The best sauté pans tried and tested

A good sauté pan earns its place on the hob. With higher sides than a frying pan and a wide base for even heat, it’s useful for everything from softening vegetables to searing meat and finishing dishes in the oven. Many also come with lids and work across all hob types, including induction, making them a flexible everyday pan.

To find the best options, our experts tested a range of sauté pans, looking at heat distribution, durability, ease of use and how well they handled common kitchen tasks. The HexClad 4.3 Litre Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan with Lid came out as our top star buy, but we’ve also included several other tried-and-tested picks worth considering.

Best sauté pans at a glance

• Best sauté pan for durability: HexClad 4.3 Litre Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan with Lid, £179
• Best budget friendly sauté pan: ProCook Professional Sauté Pan & Lid, £60
• Best compact sauté pan: M&S x Tom Kerridge Stainless Steel 24cm Sauté Pan, from £30
• Best sauté pan for induction hobs: ProCook Elite Tri-Ply Sauté Pan & Lid Uncoated, £85
• Best investment sauté pan: Le Creuset toughened non-stick sauté pan, £209
• Best non-stick sauté pan: Circulon Infinite Total non-stick sauté pan, £134.99
• Best looking sauté pan: Made In CeramiClad Non Stick Sauté Pan, £159
• Best spun iron sauté pan: Netherton Foundry sauté pan, £125.10

How we tested sauté pans

To see how well each sauté pan handled everyday cooking, we began with a simple but revealing test: gently sautéing a finely chopped onion in three tablespoons of vegetable oil. This allowed us to assess how evenly the pans heated, how responsive they were to temperature changes and how well their surfaces prevented sticking.

We then cooked a soffritto of finely chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic in olive oil, before adding 500g minced beef and crisping smoked bacon or pancetta, following the early stages of our classic bolognese recipe. This more demanding test showed how effectively each pan browned meat, retained heat and handled a larger volume of ingredients without crowding. This helped us assess how well each pan managed deeper ingredients, simmering liquids and steady heat. To test how the pans performed with longer cooking and saucier dishes, we also used them to begin a easy lamb tagine recipe, browning lamb and cooking the base of onions, garlic and spices before adding tomatoes, chickpeas and dried apricots. During cooking we also paid attention to splash control from the sides, how comfortable the pans felt to handle and how easy they were to clean afterwards.

Each pan was scored against the following criteria:

• Build quality: How sturdy and well made the pan felt, including the materials used and the overall finish
• Weight and handling: How balanced and manageable the pan felt during cooking, including handle comfort when lifting or stirring
• Cooking performance: How evenly the pan heated, how well it retained heat and how effectively it sautéed vegetables and browned meat
• Non-stick performance: Whether ingredients released easily from the surface and how well the pan resisted sticking during cooking
• Design and capacity: The depth and shape of the sides, protection from splash-back and how much food the pan could comfortably hold
• Ease of cleaning and added features: How easy the pan was to wash after cooking, along with useful extras such as lids, oven or dishwasher compatibility and practical design details like pouring spouts or measurement markings.

Best sauté pans to buy in 2026

HexClad 4.3 Litre Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan with Lid

Available from Hexclad (£179)

Best sauté pan for durability

Pros:

• Excellent non-stick
• Lifetime warranty
• Large cooking area
• Metal utensils-safe
• Oven proof up to 482C/900F
• Easy to clean
• Glass lid
• Deep and spacious

Cons:

• Packaging is gift-worthy, though excessive.

Star rating: 5/5

Cooking with the HexClad is a satisfying experience, producing a gentle but steady sizzle that softened and caramelised chopped onions quickly without spitting, while sauces reduced smoothly without sticking. The high, straight sides help keep ingredients contained when stirring and make it easy to toss food without overspill, while still giving full access to the generous 24.5cm cooking surface. The etched hexagon-patterned ceramic coating across the base and interior not only looks distinctive but also performed well in our tests, releasing food cleanly even when cooking minced beef and bacon for bolognese. It’s also marketed as safe for metal utensils and the dishwasher, though in practice we found it so easy to wash by hand that the dishwasher wasn’t necessary.

The tri-ply construction of stainless steel, aluminium and ceramic heats quickly and distributes heat evenly across the pan, meaning we were able to sauté and brown ingredients effectively on a medium hob setting. It’s oven-safe up to 480C (or 200C with the glass lid) and the deep 4.3 litre capacity makes it a versatile option for everything from frying eggs to cooking large batches of ragu or other family meals. On test, it delivered even browning and reliable heat retention and the high sides made stirring and reducing sauces particularly easy. It is a premium-priced pan, but its generous size, strong non-stick performance and oven-to-hob versatility make it a compelling choice if you want one pan that can handle a wide range of everyday cooking tasks.

