Saucepan

You could easily find yourself using a saucepan every time you prepare a meal as they are so versatile and can be used for a huge variety of foods and tasks. It’s a good idea to have a few saucepans in different sizes so you can cook a wide range of foods, from vegetables to sauces.

Saucepans come in a range of depths and widths making them ideal for liquids as well as vegetables and other foods.

Perfect for:

• Boiling vegetables
• Preparing soups
• Scrambling eggs
• Making sauces
• Cooking pasta
• Heating liquids
• Making mashed potato

Frying Pan

Just like saucepans, frying pans are incredibly versatile and you’re likely to use one on a regular basis if you enjoy cooking meals from scratch. They are designed with a wide base and shallow edges so any food that goes into it gets plenty of contact with the heat from the hob.

Perfect for:

• Frying eggs
• Frying meat and fish
• Frittatas and omelettes
• Stir-frying
• Sautéing onions

Casserole and Stew Pans

Larger than most large saucepans, a casserole or stew pan is particularly deep making it perfect for preparing large quantities and one-pot meals. The size and shape of these pans mean that the heat from the hob will move through the contents evenly, ensuring consistent cooking throughout. It also means that it is able to hold its temperature for longer than shallower pans.

Perfect for:

• Casseroles
• Stews
• Making large quantities of soup

Sauté Pan

Sauté pans are fairly similar to frying pans but tend to be a little deeper. This makes them ideal for sautéing as you’ll be able to make quick temperature changes as well as having a wide and flat bottom for perfect browning.

Perfect for:

• Sautéing vegetables
• Searing meat
• Reducing sauce
• Braise meats

Wok

With a large surface area, woks are perfect for large quantities of food and are typically used in oriental cooking. The gradient of the sides of the pan allows for the cook to toss the ingredients around the pan as it is heated all over. The flat bottom can be used for searing as the heat tends to be more concentrated in this part of the pan.

Perfect for:

• Stir-frying
• Steaming
• Deep frying
• Flash frying

Paella Pan

These are very large pans which have a gentle slope, increasing the surface area so you can fit in as much as possible while still being able to maintain a consistent heat throughout. Like a wok, this pan can easily be used to toss the contents, ensuring even cooking as well as even coating of any sauces or seasonings. The two handles on either side of a paella pan make this a lot easier to do.

Perfect for:

• Paella
• Large one pot meals

Crêpe Pan

This is one of few pans which have one very specific use and are only used for one type of food. With a flat bottom and very shallow sides, this pan is ideally designed for spreading particularly thin layers of batter to create perfectly cooked crêpes which can then be slid out of the pan over the shallow sides.

Perfect for:

• Crêpes

Skillet

Skillet pans can be a square or round shape and sometimes feature a ribbed bottom. These pans are designed to withstand a lot of heat as they are usually made of heavy cast iron which is able to retain its heat. Skillets are particularly good for cooking at high temperatures and cooking meats fast.

Perfect for:

• Searing meat
• Chargrilling vegetables
• Chargrilling fish
• One pot meals

We’re not just about the knives here at Kitchen Knives. In fact, we have a huge range of cookware including a variety of pans which can be used for countless different meals. Just take a look through our selection to find the perfect pan to add to your kitchen.