While skillets and pans are easily mistaken for one another — and can be used interchangeably in a pinch — the actual cookware items do have their differences.

    On the other hand, heavy enamel cookware remains the first choice for many professional chefs and cooking enthusiasts alike.  Heavy Enamel Cookwares sturdy construction and weight give a sense of durability and reliability, making it ideal for long, slow cooking sessions.  The heavy enamel cookware's thick enamel also helps prevent hot spots and ensures heat is evenly distributed throughout the cookware for perfectly cooked dishes.

A sauté pan’s straight edges and larger surface area make it ideal for tasks like searing meat or reducing pan sauces. A skillet’s sides are slanted. This pan’s slanted edges make it excellent for stir-frying and other quick-cooking methods that require a lot of movement in the pan.

Versatility and Culinary Capabilities:

Size

You want to match the pan to the job to get the best results in the kitchen. Skillets and saute pans are versatile, and they can handle most types of cooking methods. However, it is best to choose the suitable pans for your recipe. Take time to assess whether a saute pan or skillet is the right choice.

Fragile in nature: Non-stick cookware is not made for heavy-duty cooking and requires constant maintenance to avoid scratching and damage. They are not dish-washer friendly and need to be hand-washed gently as being reckless with them may rip off the Teflon coating.

Sauté pans, in contrast, have sides that meet the bottom surface at a right angle. This defined edge leaves the entire bottom of the pan even and flat, making for a much larger surface area. As compared to skillets of the same diameter, a 12-inch sauté pan has 12 inches of usable cooking surface. The sauté pan’s tall sides allow it to hold a greater volume of liquid than a skillet and help prevent spillovers. 

Skillets can be made from different types of material. Stainless steel, aluminum, and cast iron are common options. Some skillets are made from a combination of aluminum and stainless steel. Aluminum pans that have a thin gauge (read: not very thick) aren't the best choice since they are more likely to warp.

Aside from their looks, one of the distinct characteristics of copper pans is the fact that they cool rapidly once removed from the heat. Copper is strong and notoriously conductive, so it makes for long-lasting, high-performance, and incredibly responsive cookware—perfect for jam, caramel, and other delicate sauces, as well as searing and sautéing, as well.

The most common answers are “a skillet” or “a pan” — both of which are correct.