Ever wondered what type of pans do chefs use? Chefs use a variety of pans, each tailored to specific cooking tasks, and cast iron cookware is a staple in many professional kitchens due to its versatility and durability. Here’s an overview of the types of pans chefs commonly use:

 1. Cast Iron Skillet

   – Use: Searing, frying, baking, roasting, and even braising.

   – Features: Heavy-duty with excellent heat retention and even heating. Ideal for high-heat cooking and can transition from stovetop to oven seamlessly. Cast iron skillets are perfect for getting a great sear on meats and creating a flavorful crust.

 2. Sauté Pan

   – Use: Sautéing, browning, and searing.

   – Features: Straight sides and a wide, flat bottom allow for easy tossing of ingredients and even cooking. It usually comes with a lid, making it versatile for simmering and braising as well.

 3. Frying Pan (Skillet)

   – Use: Frying, scrambling, searing, and browning.

   – Features: Sloped sides that make it easy to flip food, ideal for quick-cooking tasks. Available in various materials, including stainless steel, cast iron

 4. Saucepan

   – Use: Making sauces, boiling, and simmering.

   – Features: High sides and a small diameter, perfect for cooking with liquids. Often comes with a lid and is used for tasks like reducing sauces or boiling pasta.

 5. Cast iron Grill Pan

   – Use: Grilling indoors.

   – Features: Ribbed surface that mimics outdoor grilling by leaving grill marks on food. Cast iron grill pans are particularly favored for their ability to retain and evenly distribute heat.

 6. Wok

   – Use: Stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming.

   – Features: Round-bottomed with high, sloping sides, allowing for quick cooking at high temperatures. Cast iron woks are excellent for maintaining heat when cooking large quantities.

 7. Dutch Oven (Cast Iron)

   – Use: Braising, stewing, baking bread.

   – Features: Heavy, with thick walls and a tight-fitting lid. Known for its ability to retain heat and cook food evenly, it’s perfect for slow-cooked dishes and can be used both on the stovetop and in the oven.

 8. Griddle

   – Use: Cooking pancakes, crepes, and burgers.

   – Features: A flat, wide cooking surface often used for cooking large quantities at once. Cast iron griddles are popular for their even heating and ability to hold high temperatures.

 9. Copper Pan

   – Use: Precision cooking, particularly in French cuisine.

   – Features: Excellent heat conductivity and quick responsiveness to temperature changes, making it ideal for delicate sauces and tasks requiring precise temperature control.

 10. Omelette Pan

   – Use: Making omelets.

   – Features: Similar to a frying pan but typically smaller and with sloping sides, making it easy to flip and fold omelets.

 12. Roasting Pan

   – Use: Roasting meats, vegetables, and poultry.

   – Features: Large, rectangular pan with low sides, often with a rack to allow fats to drip away from the food. Cast iron roasting pans are valued for their durability and ability to retain heat.

 13. Braiser (Cast Iron)

   – Use: Braising meats, slow cooking.

   – Features: Similar to a Dutch oven but with wider, shallower sides. Cast iron braisers are ideal for slow-cooking meats and creating rich, flavorful dishes.

 14. Crepe Pan

   – Use: Making crepes.

   – Features: A shallow, flat pan with a slightly raised edge, designed for spreading thin batter and cooking evenly.

 15. Saucier

   – Use: Making sauces, reductions, and risottos.

   – Features: Similar to a saucepan but with sloped sides, making it easier to whisk and reduce sauces without ingredients sticking to the corners.

Cast iron cookware is a favorite among chefs for its durability, heat retention, and versatility. Whether searing a steak, baking a cornbread, or slow-cooking a stew, cast iron pans are trusted tools in both professional and home kitchens. They complement the use of other specialized pans, providing a well-rounded toolkit for any culinary task.

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