Saucepan vs pot
Use a saucepan for small batches you can lift with one hand: rice, sauces, oats and reheating. Use a pot, usually a stockpot, for big batches: pasta water, stock and soup for a crowd. Most kitchens want one of each, about 2 to 3 quarts and 6 to 8 quarts.
| Difference | Saucepan | Stockpot |
|---|---|---|
| Handles | One long handle; bigger ones add a small loop | Two short loop handles |
| Usual sizes | 1 to 4 qt (All-Clad) | 4 to 12 qt (All-Clad); 8 to 12 most often (Made In) |
| Best for | Rice, oats, sauces, gravy, reheating soup | Pasta, stock, soup and chili for a crowd, corn, blanching |
| Nonstick versions | Common | Rare (Made In) |
| Sizes we list | 1–5 qt (95 products) | 3.8–12 qt (68 products) |
| Empty weight, single pans | 2–4.45 lb (13 pans) | 4.25–7.03 lb (6 pans) |
| Oven-safe to | 350–1050°F (85 of 95) | 350–1050°F (62 of 68) |
| Works on induction (maker says) | 66 of 95 | 48 of 68 |
On this page
Two exact examples
| Difference | Made In 2-quart Stainless Clad Saucepan | Made In 8-quart Stainless Clad Stockpot |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Stainless clad | Stainless clad |
| Cooking surface | stainless steel | stainless steel |
| Included shapes | Saucepan | Stockpot |
| Flat cooking diameter | Saucepan: 6 in | Stockpot: 9.75 in |
| Interior depth | Saucepan: 4 in | Stockpot: 5.5 in |
| Stated capacity | Saucepan: 2 US qt | Stockpot: 8 US qt |
| Supplied lids | 1 | 1 |
| Pan oven limit | 800 °F | 800 °F |
| Empty total weight | 2 lb | 4.25 lb |
| Dishwasher | Dishwasher safe; the maker recommends handwashing | Dishwasher safe; the maker recommends handwashing |
| Induction | Works on induction | Works on induction |
The handle tells you
A saucepan has one long handle, so you can lift it off the heat with one hand; bigger ones add a small loop handle opposite. A stockpot has two short loop handles on either side, because a full one is too heavy to hold from one side. Size follows: All-Clad makes its saucepans from 1 to 4 quarts and its stockpots from 4 to 12, and Made In says most stockpots run 8 to 12 quarts.
What each one is for
Reach for the saucepan for rice and oats, sauces and gravy, reheating soup, boiling a few eggs or pasta for one. Reach for the stockpot for a pound of pasta or more, stock and broth, a big pot of soup or chili, corn on the cob and blanching vegetables. Nonstick stockpots are rare, Made In notes: with that much liquid, food seldom sticks.
Sauce pots, soup pots and Dutch ovens
Shops also sell sauce pots and soup pots: shorter, wider pots with two loop handles, between a saucepan and a stockpot in size. A Dutch oven is the heavy cast iron pot with a tight lid that goes from the stove into the oven.
Do you need both?
Most kitchens do. Made In sees them as complements, not rivals: with only a stockpot you'd have to scale a small sauce or a risotto up to fill it, and with only a saucepan, pasta for four won't fit. A 2- to 3-quart saucepan and a 6- to 8-quart pot cover most meals.
What’s in each, measured
Scroll sideways for every column; tap a heading to sort. “Not stated” means the maker doesn’t publish it.
| Made In 2-quart Stainless Clad Saucepan | 7 in | 6 in | 4 in | 4 in | 13.6 in | 2 US qt | 2 lb | 6 | 4 | Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made In 8-quart Stainless Clad Stockpot | 10.75 in | 9.75 in | 5.5 in | 5.5 in | 14.5 in | 8 US qt | 4.25 lb | 24 | 16 | Included |