A saucier has rounded edges, eliminating
corners where food can burn. This saucier
is available at Amazon.com.

A griddle is not a grill, a saucepan is not a saucier and a skillet is not a sauté pan. You need the right equipment to do the best job; that’s why the variations were developed.

• Griddle vs. Grill: A griddle is a heavy, flat cooking utensil. A grill is an open web on which foods are placed to directly expose them to fire.
• Saucepan vs. Saucier: A saucepan has straight sides and is used for basic heating and boiling. A saucier (photo at left) is rounded and bowl-shaped, ideal for the preparation of sauces, custards, risotto and creamy foods. Unlike the saucepan, there are no corners in which food can hide and burn; and the wider mouth is better for whisking.

• Skillet vs. Sauté Pan: A skillet has low, sloped sides that help with evaporation and steam dissipation. It is used for browning and/or caramelizing, and for reducing sauces. The sloped sides make it easy to flip food and slide it out of the pan. A sauté pan has straight sides and a lid. It is used for braising and pan frying; the high sides reduce splatters and keep in the moist heat.

Now that you know the difference, put the equipment you need on your wish list to make cooking more efficient.