Matfer Bourgeat Saute Pan is a very interesting piece. The design and structure of the pan seems to different from the rest of their copper cookware line up. Some key thing that stands out would be the thickness, interior finishing and the handle. It is because of these changes that makes me wonder if this is one of Bourgeat older pan. The Newer Pan sold on amazon certainty looks different than what I have. This review will take a closer look at how these changes affect the performance and ergonomic of the pan.

Who is Matfer Bourgeat

Matfer Bourgeat is a french cookware manufacturer that caters their cookware to Kitchen Professional. It wasnt until America Test Kitchen reviewed their Carbon Steel Frying pan until they became more mainstream. But even then, you can only find their cookware line in a few places. Luckily, a good portion of their cookware can be found at Amazon.com.
What most people dont know is that Matfer and Bourgeat use to be two seperate company until they merged together. You can identify Matfer older pan by the chef hat logo. It is unfortunate that they got rid of the logo, as it was absolutely perfect for the pan. Today, their pan just has the Bourgeat circle stamped onto the bottom of the pan.

Matfer Bourgeat Saute Pan Design

Handle

The handle on this saute pan is truly unique. Not just for Matfer Bourgeat but for all the french cookware line. Instead of a nice fat round cast iron handle, this saute pan has a slim and almost sharp handle. It is more flat and less rounded on the bottom which lets you get a better pinch grip with your thumb and index finger. Because of its slim design, the sides almost feel sharp, but in no way will it cut your hand.

I actually like the way this is designed, because the chance of it rotating in your hand is decreased. A nice round handle, while comfortable, will often rotate when turn the pan to pour. The downside to this is that the handle will get hot really fast. It should not be issue if you plan on wearing a glove or towel.

The base of the handle is also interesting, it looks like a crest then your standard round base.

Shape

There is nothing too special about the shape, it looks like your standard saute pan that all manufacturer seems to make. I am pretty sure that it was just stamped out by a hydraulic press for easy mass production. The lip is rolled so that liquid can be poured easily. What is interesting is the lip. The lip seems to taper downward from the side. Most manufacturer has no taper at all. The taper that they added should actually increase the cost unless it was just a mistake.

Matfer Bourgeat Copper Thickness

Most of Matfer Bourgeat larger copper cookware is made with a 2.5 mm thick bi metal copper and stainless configuration. This is not one of those cases. Using my micrometer, I found that the sidewall thickness of the pan to be 2.2-2.3 mm. This is quite a disappointment as I was expecting a thickness of 2.5 mm. What is even worse is the thickness of the stainless steel lining. It looks to be a lot thicker than .2 mm. Since I cant measure it with a micrometer, I am guess that it is around .5 mm thick. This is in stark contrast with Falk’s 2.5 mm thick pan with a stainless steel lining of only .2 mm.

Exterior and Interior Finishing

The exterior is a standard mirror polish copper finish. Overtime, patina will form on the pan and it will darken and lose its luster. Based on my experience, the patina actually helps promote heat transfer. A shiny pan actually reflects heat away and inhibits the transfer of heat.
The interior is the really interesting bit, most of Matfer Bourgeat Copper Cookware has a shiny polished interior. This one is your traditional lining. It has circles around it, making me assume that it was done on a lathe. While I do not really have a preference over the other, I have my reservation about the effectiveness of a shiny polished interior. Overtime that will dull and any perceived performance will diminish.

One thing that I should note is that some people have complained that there is a raised lump in the center due to the stamp on the bottom. This pan does not have that issue, I assume it is because the lathe have essentially cut it out. In a smooth polished finish, it is easier to see the imperfection on the pan.

Fit and Finish

Fit and Finish is excellent on this pan. There are no weird marks or nick. All the burrs are gone and it was finished beautifully. It is a beautifully made pan.

Matfer Bourgeat Saute Pan Specs

Note:These measurement are done by me with the tools that I have on hand. The manufacturers have their own measurement guidelines and that should be assumed to be accurate. What I find on this review can vary widely due to several factors, such as ambient temperature, location, water, tool calibration, stove btu, etc..and should only be considered as my opinion.
Weight: 1851 g
Rim Width:Around 10.2 inch
Base Cooking Diameter: Around 8.8 inch
Height: Around 2.55 inch
Thickness: 2.2-2.3 mm

The weight is very interesting. If you compare this to Falks saute pan, this is 629 g lighter. Which is a considerable amount. I would not be the least bit surprised if this pan heat up a lot quicker than Falk’s pan. The actual cooking area is a lot better falk, almost one inch in difference. I am not sure if that makes up for the lost thickness though. The height is almost half an inch shorter as well.

Matfer Bourgeat Saute Pan Thoughts

This pan looks like it was designed to be lightweight more than anything else. For this reason, I call this pan the Ferrari of saute pan. Its thin handle and copper thickness makes it look like the weight reduction was done intentionally. The short side wall also makes it look like it has a lower center of gravity like a Ferrari. While I personally like the design of it, I can see the draw back of it.

Heavier pans, are great for searing because it can store a lot of heat. When you drop cold food into the pan, the likihood of it steaming is greatly reduced. The trade off to this is the heat responsiveness. Since this is a thinner pan, I suspect that it can handle changes in heat fluctuation a lot better than falk. Although I am not sure how the thickness stainless steel lining will affect this.

While I cant say for certain, I am pretty sure this is one of matfer bourgeat older design. The newer design can be bought at amazon for a relatively reasonable price.

I hope you found this review on Matfer Bourgeat Saute Pan to be informative, If you would like to see more, please visit our Pots and Pans Review page.