To Find the 5 Best Sauté Pans, I Seared Dozens of Meatballs

A stainless steel skillet is one of my go-tos: It’s quick, responsive, and relatively light. But sometimes I want to sear and braise—and this is when a sauté pan comes in handy. These wide, shallow stainless steel pans have higher sides than a standard skillet, making them great for stewing meatballs in red sauce or shallow-frying chicken cutlets. The wide surface area also makes them ideal for reductions: Sear a piece of meat; add aromatics, wine, and butter; and evaporate any residual water to get a silky pan sauce that’ll coat the back of a spoon. Stainless sauté pans are also oven-safe, so you can give a dish a run under the broiler should you so choose. 

To find the best sauté pans, I ran eight of them through a series of tests, including searing and braising meatballs, and cooking handfuls of spinach. The best ones heated up quickly, were responsive, and had comfortable handles. 

The Tests

• Boiling Test: I heated one quart of water in each pan and timed how long it took to reach a rolling boil. This test was an examination of how quickly the pans heated up.  
• Heat Map Test: To see if there were any hot spots, I placed each pan over medium heat and took the temperature of the left, center, and right side of the pan using an infrared thermometer. I repeated this every 30 seconds for four minutes. 
• Meatball and Sauce Test: I seared 10 meatballs in each skillet, placing them in the center and edges of the skillet to see if there were any hot spots. I then added tomato sauce and brought the mixture to a simmer, noting if the sauce sputtered everywhere or was contained. 
• Spinach Test: To test capacity, I filled each pan with five ounces of spinach, placed the lid on top, and cooked it over medium heat until wilted. 
• Chicken and Pan Sauce Test (Winners Only): Finally, I cooked chicken in the winning pans to test their searing abilities. After, I made a lemony pan sauce with the drippings to see if the sauce reduced nicely.  

What We Learned 

Nearly All of the Sauté Pans Performed Well 

Let’s get this out of the way: Nearly all of the sauté pans I tested were great. It’s hard to go wrong with a stainless steel pan! They seared deeply, were responsive to temperature adjustments, and most had comfortable handles. What separated the wheat from the chaff were the details—some pans stained more readily than others, while some handles just felt better and were more balanced with the pan. 

The only obvious disappointment was the Made In. While it seared and reduced admirably, and I really liked the flat handle, the pan warped after a few uses. This caused it to spin every time I placed it on my glass burner and created a noticeable hot spot in the center of the pan. 

Size and Shape Varied 

While mostly the same, the 3-ish quart sauté pans I tested could be lumped into two categories: shallow and wide, and tall and narrow. I found winners in both categories, but if I had to choose one, I’d spring for a shallow, wide pan like the All-Clad, which has a 9.25-inch bottom diameter. Wider pans were less cramped, offered better browning, and reduced sauces quickly. That said, taller, narrow pans like the Le Creuset, which had an 8.5-inch bottom diameter, were great for slowly simmering, especially in instances when you don’t want a lot of reduction. 

The Sauté Pans Diameters and Height Mattered
Product	Bottom Diameter	Height
Made In Cookware - 3.5 Quart Stainless Steel Saute Pan	10.25 inches	2.5 inches
All-Clad D3® Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Sauté Pan	9.25 inches	2.25 inches
Misen 5-Ply Stainless Steel Sauté Pan	9.25 inches	3 inches
Hestan NanoBond® Titanium Stainless-Steel Sauté Pan	9.75 inches	2.75 inches
Le Creuset Signature Stainless-Steel Sauté Pan, 3-Qt	8.75 inches	2.75 inches
OXO Mira Tri-Ply Stainless Steel, 3.25QT Saute Pan	8.5 inches	3 inches
HexClad Hybrid Saute Pan with Lid	9 inches	3 inches
T-fal Pro Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Saute Pan	8.5 inches	2.75 inches

All the pans I tested were between three and 3.5 quarts. I didn’t find that the extra (or missing) half quart made a difference. That said, if you are making larger meals, I might spring for a four-quart or larger pan. 

