What Pans Do Chefs Use?

Equipment and skill go hand in hand, both being essential to becoming an expert in your field. Just as stethoscopes are a trademark for doctors, pans and pots are for chefs.

Who are the chefs?

Professional chefs are the people who know how to cook and have gone through proper education and training. There are different levels of position for professional chefs starting from the introductory level up until the executive level or the experts.

These chefs have various choices regarding their workplaces and clientele. They can work in a restaurant, a hotel, a cruise ship, a palace, or anything that you can think of.

LEVEL OR POSITION	ROLES
Chef de Partie is also known as Station Chefs	● Stays and runs a specific station they are assigned to ● that is solely based on their specialty all of which is instructed by their superiors
Sous Chef	● Higher role than Station Chefs ● Direct Supervisor ● Fills in the role of a head chef when not available
Chef de Cuisine	● Higher role than Sous Chef ● Daily runs the kitchen ● Managerial Level. Hence, manager duties ● Supervise the staff and/or juniors ● Works hand-in-hand with a manager ● Tasked to invent new recipes and menu
Executive Chef	● Higher role than Chef de Cuisine ● Main Chef ● Supervisor Level ● Manages the entire kitchen according to costing, business, and operations ● Manage multiple kitchens and/or location ● Expertise proven by years of experience

What pans do chefs use?

Professionals have their own equipment that makes them different from ordinary people. They are knowledgeable about what they do aside from the fact that they have gone through studies.

A cook is very much different from a chef. They know when and how to use each cooking tool they have. Moreover, they are even knowledgeable about the correct terms. Thus, you can say that they are experts in their fields.

But, have you ever wondered what pans do chefs use? Like, how are they called? When should you use this and that? You may be in awe every time you watch a cooking show because there are some cooking terms you are not familiar with.

Read through below as we learn about what pans do chefs use, which can be beneficial for you in the future when circumstances require:

Saucepans

Professional chefs use a saucepan when they make dishes like stews, soups, curries, pasta, or any dish that requires to be cooked for more than one person serving. It is more than its name. Thus, it is not limited to sauce preparations. This is because it is pretty big and handles vast amounts of food and liquid. This is also possible because of its circular base and high sides.

Since it is meant to carry a massive amount of food and liquid, it has a long handle making it comfortable when being held.

The deepness of the saucepan also allows you to simmer and boil liquids and make a stew. It comes in many sizes and varieties of materials. When you ask the professional chefs what material they prefer when it comes to saucepan, they would say stainless steel, copper, or carbon steel saucepans are the holy grail.

Frying Pans

Another cooking pan professional chefs often use is the frying pan. These pans have slightly raised and angled sides with a broad flat base surface perfect for frying a significant quantity of food.

A frying pan is frequently used to prepare omelets, ham, eggs, stir-fries, and other batter-fried recipes.

Of course, experts have favoritism regarding materials used in making a frying pan. Professional chefs prefer to use frying pans made out of carbon steel and aluminum because it is lightweight, thus helping them to flip the food easily even without using any spatula. These two materials are also famous for frying pans as they make them resilient, durable, and long-lasting.

Some professional chefs opt to use a cast iron frying pan despite it being heavy simply because it is a good heat conductor and evenly spreads out the heat cooking the food uniformly.

However, if you intend to fry a considerable quantity of food, it is best to use a skillet frying pan instead. These are pretty heavier and thicker than most frying pans, but they allow you to cook your food evenly.

Non-stick Pans

Though nonstick pans are common to most households, that is the opposite of the restaurant kitchen. Professional chefs rarely use nonstick pans due to their sensitivity. It cannot handle high heat temperature and, at the same time, is only limited to non-metallic utensils. Moreover, it is high maintenance as you need to take care of it to maintain the nonstick property properly.

Skillet

A skillet is a good frying pan that can accommodate a significant volume or amount of food perfect for big servings. Though it is a bit thick and heavy and relatively high maintenance, it requires to be seasoned from time to time.

Sauté Pan

A saute pan is used to keep moving the food around the surface of the pan while you cook, and it does not require a lot of oil. It is pretty deep compared to most frying, which is best to stir and mix all the ingredients properly.

Saucepan

A saucepan is versatile and often used to make dishes with sauce from the name itself.

