.