While it is also rare for skillets to come with a lid, you’ll certainly see it more often than you would on a frypan. The lid is also typically fully opaque so you won’t be able to monitor your cooking as easily. But it sure helps with slow-cooking and braising dishes.

A sauté pan is a shallow pan with straight sidewalls. This is the main difference between a sauté pan and a skillet or frying pan, which has slanted sides. The straight sides make the sauté pan better suited for certain tasks that require cooking ingredients in a liquid, such as shallow frying or braising, because these liquids could leak over a skillet’s slated sides.A sauté pan can also be used to sauté, stir-fry, or sear in the same way that a skillet can. However, despite its name, a sauté pan is not necessarily the best pan to use to sauté ingredients, and some chefs actually prefer using a skillet for sautéing because of its slanted sides.

    Cast iron Dutch ovens have been a staple in the kitchen for centuries, and for good reason.  The material a Dutch oven is made of plays a vital role in its use and functionality.  When it comes to Dutch ovens, cast iron is the material of choice for many home cooks and professional chefs alike.

    Cast iron Dutch ovens have been a staple in the kitchen for centuries, and for good reason.  The material a Dutch oven is made of plays a vital role in its use and functionality.  When it comes to Dutch ovens, cast iron is the material of choice for many home cooks and professional chefs alike.

Frypans and skillets have almost the same appearance and function in cooking. You are excused if you think they’re the same kitchen item. They are spherical and have sloping edges when compared to a sautéing pan. Let’s start with a couple more major distinctions.