Two exact examples
| Difference | Made In 2-quart Stainless Clad Saucepan | Made In 3-quart Stainless Clad Saucier |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Stainless clad | Stainless clad |
| Cooking surface | stainless steel | stainless steel |
| Included shapes | Saucepan | Saucier |
| Flat cooking diameter | Saucepan: 6 in | Saucier: 7 in |
| Interior depth | Saucepan: 4 in | Saucier: 3.5 in |
| Stated capacity | Saucepan: 2 US qt | Saucier: 3 US qt |
| Supplied lids | 1 | 1 |
| Pan oven limit | 800 °F | 800 °F |
| Empty total weight | 2 lb | 3.7 lb |
| Dishwasher | Dishwasher safe; the maker recommends handwashing | Dishwasher safe; the maker recommends handwashing |
| Induction | Works on induction | Works on induction |
Look at the bottom corners
A saucepan's walls meet its floor at a fairly sharp corner. A saucier's walls curve into the floor, so a whisk or spoon can sweep all the way round without leaving anything behind. Think about what you stir: rice and boiled eggs don't need that; custard, polenta and risotto do.
Don't confuse a saucier with a sauté pan. The names are close, but a saucier is a rounded saucepan, not the wide, flat, straight-sided pan you want for a one-pan dinner. Our cooking jobs put sauciers with saucepans.
Compare the opening and the quarts together
Two 3-quart pans can be quite different shapes. A wider opening is easier to stir in and leaves more surface for a sauce to reduce; a narrower, taller pan takes less shelf space. The quarts tell you how much it holds, not how much floor it has.
Made In's 3-quart saucier is 10 inches across with a 7-inch cooking surface, while its 4-quart saucepan is 8.5 inches across. Going by quarts alone would hide that difference.
Check the rest
Look at the lid, the handle length and the base for your cooktop too. A rounded pan can take more cabinet width than its quarts suggest. If you whisk in it, check whether the maker allows metal utensils on that surface; the shape doesn't tell you.
You may not need both. If your saucepan handles small batches and you rarely whisk a sauce, a saucier would repeat it. If sauces catching in the corners is what bothers you about your saucepan, a saucier is the fix.
How these comparisons are made
Questions about this choice
Why choose a curved saucier bottom?
The curve lets a whisk reach every part of the floor, so sauces don't catch in the corners. Check its quarts and lid against the saucepan you'd otherwise buy.