Chances are when you walk into the HomeGoods cookware section, you’re wondering what on earth is the difference between all this stuff. I know I certainly feel that way! A common question is what is the difference between a saucepan and a sauce pot? After all, they look so similar! Which material is better, and what size is going to work best for your needs?
Both a saucepan and a sauce pot are everyday staples that everyone should have in their kitchen. Incredibly versatile and easy to use, you can whip up almost any dish you need. However, depending on your needs, you may only need one of the two. Material, size, and what you like to cook will determine which is better for your everyday needs. Let’s dive in!
Before we get into detailed specifics, let’s get a quick overview of the two kitchen staples.
Saucepan: A circular pot with tall sides and a long handle, normally sold with a lid.
Sauce pot: A circular pot with tall sides and two handles.
Hmmm- isn’t that, like, the same exact thing? At first glance, both yes and no. Let’s dive in to learn more about each one.
SAUCEPAN
A circular pot with tall sides and a long handle, saucepans are an invaluable tool for any chef. Saucepans are mainly used to heat liquids and reduce sauces. They have a flat bottom, which allows for even conduction of heat.
Saucepans normally come with a lid. This is because liquids often need to simmer down and reduce. Lids will help limit evaporation. The long saucepan handle makes it easy to transfer and pour liquids and keeps your hand from being scalded from steam.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
There are many great distinct qualities to a saucepan.
- Has a long handle, which makes pouring liquids easy and manageable.
- High, steep sides. This helps sauces from splashing all over your beautiful kitchen backsplash.
- Some models have a pour spout, making it even easier to pour liquids.
- Saucepans come with a lid to help simmer liquids and sauces, reducing evaporation.
- Wide range of material choices available.
- Depending on the material, some are oven safe.
- Comes in a variety of sizes.
- Can be used as a double boiler.
DIFFERENT MATERIALS
Saucepans come in a wide variety of materials. Some common ones are stainless steel, nonstick, enamel cast iron, or even copper. The flexibility to choose which material you prefer to cook with is great. The best thing a home cook can do is invest in a piece of cookware that does the job well and will last a long time!
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is a fantastic material to invest in. It is great for cooking different types of food and is a perfect material for a novice or professional chef.
Some stainless steel saucepans are made of up alternating layers of stainless steel and aluminum. This depends on the brand and price point. The different layers of metal give even heat distribution when cooking at high temperatures.
Stainless steel is incredibly durable and perfect for everyday use. The light material makes it easy to see when cooking- no burnt food here! It also has a beautiful polished finish.
Nonstick
Nonstick cookware is fantastic for everyday cooking. The nonstick coating is perfect for easy cleanup. It is also great for someone who is more health conscious, allowing for little or no oil to be used when cooking.
Nonstick ceramic is traditionally made from layers of aluminum. Some saucepans will be made with anodized or hard anodized aluminum. Anodizing is a process that aluminum undergoes to help harden the material and make it resistant to wear and tear.
Anodized aluminum is more durable than other types of nonstick cookware. It regulates heat very well, so you don’t have any annoying hot spots.
While the nonstick coating is easy and durable, some of the coatings are made with harsh chemicals. After a time, these coatings can weaken, and toxins can leach into your food. Look for a toxin-free ceramic coating.
While some cookware today is safe to use with metal utensils, it is still best practice to use silicone or wood. Metal can easily scratch the interior, removing some of the coating.
Most nonstick ceramic cookware can only be used on the stovetop. Some brands are oven safe at lower temperatures. If this is a feature you would like, be sure that it is called out specifically by the manufacturer.
Enamel Cast Iron
Enamel cast iron is my all-time FAVORITE. It conducts heat well, and the enamel coating helps prevent food from sticking to the pan. Most brands will also have a light color interior, so it is easy to see when cooking. This is great because it helps from accidentally burning food.
The beauty of a cast iron saucepan is that it can work on the stovetop and then be placed directly in the oven. No more having to transfer your food from one dish to another!
Copper
Another popular material is copper. Not only is copper beautiful, but it is excellent at conducting heat. Copper can smoothly control heat levels, and can quickly heat or cool your food. Copper is also highly durable, so the pan should last for a very long time.
