The Best Chef Pan has a rounded corner, comfortable handle and wide rim. It is truly one of the most versatile pan in the market. However, most people dont even know what it is. A Chef pan or Saucier is a blend between a frying pan and a sauce pan. While its primary task is to make sauce. If you get the right one, you should be able to cook just about anything in this pan. When buying a Chef Pan, there are various things you should look for. Things like material, construction and shape are all very important. This article will list all the variables you should check and hopefully help you get the right one.

What to Look for in a Chef Pan aka Saucier

Shape

The shape of the Saucier is one of the most important thing. Its primary task is to make sauces. As such, the traditional sauce pan with sharp corners is not ideal. You want a soft gradual edge that rises. This means that when you whisk sauces, the spatula or whisk will glide over it. Sharp corner means that food will get trapped. The consistency will be slightly off and worse, burned.

These days most pots are manufactured with a hydraulic press. Making a smooth gradual interior cost money. It is much cheaper to just stamp and go. Usually only the higher end manufacturer like Le Creuset, All Clad and Matfer Bourgeat will do this.

Metal and Thickness

The metal and thickness of the pan plays an important role. Certain metal like copper are extremely responsive. Very important when making sauces. If you accidentally overheat the pan, being able to stop cooking can save the sauce. However, if you have it too thick, that responsiveness is gone. Models like the copper core series from All Clad are a great choice. It uses a copper core for maximum responsiveness.

Stainless Steel and Fully Cladded Pan are a good alternative. However, their responsiveness is not as great. You want something thats not too thick and not too thin. The one made by Le Creuset is a fine example of that.

Handle

Comfort and ergonomic is important as well. To use a saucier, you will constantly be moving the pan around. Having something that will cause pan and discomfort will make you hate the pan.

With that being said. I can think of very few saucier that has a combination of all these traits. The one exception is the saucier made by All Clad with the Thomas Keller handle. Unfortunately, those are not as readily available.

Nonstick Coating

Usually you do not have to worry about food sticking. After you brown the food, you can soak the food in water. Food will release naturally and you can scrape any stuck on bits. Its not important to have a nonstick coating. I would also argue that the stainless steel lining is better and more durable. It wont degrade and break down like teflon pan. You need to replace those in one or two years. Where as the stainless one will pretty much last forever.

Le Creuset Saucier Pan (Best Overall)

Categories	Le Creuset 3.5 qt Saucier
Performance	Excellent
Country of Manufacturer	Portugal
Oven Safe Temperature	500 Degree Fahrenheit
Compatibility	Gas, Electric, Halogen, Glass Top, Induction
Capacity	3.5 qt
Material	Tri-Ply Stainless and Aluminum
Shape	Le Creuset Saucier has a nice gradient interior. This allows for easy whisking and stirring. The diameter is wide giving you ample room to sear food. This wide rim also means that it has a larger surface area. This helps promotes evaporation and makes it easier to stir food.
Handle	The handle stainless steel and will keep cool to the touch. It is wide with a soft taper, giving it a ergonomic grip. The flat design also means that it wont rotate in your hand when you are pouring. It is also angled slightly to help with the overall balance.
Thoughts	While the metal used is not as responsive as copper, the tri ply design is still a very responsive metal. The reason why its one of the best saucier is because of the shape. The large diameter and interior makes it one of the best saucier. If only it was made with copper…
Reviewed Cookware	Le Creuset SSP6100-24 Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Saucier Pan with Lid and Helper Handle, 3.5-Quart

All Clad Chef Pan

Categories	All Clad 2qt Saucier
Performance	Excellent
Country of Manufacturer	USA
Oven Safe Temperature	600 Degree Fahrenheit
Compatibility	Gas, Electric, Halogen, Glass Top, Induction
Capacity	2 qt
Material	5 Ply Copper Core
Shape	Much like Le Creuset, the interior has a smooth gradual gradient. This makes whisking and stirring a breeze. However, the diameter is not as large which can get annoying sometimes. It feels like a barrier you must overcome.
Handle	Unfortunately, this is where All Clad loses. Their handle is simply not comfortable. Overtime your hand will get fatigued and sore. The good thing about their design is that it helps you maintain a good grip. It also stays cool to the touch.
Thoughts	Because of the thickness and copper used, it is one of the most responsive saucier out there. If you accidentally overheat the sauce all you need to do is turn down the heat. Other chef pan will continue burning and ruin your sauce. If only the handle was better, than it would be one of the best saucier out there.
Reviewed Cookware	All-Clad 6212 SS Copper Core Stainless Steel Saucier Pan Cookware, 2-Quart, Copper

Matfer Bourgeat Chef Pan

Categories	Matfer Bourgeat Saucier
Performance	Excellent
Country of Manufacturer	France
Oven Safe Temperature	Unspecified
Compatibility	Gas, Electric, Halogen, Glass Top, Induction
Capacity	2 3/4 qt
Material	Copper and Stainless Steel
Shape	Matfer Bourgeat Saucier has a soft gradual interior like the others. The only issue is the rim is not as flared. This makes it restrictive when you stir. Instead of a back and forth motion, you will whisk in a circular fashion. While it will work, its not as effective.
Handle	A traditional cast iron handle. It will get screaming hot but its comfortable and offers plenty of leverage. Overall, this is a heavy pan and tough handle like cast iron is necessary.
Thoughts	Matfer Bourgeat saucier uses one of the best metal out there. The copper and stainless steel means you can get the best sear out of all the pans. The only issue is the small rim diameter and the handle. If the rim was larger and flared out, this would be a winning pan. As for the handle, I like the cast iron but I can see how a stainless steel one would be better.
Reviewed Cookware	Matfer Bourgeat COPPER FLARED SAUTE PAN 9 1/2″

Best Chef Pan Thoughts

While there are many factor to consider, you should choose one that best suits your needs. Since I have all of these saucier, I dont really need to be picky. Unfortunately not one of these pans is the best in all category. If you think responsiveness is the most important, go with all clad. If you want straight heat and searing ability, buy matfer bourgeat. For the best balanced model, I would go for the Le Creuset. It has the biggest capacity the handle is comfortable and it strikes the right balanced of responsiveness and heft. If only they have a copper core.

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