Brazier Pans

A brazier is not common in most households but often seen in commercial kitchens. However, it is an excellent investment to have one at your home as it is frequently used to simmer food. It is a cookware that comes with a lid and a flat bottom surface. Moreover, it is versatile cookware as you can also use it for braising, roasting, slow cooking, and even sauteing.

Griddle Pans

A griddle pan has a nonstick surface, making it a good alternative to other frying pans with chemical coatings. Unlike most common pans, this comes in a square shape with a handle. It is also versatile as you can cook your breakfast food using this, but more than that, it can also handle high heat temperatures.

Wok

Unlike a typical frying pan, a wok is shaped like a bowl, with sloped interior sides and a round bottom surface. You will frequently see this type of pan in Chinese restaurants and other Asian restaurants. Thus, it is common to most Asian households to have one as it makes it easier to stir fry the ingredients, and it is also lightweight allowing you to carry it on air and flip the elements.

5 World-class and Famous Chefs

If there are famous actors and actresses in the film industry, professional chefs are also renowned in their chosen industry. Some even have a cooking reality show which most people and aspiring chefs enjoy watching.

Though there are a lot of well-known professional Chefs, we will be naming a few. Below is the list of world-class and famous chefs that might be familiar to you and in no particular order:

Gordon Ramsay

For starters, Gordon Ramsay is one of the most famous chefs globally and is a Michelin Star Chef. His cooking reality show “Hell’s Kitchen” is well-known, and most aspiring chefs would dream of being part of it.

Wolfgang Puck

Wolfgang Puck is not only a restaurateur chef but is also an actor. He owns more than 30 restaurants. He was commissioned to cater for the wedding of Kim Kardashian and Chris Humphries, thus proving that he really is famous and good at what he does.

Jamie Oliver

Whatever cookware Jamie Oliver sees, even if it somehow looks rustic and something that would break easily, due to hard work and expertise, he now has his own cookware line that Tefal manufactures.

He is a multitalented and warm-hearted chef who advocates for disadvantaged youth and, at the same time, has published about 26 cookbooks. He is the famous author of the 30-minute meals cookbook, a record-breaker.

Marco Pierre White

Marco Pierre White is a celebrity chef known to be the youngest Chef awarded three Michelin Stars.

Heston Blumenthal

Another world-famous chef to introduce is Chef Heston Blumenthal, well-known for his signature black frames. He is also a multi-awarded Chef with awards from honorary degrees in reading, London, Bristol Universities. Moreover, he is well known to be a chef who likes to use scientific methods for cooking.

Highly Recommended Brands of the Pans Famous Chefs and Most Professionals Use

Professional chefs list their trusted brands when it comes to the tools they use in cooking. Even though they are skilled and are already great at what they do, they still need some cookware that they can rely on when preparing food to serve on their customers’ tables.

Take a look at the table below on which brands of cookware these professional chefs highly recommend:

Name of the Chef	Trusted Cookware Brands	Why
Alton Brown	● All-Clad ● Calphalon ● Lodge ● Viking	● Heavy-duty ● Solid Build, ● Nonstick Surface ● Easy-To-Use
Ayesha Curry	● Ayesha Curry Cookware	● Versatile Colors ● Stylish Design ● Provides Easy Release ● Heat-Resistant
Buddy Valastro	● Cake Boss Bakeware	● Wear-Resistant ● Provides Beautiful Browning ● Long-Lasting
Gordon Ramsay	● Scanpan	● Distributes Heat Evenly ● Nonstick Surface
Gus Silivos	● All-clad	● Distributes heat evenly ● Lightweight ● Easy-To-Use
Heston Blumenthal	● Staub	● Highly Durable ● Keeps Flavor Intact
Irve Miller	● Lodge	● Good Heat Conductor ● Lightweight
Jamie Oliver	● T-Fal Jamie Oliver Series	● Durable
Justin Woodward	● Lodge	● Lightweight ● Versatile
Marcus Wareing	● Le Creuset	● Easy to clean ● Good heat conductor
Nigella Lawson	● Le Creuset	● Good heat conductor ● Easy-to-clean
Rachel Ray	● Rachel Ray Cookware	● Resistant to heat ● Safe to use with oven ● Multiple variations in color

Summary

Having learned about the pans that professional chefs use, if you love cooking and want to emulate them, don’t hesitate to invest in their recommended tools, even if you’re just cooking for loved ones. It does not harm when you invest material things when it comes to your hobbies. You will never know when you might be using it when you finally decide to run a business.