The Best Saucepans for Your Stove

You need good pans to cook good food. Otherwise, you'll be dealing with one problem after another. Uneven temperatures, sticking food, burnt sauces, and other tragedies can all be caused by poor quality saucepans. To help make cooking (and clean up) a breeze, make sure you have a great saucepan or two in your kitchen. For best results, you want one with a heavy bottom. This will help prevent hot spots that can ruin your dish. Your saucepans should also have a tight-fitting lid so that you can create steam and heat your food faster. If you're in need of a good quality saucepan, here are a few of our favorites, each of which is sure to help you cook delicious food consistently.

Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel Saucepan

Steady as She Cooks

This thick stainless steel beauty will easily become your go-to saucepan. You'll be able to cook perfect food every time.
Best Overall

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You’ll enjoy cooking in this stainless steel saucepan. It’s made from quality materials that will last you for years. The 18/10 stainless steel is thick and provides even heat distribution. You won’t struggle with hot spots leading to burnt food when you use this pan.

What’s more, the lid fits snugly so you can seal in moisture. Your meals will be so flavorful when they’re ready. If you need to pour out of the pan, you can do so without drips since the rim has a slight taper. And whether you’re cooking, pouring, or serving, you’ll appreciate the cool-grip handle. It won’t get hot, so you can easily grab it and move the pan around. You’ll be reaching for this great saucepan a lot.

Pros

  • Durable stainless steel construction that doesn’t react with food
  • Comfortable thumb-rest on the handle so you won’t struggle to lift or hold the pan
  • Pure aluminum core that helps keep the heat evenly distributed and retains heat to keep your food hot for a bit after you shut off the burner
  • Can go in the oven up to 550 degrees, so you can use this pan for a variety of dishes

Cons

  • There are two rivets inside the pan (by the handle) that can get food built-up on them. Make sure you pay attention to those as you wash this saucepan.

Utopia Kitchen Nonstick Saucepan

Bye-Bye, Stuck-On Food

You don't have to waste any more time scraping stuck-on food out of your saucepans if you use this awesome nonstick option.
Best Nonstick

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Do you hate scraping stuck food out of your saucepans? If so, it’s time for nonstick saucepans to come to the rescue, and this one in particular is a great option. It touts a 2-quart capacity, so you can cook quite a bit of food at once. And thanks to the multi-layered nonstick coating inside, whatever you cook will come out cleanly. This nonstick coating is PFOA-, lead-, and cadmium-free, so you can feel more confident using it to cook food for your family.

In addition, this nonstick saucepan is durable. The finish is scratch-resistant, so it’ll hold up to more use. As you’re cooking, the aluminum alloy of the pan helps to distribute the heat. You’ll find this saucepan easy to use and easy to clean.

Pros

  • Snug-fitting glass lid so you can see what’s going on inside without removing it
  • Cool-grip handle that’s comfortable to hang onto
  • Double coated nonstick surface to help keep your food from sticking to the pan

Cons

  • You need to use special care with nonstick pans by cooking them on lower heat and not using metal utensils. Otherwise, they’ll scratch easily

MICHELANGELO Saucepan Set

Two Are Better Than One

You'll be able to cook on two burners at once with this set of two copper saucepans.
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Do you need a couple of saucepans in your kitchen? With this set, you’ll get two. One is 1-quart and the other is 2-quart, so you’ll have the sizes you need for your daily cooking. With a copper nonstick surface inside, you won’t have to worry about your food sticking. This feature also means you can use less oil or butter when you cook, so you can make even healthier meals.

These saucepans are designed to cook food evenly. The aluminum alloy of the pan conducts heat rapidly so that they get up to temperature without much of a wait. Then, the material maintains a consistent temperature all over, so you don’t have any annoying hot spots to deal with. As you’re cooking, you can peek inside thanks to the glass lids. When you’re done eating your meal, these pans will be a breeze to clean. The food can be wiped out easily, and you can either wash them by hand or put them in the dishwasher.

