Cookware capacity per person
How many servings a pot holds: divide the volume you fill by the portion size. A 4-quart pot filled three-quarters gives about twelve 1-cup servings.
Estimate portions from your chosen fill level
Choose the capacity, how much of it your recipe uses and a portion size. It starts at three-quarters full; change that to suit your recipe, and leave room for stirring and boiling.
Size by cooking job
These are starting points drawn from maker sizing guidance and the measurements of the pans we list. The recipe and the room in your kitchen decide the final size.
| Cooking job | Start with |
|---|---|
| Skillet | Compare 8–10 in for small meals; 12 in for family portions |
| Saucepan or saucier | Compare 1–2 qt, 2.5–3.5 qt and 4 qt or more |
| Sauté pan or braiser | Match the recipe volume and flat cooking room |
| Stockpot or Dutch oven | Start with the recipe volume; a quart per person is a guide for crowd cooking |
| Wok | Check the flat base suits your burner; the rim size will not tell you |
| Flat griddle | Compare the flat surface with the food and burner layout |
| Roasting pan | Measure food, rack and oven clearance together |
| Pot + steamer + lid | Match a fitted pot, insert and lid; the food must remain above the water |
| Nonstick egg pan | An 8- or 10-inch coated pan covers eggs for most households |
Cookware sizes for your household
Sizes for two, four and six people, with what fits in each. Specialist pans depend on the food and the stove rather than the head count, so they get one line each.
| Pan | 2 people | 4 people | 6 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skillet | 10 in Three eggs or two chicken breasts in Made In’s 10-inch pan; vegetables for two | 12 in Four eggs or three chicken breasts in Made In’s 12-inch pan; a frittata for four | 12 in, or two pans Cook in two batches or run two pans; a 14-inch skillet is wider than most home burners |
| Saucepan | 1.5 to 2 qt A cup of dry rice (about 3 cups cooked), oatmeal for two, a can of soup, a few boiled eggs | 3 qt Two cups of dry rice, grits or polenta for four, sauce for a pound of pasta, six boiled eggs | 4 qt or larger A double batch of rice, mashed potatoes for six, a big pot of sauce |
| Sauté pan | 3 qt Two chicken breasts in a pan sauce, a pound of greens to wilt, cutlets for two | 4 to 5 qt Four chicken thighs braised in one layer, a pound of pasta tossed in its sauce, a one-pan dinner for four | 6 qt, or a wide braiser Six chicken thighs in one layer, a big batch of ragù |
| Stockpot | 6 qt A pound of pasta in 4 quarts of water, soup for four | 8 qt A pound of pasta with plenty of room, chili or soup for six to eight, corn for four | 12 qt and up Stock from a chicken carcass, a double batch of soup, crabs or lobsters |
| Dutch oven | 2 to 3.5 qt Chili or stew for two, a small braise, a pot of beans | 4.5 to 5.5 qt A whole chicken of about 4 pounds, a 3-pound chuck roast, a loaf of no-knead bread | 6 to 7.25 qt A bigger roast, a double batch of chili, soup for six |
| Wok | Size it by the batch you stir-fry and by the flat base, which has to suit your burner or induction zone. | ||
| Flat griddle | Lay out the pancakes or sandwiches you cook at once, then check the griddle spans your burners. | ||
| Roasting pan | Measure the roast, the rack and your oven together; leave room for the handles. | ||
| Pot + steamer + lid | Pick the insert by the food you steam and keep the food above the water. | ||
| Separate egg pan | An 8- or 10-inch coated skillet covers eggs for most households. | ||
Change capacity, fill and portion size for your recipe. For food cooked in one layer, compare the flat area of a pan you already use.