A pan has one long handle and is shallow, but a pot has tall sides and two loop handles. In order to cook food from all sides, pots are used to simmer or boil liquids that completely cover the food. Cooking techniques like reducing, sauteing, searing, or frying that employ high heat to achieve browning are done in pans. The finest cookware material for heat retention is cast iron. For deep-frying and searing steaks, these highly sturdy pans retain heat quite well. If properly cleaned and maintained, cast iron can be used for many generations. These pans are favored in commercial kitchens because they are made for high-performance cooking and are incredibly efficient and durable.