Pros

  • Set of two saucepans (1-quart and 2-quart) that’s perfect for all your daily cooking needs
  • Beautiful copper nonstick interior that’ll look great in your kitchen
  • Oven safe up to 450 degrees so you can start food on the stove-top and finish it in the oven
  • Toxic-free nonstick coating, so you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals leaching into your food

Cons

  • You can’t use these with very high heat. Keep the burner turned down to medium or you’ll ruin them. If you frequently cook on high, you’ll want a different saucepan
  • Not safe for use on an induction burner

Farberware Nonstick Saucepan with Straining Lid

Easily Strain Your Food

You won't have to dirty a strainer to get the water out of this saucepan since the lid has convenient straining holes.
Best with Straining Holes

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Whether you’re cooking pasta or steaming vegetables, sometimes you need to get the extra liquid out of your saucepan. Traditionally, this means you have to pull a strainer out and use that to help. But when you do this, you get another dish to wash. That’s where this saucepan comes in. It’ll save you time when it comes to cleanup. The lid features straining holes, so you can easily get the extra liquid out without dirtying any other equipment.

This saucepan is made from high-quality aluminum. This material will heat quickly and evenly to help you cook delicious foods. The inside features a nonstick surface so the things you’re cooking won’t stick. Clean up will be a breeze with this saucepan.

Pros

  • Two sizes available (1-quart or 3-quart) so you can get just what you need
  • Straining holes in the lid that are easy to use once you get the hang of it. You just need to line them up with the pour spout and hold the lid down while you pour
  • Comes in a beautiful blue color, and you can also get silver
  • Pours from both sides, so it’s easy for left-handed people to use, too

Cons

  • The outer surface can stain easily, so you’ll want to give it a good scrub as you clean the pan to keep it looking better

Corning Vision Amber Saucepan

Use It Here, Use It There

You'll be able to use this saucepan anywhere – in the oven, broiler, freezer, microwave, and stove-top. It's so versatile.
Best Glass

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If you’re looking for a pan that you can do just about anything with, you’ve got to give this one a try. It’s made from a glass-ceramic material that can withstand just about any cooking style. You can put this saucepan in the freezer, the oven, the microwave, the broiler, or use it on the stove-top. When you’re done cooking, you can put it in the dishwasher for simple cleanup. You won’t find a more versatile pan than this one.

You’ll be able to check out what you’re cooking from every angle, so you can easily keep an eye on what’s going on and make adjustments as you cook. Since it’s made from glass, you won’t have to worry about this saucepan reacting to acidic food. You can cook tomatoes and other high-acid food inside without fear. In addition, the glass material doesn’t absorb odors. You won’t get any weird tastes mingling when you cook in this pan. It’s a great addition to any kitchen.

Pros

  • Beautiful amber-colored glass saucepan that’ll look great in your kitchen
  • A generous 2.5L (2.6-quart) size so you can cook a lot of food
  • Non-porous material that won’t absorb odor and leave your food with a funky taste

Cons

  • Glass takes longer to heat up than stainless steel or aluminum, so cooking may take a bit longer with this saucepan
  • If you tend to drop your pans, you should probably get one that’s not as fragile as one made from glass

Frequently Asked Questions

What size saucepan do I need?

Most cooks prefer having a couple of different sized saucepans. This way, you can cook a variety of things without having to stop and wash your pan between uses. Your saucepan needs really depend on you and your household. How often are you cooking? How many people are you cooking for? Smaller families can use smaller saucepans than larger ones since they won’t be preparing as much food. The type of food you’re cooking also plays a role in this decision. If you are cooking sauce or something else that bubbles up, you’ll want a slightly larger pan to protect you from getting burned. Since this is such a personalized decision, you’ll have to think about what you’re using your pan for, and then buy one that’s the right size for that job.

How do I clean my saucepans?

Some saucepans can go in the dishwasher; others cannot. You’ll want to know how to clean yours before you attempt to wash it in the dishwasher. If you aren’t sure, stick to hand-washing. You can use a sponge to help get your pan clean. You’ll also want to use hot soapy water. Make sure you rinse the pan thoroughly when you’re done.