Available from:

• Hexclad (£179)

ProCook Professional Sauté Pan & Lid

Available from ProCook (£60)

Best budget-friendly sauté pan

Pros:

• Solid construction
• Extra thick base
• Toughened glass lid
• Versatile size
• Measurement marks
• 25-year guarantee
• Dishwasher safe
• B Corp company

Cons:

• Very heavy
• Needs a large oven

Star rating: 5/5

With its extra-thick base and uncoated stainless steel construction, this ProCook handled every stage of cooking with confidence. It softened onions gently without scorching, reduced sauces steadily without catching and produced a good sear on meat, giving caramelised edges while keeping the centre tender. It also coped well with a long, slow-cooked tagine, maintaining an even simmer over three hours without sticking. The toughened glass lid stayed clear throughout cooking, making it easy to monitor progress without lifting it and the pan washed up easily by hand despite the stainless steel finish.

The 28cm diameter, deep straight sides and 4.2-litre capacity make it a practical size for everything from everyday sautéing to batch cooking larger dishes. At 2.8kg it’s one of the heaviest pans on test, so the helper handle is genuinely useful when lifting or transferring it to the oven. Measurement marks inside the pan are a helpful extra when cooking sauces or grains and the durable construction is backed by a 25-year guarantee. If you want the robust performance of a stainless steel sauté pan without paying premium brand prices, this ProCook is a strong contender.

Available from:

• ProCook (£60)

M&S x Tom Kerridge Stainless Steel 24cm Sauté Pan

Available from Marks and Spencer (from £30)

Best compact sauté pan

Pros:

• Deep fill
• Good value
• Minimal packaging
• Lightweight
• Effective non-stick
• Thick copper base
• Polished design

Cons:

• Small frying area
• Not dishwasher-safe

Star rating: 5/5

The high-shine finish of this pan gives it a professional kitchen look, though its polished surface means you may find yourself being a little careful with it, particularly as it isn’t dishwasher-safe. The 8cm depth makes it well suited to dishes with plenty of ingredients or liquid, such as a vegetable-packed stir-fry or a brothy ramen, while the base comfortably handled a couple of eggs during testing. The non-stick coating performed well, releasing food easily and allowing sauces to reduce without catching. The lid fits snugly, helping retain moisture when simmering, and the pan is oven-safe up to 240C.

Despite the deep sides, the pan is lightweight and easy to manoeuvre with one hand, making it comfortable to use for everyday cooking. The thick copper base helps the pan heat quickly and maintain a steady temperature, while the compact footprint makes it particularly practical for smaller kitchens. The frying surface is slightly smaller than some others in the guide, which may limit batch cooking, but for solo cooks or smaller households it offers a versatile, well-priced option that performs reliably across a range of everyday dishes.

Available from:

• Marks and Spencer (from £30)

ProCook Elite Tri-Ply Uncoated Sauté Pan & Lid

Available from ProCook (£68)

Best sauté pan for induction hobs

Pros:

• Glass lid
• Measurement marks
• Excellent non-stick
• 25-year guarantee
• Oven-safe
• Dishwasher-safe
• B-Corp Organisation

Cons:

• Heavy
• Lid steams up

Star rating: 5/5

With its brushed, magnetised stainless steel exterior and super-shiny uncoated interior, the ProCook Elite Tri-Ply has the look and feel of a professional kitchen pan. It sits solidly on the hob and the long handle stayed cool during cooking, while the glass lid helps trap steam when simmering. The lid does fog slightly, but it still offers a useful way to check progress without lifting it and the raised handle makes it easy to remove safely.

In testing it handled a range of cooking tasks confidently, from searing meat to gently softening onions and simmering sauces. The tri-ply construction distributes heat evenly across the base, helping ingredients brown consistently and reducing the risk of hot spots. The generous 4.2-litre capacity and wide cooking surface make it suitable for batch cooking, and the interior measurement marks are a practical addition when preparing sauces or grains. At 2.8kg it’s too heavy to manoeuvre comfortably with one hand, so the helper handle is useful when lifting. While it works on all hob types, the magnetised stainless steel base responds particularly well on induction, heating quickly and maintaining steady temperatures.

Available from:

• ProCook (£68)

Le Creuset toughened non-stick sauté pan

Available from Le Creuset (£209)

Best investment sauté pan

Pros:

• Lifetime guarantee
• Excellent non-stick performance
• Distributes heat evenly

Cons:

• Most expensive on test

Star rating: 5/5

The deep, straight-sided Le Creuset sauté pan is hailed as one of their toughest non-stick pans ever, it’s dishwasher-safe and you can carefully use metal tools with it, too.

You won’t need the dishwasher though – the non-stick is so super-smooth that even after cooking a sauce for a few hours, it only needed a light hand-wash. The handle is super-comfy and tightly riveted on, and even with a sauce in, the pan didn’t feel too heavy.

The heat distribution was exemplary, with the onions soft and translucent in under 10 minutes on a medium heat. Lowering the heat and cooking even longer created lovely, slightly golden onions, likewise with a soffritto, and the mince browned evenly in just eight minutes.

With the silky surface, the food hardly needed any stirring during cooking – a shake was enough, and even then, the contents of the pan flew around.

The lid fits exceptionally well on the pan, with very little steam escaping and our bolognese gently cooked away for a couple of hours, resulting in a beautifully thick, slightly dark and rich tasting sauce with no drying out at all.

