Sauteing and Cooking Pans

by Gautam Sarin
(Hoboken, NJ)

I watched your sauteing videos and you suggest adding cold liquid to the hot pan to make a sauce/glaze etc. I have a stainless steel saute pan from Le Creuset and they suggest never to add cold liquid to a hot pan as it will damage the surface. Your thoughts?


Chef Todd says:
This is a great question that I'm sure others have encountered. My initial thoughts are that this sounds like a corporate "CYA" thing, but it is also correct to a degree. Over time, this saute method will warp a pan. An aluminum pan will warp much more rapidly than will a heavy stainless still one (which is what I believe you are describing). However, the only way to lift fond from the pan (in this saute method) is to reduce the temperature quickly. So - you make a choice, good cooking over pan preservation. However, I believe the negative impact to your pan will be minimal and pans are not meant to last forever. Also, there are other ways to make sauces - this is just one way. Check out the Sassy Sauces tab to the left for more information on sauces.