Tool: Frying Pans

The sloping-sided pans that most chefs would call sauté pans (sauteuse in French) and most home cooks would call skillets have become a common fixture in the kitchens of Asia. In the Western kitchen, they can be cross-utilized to stir-fry with excellent results. A large surface area makes for maximum food contact, and shallow sides allow excess moisture to evaporate. The main factor that will change when switching from a wok to sauté pan is the amount of oil needed: due to the wide, flat bottom, more oil is needed to achieve similar results.