A sauce pan will cook things requiring a deeper pan, like a few potatoes for 2 people, or pasta for 1, or my caramel sauce that doesn't make a lot but boils over easily.
Most times a skillet does me for a saucier.
Linda C

I have both. It is true that it is easier to use a whisk in the sauteuse, however the difference is not that big. On the other hand, for a given volume, a sautuese is considerably bigger than a saucepan. Also, the saucepan heats things up a bit faster than the sauteuse.

I don't really experience that there's much practical difference between the two styles, except that the sautuese is a bigger pan to wash.

If you were to get just one pan, I think you would be happier with a saucepan.

(A serious chef might have a different take on this, though.)

I have a sautuese from Williams Sonama -- Calphalon non-stick. I love it.

Made Kung Pao chicken last night and eggplant parm tonight.

My only complaint is that the far edges of the pan don't seem to get as hot as the middle.