Let’s Talk Handles

Short, thin, wide, round—handles came in a variety of shapes. While handle preference is subjective, I did value a few things across the board: no-slip grip, balance, and comfort. Some checked all the boxes, like the T-Fal, which sported a short, compact handle that felt balanced with the pan and that curved nicely to fit my hand. Others, not so much: The HexClad’s handle is bulbous and has a slippery sheen that makes it difficult to securely grasp. 

In addition to the main handle, some pans added helper handles to the mix. While, as their name implies, they’re helpful, they weren’t a deal-breaker and were mostly useful when moving a skillet from the stove to the oven. 

The Best Sauté Pans Heated Up Fast and Were Responsive 

Every pan boiled a quart of water in under seven minutes. Sure, some were a little more sluggish than others: the All-Clad, my winner, took a little over six minutes versus the Hestan’s lickety-split sub-four-minute time. But when it came to real-world cooking, it’d take a really impatient person to notice a difference. Plus, every pan heated up fast when I used them to sear meatballs—some so quickly that they caught me off guard.

While it’s great when a pan is quick to heat, responsiveness is also key, or else you might burn those beautiful meatballs and scorch the sauce. The good news? All the pans toned it down when I lowered the heat, letting me stay in control and ensuring moist, tender meatballs and warm, deep red sauce. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Sauté Pan

A sauté pan should be responsive—sure, it's great if it heats up fast, but if you can't control the heat, then you'll end up with burnt food. I liked short handles that felt balanced with the pan, which shouldn't be super heavy. The sauté pan should be durable, too, resisting warping even over high heat. Wide pans with shallow sides were better at reducing sauces, while narrower pans were better at slowly simmering.

Our Favorite Sauté Pans 

What we liked: All-Clad’s D3 stainless steel pans are awesome: They’re super responsive, heat up fast, and have the heft and quality to stand up to years of frequent use. And the brand’s sauté pan is no exception.

The walls were tall enough to contain simmering tomato sauce, but not so tall as to capture steam and impede browning when searing: I flipped chicken cutlets to reveal even, ochre-colored sears. Meatballs developed deep brown crusts. Five ounces of spinach fit comfortably inside, and the lid sealed tightly, encouraging the leaves to wilt fast. The pan has a helper handle, which is useful if you’re sticking it in the oven. Overall, this is an excellent sauté pan that’s durable and versatile. 

What we didn’t like: Some of the meatballs stuck to the surface near the edges of the pan, but I might not have heated it sufficiently before adding them. I didn’t have any sticking in other tests. All-Clad’s signature indented handle is divisive, and I admit that I’m not a huge fan; it digs into my hands.

Key Specs

• Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Handle length: 9 inches
• Capacity: 3 quarts
• Other sizes: 4 quarts
• Height: 2.25 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Max temperature: 600°F
• Lid: Yes
• Helper handle: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: No

What we liked: Ever lift a skillet and feel your wrist straining under the effort as it tips forward? You won’t with this pan. The short, slightly curved handle offers loads of control. It also felt balanced when I lifted the pan to swirl a pat of butter into the lemon pan sauce. 

Beyond comfort, the Le Creuset performed admirably in my tests: Meatballs browned evenly, spinach fit comfortably, and chicken breast seared to a deep turmeric-tinged brown. 

The lid also sports a wide knob akin to the one on Le Creuset’s Dutch oven, which I liked. 

What we didn’t like: The pan discolored after a few uses, and there isn’t a helper handle. It got hotter than other skillets, though when I turned down the burner heat, it was responsive to the change. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Handle length: 8 inches
• Capacity: 3 quarts
• Other sizes: 4.5 quarts
• Height: 2.75 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Max temperature: 500°F
• Lid: Yes
• Helper handle: No
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: A previous winner, this pan sat solidly in the middle of the pack in my tests. It seared meatballs well, with only one sticking slightly, and the sides were tall enough to contain the bubbling tomato sauce. The handle is quite different from other ones I tested: It’s rounded and straight, qualities that made it comfortable to hold. It’s a wide pan, so nothing felt cramped. 

