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Sunday, July 23, 2000 By Kathleen Ganster
You read a recipe that you want to try, and the directions say that you need a saute pan. "What the heck is a saute pan?" you wonder.
Or maybe you are a new cook and you don't know what kind of pans to buy. There are hundreds of brands and probably an equal number of sizes, shapes and depths to pots and pans. The task of finding the right pots and pans at the right price can deter even the bravest among us.
For those of you just outfitting your kitchen, your main question is probably: What types of pots and pans will you need?
Teri Helfer, owner of the Versatile Gourmet, a cooking store and school south of Butler, has some suggestions: "I would recommend three things: an 8-inch fry pan, an 8- or 10-inch saute pan and a 5- to 7-quart saucepan. The saute pan has higher sides than a regular fry pan, so you can use it to fry in or to make sauces, saute foods and other things. The smaller fry pan is nice to fry up one burger or an egg -- you wouldn't want to use a larger pan because that would waste too much energy."
The large saucepan, according to Helfer, can be used for just about anything and give you more versatility than the smaller versions.
Jeff Clyde, owner/chef of Ripe Tomato in Harmarville, agrees with Helfer about the saute pan. "I couldn't survive without my saute pan. I think it is the most versatile pan to have," he says. "When we were looking for a restaurant to buy, I said to my wife, 'I just need a stove and my saute pan.' "
There are several sizes and types of pans. Once a cook has the initial "must haves," he may want to expand. All-Clad, the famous Canonsburg cookware producer, has a pamphlet that not only describes its various lines but also has descriptions of the sizes of pots and pans.
Fry pans are used, of course, for frying foods. Most range in size from 7 to 12 inches. Saucepans are handy for boiling, cooking soups, sauces and vegetables. They usually range in size from 1 to 6 quarts. You then move into stockpots that range in size from 6 to 20 quarts. Lids are usually available for all of them and handy to have.
There also are specialty pots and pans like the saute pans, which vary from 2- to 6-quart sizes. Braisers are also good to have, according to Clyde.
"You can make nice soups and sauces in a braiser, which is a pot with higher sides and a rounder bottom," he says.
Depending on what you like to cook, you may want such specialty pots as stir-fry pots, omelet pans, paella pans and double boilers and steamers.
Carol Moorhead, manager and buyer for the Balcony Cookware Store in the Strip District, swears by her sauteuse pan from Demeyer, a Belgian cookware company. "I have different favorite pieces from different brands, but I really like the sauteuse pan. It's designed to make sauces, but I use it for so many things," she says.
What brand of pots and pans should you buy? As with any other purchase, it depends on your budget. "There is so much available to the home cook, it is amazing. I think buying pots is like buying a car -- there isn't one model for everyone," says Clyde.
Clyde recommends stainless-steel cookware. "It is durable, stays clean and cooks well," he says.
But make it the best you can afford, says Helfer. "I would say go for cookware with a lifetime warranty. That way, if something happens to it, you can get it replaced," she says.
All-Clad is a name that often comes up with chefs and knowledgeable home chefs. One reason is the line's excellent reputation, but also the fact that the company is locally based.
"It is a great line," says Helfer, "But it is also very expensive. You can get nice pans from Le Creuset, which is porcelain-baked enamel. It is heavy and you can bake beautifully in it. It is a nice alternative."
She also suggests home cooks try Berndes, a durable line from Germany.
"It is more affordable and a lot of people really like it. It doesn't heat as fast at All-Clad or Le Creuset, but it is very good," says Helfer.
All-Clad recently introduced a line of cookware with Emeril Lagasse, restaurateur and cooking-show host. According to Catherine Fischer, vice president of sales at All-Clad, this less-expensive line will introduce All-Clad to a larger audience. "Emeril has a large following. He is warm and friendly -- everyone falls in love with him. His line will have more of a mass appeal than perhaps one that stands on its own."
The line is not the same construction as traditional All-Clad lines, which use the bonded-metal process. Fischer said that process is what makes All-Clad so special. "The bonding puts the stainless layer next to the food and the aluminum layer in the middle. Aluminum is a wonderful conductor but an awful cooking surface. They are melded together and never can be separated unless they are subjected to incredible heat," she says.
Moorhead says it is important to really know the customer in order to recommend basic pieces and the brand.
"We sell several brands, including Le Creuset, Scanpan, Demeyer and others. I will talk with people to see what their needs are and what they will be cooking, then I can recommend the pans and brands that will best suit their needs," she says. "We always tell people that they don't have to buy a set. They may be able to do better by buying a stainless steel pan from one brand and a nonstick pan from another brand."
Helfer offers this advice to her customers: "I tell them to buy what they can afford. If you buy a cheap skillet, think how many times you have to replace it in 10 years. In the end, you probably save money."
Kathleen Ganster is a Hampton-based free-lance writer.
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