Ah! A little physics lesson, Father Steve! In the link you provided, there is mention of the necessity of saute pans having very straight sides so the oil and ingredients immediately fall back onto the bottom rather than landing on the sides.
While reading the requirements there for a good saute pan, I thought, "Hmmm. Why not invent a saute pan with sides that slight slant inward toward the center--ever so slightly--that would further guarantee that food bits and pieces would have no chance of fighting gravity?" Understand? Slight angle inward--maybe one degree.
But then I wondered, "Well, if the angle outward isn't wanted in such a pan, perhaps even a one degree angle inward would produce the same, undesired effect."
Oh, well. It was a thought.
Is anyone else here somewhat disappointed that the etymology of 'skillet' isn't more interesting?