What we didn’t like: The pan spun on my glass stovetop, the handle got warm, and the balance was a little off. It was also slower than the other pans to warm in my heat map test. The only time this was noticeable in real-world situations was when I seared chicken breasts and they emerged pale brownish-yellow rather than deep gold. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 3.14 pounds 
• Handle length: 8 inches
• Capacity: 3 quarts
• Other sizes: None
• Height: 3 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel
• Max temperature: 800°F
• Lid: Yes
• Helper handle: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: This pan performed surprisingly well for a sub-$100 option. The tomato sauce came to a simmer quickly, but it proved responsive when I adjusted the heat, rapidly bringing the temperature down and calming the burbling sauce. The tall sides also kept the sauce contained, even when it was roiling. It seared meatballs and chicken breasts deeply, too. 

At just under three pounds, the pan was lighter than most others I tested, which made it easy to move. The short handle has a smooth indent down the center and a rounded underside, so it sat nicely in my palm. It was a good length and felt balanced with the pan.

What we didn’t like: The tall sides and small surface made for a tight fit; I could just barely squeeze 10 meatballs into the pan. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 2.12 pounds
• Handle length: 7.75 inches
• Capacity: 3 quarts
• Other sizes: None
• Height: 2.75 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, glass
• Max temperature: 500°F (lid to 350°F)
• Lid: Yes
• Helper handle: No
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: This is an elegant, heavy-duty stainless steel sauté pan that’s got the chops to sear, simmer, and, of course, sauté. It boiled a quart of water in a little under four minutes, the fastest of the bunch. Indeed, it was a racehorse throughout testing: I nonchalantly flipped a meatball only to find it a mahogany shade of brown—oops—and had to quickly turn down the heat to avoid crossing over to blackened. Thankfully, it was responsive, too, and my meatballs just ended up deeply browned—phew.

I liked the handle, which is short enough to offer control but also long enough that it kept my hand cool. Its extreme curve was helpful when it came to swirling and shaking, too. It can handle an impressive amount of heat—it’s oven-safe up to 1050°F, though I don’t know anyone whose standard oven hits those kinds of temperatures! 

What we didn’t like: Wowie zowie, the price! It's also a bit heavy. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Handle length: 8.25 inches
• Capacity: 3.5 quarts
• Other sizes: 5 quarts
• Height: 2.75 inches
• Materials: Stainless steel, titanium
• Max temperature: 1050°F
• Lid: Yes
• Helper handle: Yes
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Competition

Also Good

• OXO Mira Tri-Ply Stainless Steel, 3.25 QT Saute Pan: This is a solid little pan that’s reasonably priced. I liked the glass lid, which made it easy to see food as it cooked. It seared decently and reduced sauces nicely. But it was a little unbalanced, and the stainless steel got large brown splotches after a few uses. 
• HexClad Hybrid Saute Pan with Lid: While I think a hybrid nonstick/stainless coating is a little silly, this skillet performed well in my tests. It seared meatballs deeply and evenly, and had tall sides that kept sauce from burbling over the edge. The downsides: The bulbous, slippery handle, which was hard to grip, and the pan’s heft, which was tough on the wrists. 

Not Recommended

• Made In Cookware 3.5 Quart Stainless Steel Saute Pan: While this pan was one of our winners in our previous tests, it warped soon after I started testing, causing it to get a substantial hot spot in the center of the pan. It also spun on my glass cooktop. I did love the flat handle, though. 

FAQs

What size sauté pan should I buy?

We tested sauté pans around three to 3.5 quarts, which is a good size for two to four people. Many of our winners come in larger sizes—good for a larger household. 

What’s the best way to clean a stainless steel sauté pan?

While many of our winners are dishwasher-safe, for longevity’s sake, we recommend hand-washing stainless steel products. 

What do I do if my sauté pan gets a stain?

Stainless steel is, funny enough, not entirely stainless. While it won’t rust, it is prone to discoloration from all that heating and oil polymerization. Most stains will come out with a soak and scrub with a sponge, but if you have some particularly stubborn splotches, we recommend a bottle of Bar Keepers Friend—this stuff is magic. 

Why We’re the Experts 

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats.
• She’s been testing kitchen gear for over four years. 
• She was a prep cook and bartender in Providence, Rhode Island. 
• For this review, Grace tested eight sauté pans by using them to sear and simmer meatballs, wilt spinach, and make chicken with lemon pan sauce. 
• We previously tested sauté pans in 2023.