How to Keep Food from Burning in Thin Sauté Pans

Published on Wednesday, March 4, 2009, by CHOW Video Team / Edit Post

How to Keep Food from Burning in Thin Sauté Pans

CHOW Associate Editor Roxanne Webber has learned to avoid burning simmering sauces in a thin-bottomed pan by using a second pan to diffuse the heat.

CHOW Tips are the shared wisdom of our community. If you’ve figured out some piece of food, drink, or cooking wisdom that you’d like to share on video (and you can be in San Francisco), email Meredith Arthur and tell us what you’ve got in mind.

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POST A COMMENT |9 Comments

COMMENT

  • I also forgot to add that if you have an issue like this often you may want to pick up a dedicated cast iron diffuser. The simmer feature on some ranges can be slightly problematic and burn hotter than desired.
    Here's an example. :)

    http://www.amazon.com/Ilsa-Cast-8-25-Inch-Diffuser-Reducer/dp/B0007T25ZC

  • If you are going to use another pan to diffuse (which I would never do) then you might want to opt for a cast iron pan instead of another thin pan that may be damaged from using it with essentially nothing in it. Especially for long periods of time like a reduction.

  • I tried it and the bottom pan got burnt but the food in the top one never got hot.

  • Well, it's a backhand compliment, but I'll still take it.

    Meredith

  • Most of these Chow Tips are totally lame but this one was not.

  • I've cooked in other people's kitchens/communal spaces before and I wish I had known about this tip-- that's where it can really come in handy. Nothing's worse than burning thin pans and having to soak and scrub them.

    Meredith of CHOW

  • the tip makes sense though. i've seen the same idea used for baking sheets (use two stacked to diffuse heat) and thought it was a good tip too.

  • Seriously. If you can't buy one new, you can usually find decent pans at garage sales, thrift stores, etc.

  • if you have enough money for 2 saute pans..... BUY ONE GOOD ONE!