The Le Creuset may be an expensive pan, but given that it also comes with a lifetime guarantee, it’s a worthwhile investment.

Available from:

• Le Creuset (£209)

Circulon Infinite Total non-stick sauté pan

Available from Circulon (£134.99)

Best non-stick sauté pan

Pros:

• Professional looking
• Ultra non-stick

Cons:

• Lid makes the pan heavy

Star rating: 5/5

The Circulon is a very good-looking pan, from its long, curved handle to its smooth satin-grey finish and ultra non-stick finish. There are clever, little grooves in the bottom of the pan to protect from scratching into the surface, which means, according to Circulon, you can use metal tools during cooking.

The non-stick finish worked very well; if you ever fancied flicking food in the air like a celebrity chef, this is the pan to practice with. Equally, as nothing sticks, washing-up was quick, easy and required just a little hot water and soap. If that’s too much, it’s dishwasher-proof, too.

The pan heats scarily fast, so we found it best to start low and work our way up. For its 24cm diameter, this is a slightly heavy pan when the stainless-steel lid is on, but there’s the sturdy grab handle makes carrying it easy.

With the lid on and the sauce simmering on a very low heat, our bolognese was one of the best on test; the meat meltingly soft and the sauce rich and thick.

Made In CeramiClad Non Stick Sauté Pan

Available from Made In (£159)

Best looking sauté pan

Pros:

• Stylish design
• Non-stick ceramic coating
• Lightweight
• Matching items available
• Oven safe up to 260C
• Limited lifetime warranty

Cons:

• Hand-wash only
• Needs careful storage
• Less suited to searing

Star rating: 4.5/5

The award for the most stylish pan on test goes to Made In. With its brushed stainless steel exterior and milky white ceramic interior, it stands out visually from the rest of the lineup and has the polished look of professional cookware. It’s not just attractive, though. The pan is lightweight and well balanced and the grooved handle makes it comfortable to hold and manoeuvre on the hob.

The smooth ceramic interior performed well in our tests, releasing food easily with very little oil and allowing onions and sauces to cook without sticking. The deep sides help keep ingredients contained when stirring, while the well-fitting lid traps steam when simmering. The pan’s gentler heat profile made it particularly good for softer cooking tasks such as slowly softening onions or slow-cooking a tagine. It was less effective for high-heat searing, producing less caramelisation on meat even when the temperature was increased, so it’s not the best choice if you regularly cook steak. For everyday sautéing, sauces and slower cooking, however, it’s a lightweight and elegant pan that performs reliably.

Available from:

• Made In (£159)

Netherton Foundry sauté pan

Available from Netherton (£125.10)

Best spun iron sauté pan

Pros:

• Handmade design
• Good longevity

Cons:

• The oak must be removed before using in an oven
• Re-seasoning required from time to time

Star rating: 4.5/5

The shallow, 25cm Netherton sauté pan is handmade in Shropshire using spun iron, resulting in a deep, dark chocolate brown finish. The handle has a smooth British oak grip, with brass fittings which are lovely to hold but must be removed before the pan can go anywhere near the oven.

To create a non-stick surface, the pan comes pre-seasoned (heated to a high temperature with a light coating of Sussex flax oil), which means no chemicals or PTFE, and makes it very easy to wash. Netherton recommend re-doing this from time to time.

We found the pan a little shallow to make a full bolognese sauce, so we cut the recipe to two-thirds. The pan heated up exceptionally fast and evenly.

Chopped onions and vegetables cooked quickly, and browning bacon and mince heralded the best results in our test, thanks to the great heat retention and spread. Our finished sauce was thick and rich thanks, in part, to the vent hole in the lid.

Though the pan requires a little extra work, your reward is a beautiful utensil which, with care, will last you a lifetime.

Available from:

• Netherton Foundry (£125.10)

Good Food in partnership with Tower TriPly 28cm multi-pan with lid

Available from Tower (£59.99)

The Good Food 28cm Tri-Ply multi-pan, created in partnership with Tower, is a versatile kitchen essential. Its three-layer bonded base ensures fast, even heating, while the superior ceramic non-stick coating offers effortless food release with minimal oil.

Designed for convenience, it features an extra helper handle, built-in pouring lips and a tempered glass lid with dual-sized straining holes. It’s suitable for all hob types, including induction, and is oven safe up to 220C, this Tried, Tested and Trusted pan provides top performance for everyday cooking.

Available from:

• Tower (£59.99)

Good Food in partnership with Tower Hard Anodised 25cm Multi-Pan with Lid

Available from Amazon (£52.99), Tower (£84.99) – save 30% with code GOODFOOD30

This versatile 28cm multi-pan is built for everyday family cooking. Made from tough hard anodised aluminium with a ceramic non-stick coating, it heats evenly, releases food easily and needs little to no oil. The tempered glass lid, pouring lips and helper handle make serving simple, while it’s oven and induction hob safe too.

Available from:

• Amazon (£52.99)
• Tower (£84.99) – save 30% with code GOODFOOD30

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