Horses for courses I guess, you pays your money and takes ya chance.
The only other thing I can add, which I feel is quite relevant at least for me anyway, is that with a smaller pan the cooking oil goes further. 1 Chefs spoon of oil in a large pan is barely enough. This also equates to the amount of base used too. You need less to cook the ingredients and should therefore end up with a more desirable curry, if that makes sense.