Frying pan, saute pan, and skillet are all terms that you're likely familiar with but may not be able to explain differences between them. Although these cooking vessels are similar, they are not all the same. Whether you're a novice cook or an experienced chef, having proper pans for the dish you're preparing will make your cooking preparation a lot easier, and more importantly — yield the best results. So if you're now wondering, what exactly makes a skillet, well…a skillet, you're not alone.

cleaning cast iron griddle. This step is crucial to prevent rust from forming on the surface of the griddle.


Summary
Best for: Almost any food that needs frying, browning, or searing. Because it’s ovenproof, stainless is also a good choice for foods that you start on the stovetop and then move to the oven to finish, like thick pork chops.
The details: Nitahara says that 95 percent of the pans used in the CIA’s teaching kitchens are stainless steel because they can take a lot of punishment. “The only time we don’t use them is on egg day, when we use nonstick,” he says. He adds that the shiny surface of a stainless pan makes it easy to see whether your food is browning.
In CR’s tests of stainless steel pans, we measure heating evenness by cooking pancakes, and we gauge how evenly a pan sautés by cooking potatoes until they’re tender. We also conduct a cleaning test to see how easy it is to remove cooked-on food. You’d think that all stainless pans would be about the same to clean, but our tests show that some require a lot more scrubbing than others.
Here are two recommended stainless steel pans from CR’s tests.


They heat up slowly: Working in a busy kitchen, chefs are on the constant lookout for fry pans and other cookware that can heat up quickly. Sadly, non-stick frying pans disappoint here by exhibiting slow heat transfer due to the Teflon coating. Whereas, the stainless steel pans from The Indus Valley’s latest Tri-ply Stainless Steel cookware range heat up evenly in no time.

cast iron dutch oven for grill. Unlike other types of cookware that can easily warp, chip, or break, a well-maintained Dutch oven can last for generations. With proper care and seasoning, your Dutch oven will only improve with age, developing a natural patina that adds even more flavor to your dishes.
Sauté pans are deeper than skillets and perfect for cooking dishes that require a little more liquid.

Enamel Cookware Maintenance