When choosing, pay attention to what often goes into your sauce and the maintenance that suits you. The sauce comes first, as you usually make it directly after browning meat or fish in a sauté pan. No type is excluded on induction.
Does every sauté pan indicate whether it is PFAS-free?
Yes, for the pans on this page, and you can see that in the overview: each sauté pan has the label PFAS FREE on its photo. The type of coating a pan has is listed in its specifications under 'Non-stick coating', and in our range of sauté pans, it is one of these four:
'Ceramic' is seen in sauté pans made of aluminum with a ceramic non-stick coating, and their specifications state 'PFAS-free'.
'None' is seen in stainless steel or sheet steel without a non-stick coating, and they also have 'PFAS-free' in the specifications.
'Enamelled' is seen in cast iron with an enamel interior, and here too, 'PFAS-free' is listed in the specifications.
'Standard' is seen in the sauté pans from SCANPAN and one from Sola, which have a standard non-stick coating. 'PFAS-free' is not listed in their specifications.
Sauté pans with a standard coating do not belong on this page. You can find them in the full range of sauté pans. According to the manufacturer, the coating of the SCANPAN sauté pans contains PTFE, the substance behind the brand name Teflon and one of the PFAS. More about PTFE and other PFAS in pans can be found in our article on pans without Teflon.
Which type holds up if you often make sauce with tomato or wine?
A tomato sauce negates the seasoning of sheet steel according to our pan expert. For the enamel sauté pan on cast iron, the product page states that the enamel does not react to acid from tomato, citrus, or wine. With stainless steel, nothing can be negated, as a stainless steel pan goes on the fire without seasoning.
A ceramic coating is smooth at first and becomes rougher after months or years, until your food sticks again. If you don't want to buy a new sauté pan after this, choose stainless steel or enamel on cast iron: our pan expert calls them pans for life, if you maintain them well.
What does each type require from you, and which pan do we recommend?
If you switch from a coated pan, you might think that every uncoated pan needs to be seasoned first. In this range, that is only true for sheet steel.
With stainless steel, the work is in the heating and hardly in the washing up
When heating, it’s about time and enough fat in the pan. You have little work with the washing up, as the Beka Sauté Pan Cicla ø 28 cm is dishwasher safe. It has two side handles and a glass lid.
Beka Sauté Pan Cicla ø 28 cm
Enamel on cast iron can go from the fire to the oven
The BerlingerHaus Sauté Pan Matte Bordeaux ø 26 cm is made of cast iron with enamel on the inside, and you get a lid with it. It can go into the oven up to 220 °C.
According to the product page, hand washing keeps the red exterior looking best. For a large amount of sauce, the BerlingerHaus with 2.57 liters is a bit on the small side.
BerlingerHaus Sauté Pan Matte Bordeaux ø 26 cm
On a ceramic coating, you don't need to learn to season first
If you also prefer to leave the washing up to the machine, then the Sola Sauté Pan Ceramic Deluxe ø 28 cm is a pan with a lid that is dishwasher safe. For a coating that stays smooth for a long time, you might prefer to leave the machine aside.
Sola Sauté Pan Ceramic Deluxe ø 28 cm
The Sola cannot go in the oven; if you want that, choose a pan with the oven symbol among the ceramic sauté pans.
Sheet steel is ready for intense browning as soon as it is seasoned
Maintenance begins even before your first dish, with the steps for seasoning sheet steel. A sheet steel pan stays out of the dishwasher, and a quick turn on the fire keeps it dry and free from rust after washing up.
The De Buyer Sauté Pan Mineral B Pro with 2 handles ø 28 cm has a capacity of 4 liters and can also go in the oven. If you need to simmer sauce covered, you will need a separate lid: this pan does not come with one. You can find separate lids of 28 cm, the same size as this pan, among the separate pan lids.
De Buyer Sauté Pan Mineral B Pro with 2 handles ø 28 cm
Does a sauté pan without PFAS cost more?
Not in our range. Between €75 and €100, you can choose from ceramic and sheet steel without PFAS, and under €75, only ceramic remains. A standard coating can be found on both the budget and the more expensive side of the range.