SIZES
Most saucepans come in a wide range of sizes. The most common sizes range from 1 quart to 4 quarts, and some brands also offer half sizes. The two most popular different sizes are 2 and 4 quarts. Here is a quick rundown of the sizes.
1 quart: For single servings. The surface area is quite small, so it is best for small-batch cooking or heating up liquids or sauces.
2 quarts: For 1-2 people. This is a small saucepan and has a small cooking surface, but don’t let that fool you! It can be used for small batches of sauces, heating liquids, or cooking grains. I have a 2.5-quart saucepan, and I find this size to be incredibly versatile. It is perfect for single servings of food.
3 quarts: For 2-3 people. This is a medium saucepan. This size can is great for steaming vegetables, cooking pasta, or small batches of soup. In addition to the 2.5-quart saucepan, I also have this size saucepan. It’s perfect for steaming vegetables, cooking pasta, or making a small batch of homemade pudding.
4 quarts: For 3-4 people. This is a large saucepan, perfect for a small family. You can do anything in this size, such as making soup or stews, which can be difficult in smaller sizes.
WHAT TO COOK IN A SAUCEPAN
Depending on the size of the saucepan, you can really do it all. Here are a few ideas to cook in a saucepan:
Sauces: Pasta or tomato sauce
Grains: Rice, oatmeal, pasta
Liquids: Hot chocolate, mulled wine, or even chicken stock (in a larger size)
Desserts: Melted chocolate, pudding, caramel sauce,
Steamed vegetables
Hard boiled eggs
Soup or stew (larger sizes only)
Something else to consider is that saucepans can also be used as a double boiler. This is when you boil water and place a glass bowl on top to heat food. This is mostly used when melting chocolate, but can also be used for warming up other liquids or sauces.
SAUCEPOTS
A sauce pot is a circular pot with high sides and two handles. While sauce pots are generally larger, they are different from a saute pan or frying pan. Saute pans have a wider surface area and shorter sides. This makes them great for cooking and searing food. You cannot cook soups, pasta, or anything else liquid based in them. That is unless you like to get food everywhere- then you do you!
WHAT TO COOK IN A SAUCE POT
It is best to think of sauce pots as regular pots. Due to the larger sizes of sauce pots, it is best to cook larger batches of food in a sauce pot vs a saucepan. Sauce pots are great for meal-prepping food, soup, stews, or large batches of homemade chicken stock. The straight edges help liquids from splashing everywhere.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF POTS
As sauce pots are similar to saucepans, you may be curious: what is the difference is between sauce pots and another type of pot? Here is a quick overview of the different types of pots and their purposes, so you can best choose which is right for you.
STOCKPOT OR SOUP POT
This is a large pot with tall sides. The high straight sides make it ideal for cooking stock, soups, or stews. These pots come in larger sizes, such as 6 or 8 quarts. If you like to cook a lot of soup, a good stock pot is worth the investment.
DUTCH OVEN
A dutch oven is, in my opinion, the most versatile cooking pot you can have. A cast-iron dutch oven can cook food on the stovetop and be transferred directly to the oven. It is excellent at conducting heat, and the enamel coating helps keep food from sticking. Once you know how much easier it is to use a dual-purpose pot, I promise you will never go back- I didn’t!
PRESSURE COOKER
A pressure cooker is most similar to a sauce pot, but it really is its own thing. A pressure cooker needs a tight-fitting lid to build pressure to cook food. The most popular type of pressure cooker is an Instant Pot, but you can also buy stovetop versions. While I have never used a stovetop model, I have seen one. They are much more intimidating! Even well seasoned cooks can be nervous. I don’t want to intimidate you from this option, but take it from me- just buy an Instant Pot. So. Much. Easier.
PASTA POT
A pasta pot is tall (though not as tall as a stock pot) and comes with a separate pasta insert. The separate perforated insert is designed so you can easily lift the pasta from the water- no draining required! This is a handy accessory to have- you will never have to worry about remembering to save a cup of pasta water again!
MULTIPOT
These pots are the best of both worlds! Normally a larger capacity (6 or 8 quarts), these pots come with a steamer and pasta attachment. You can cook soups, pasta, or steam vegetables with this all-in-one deal.
SAUCEPAN VS SAUCE POT DIFFERENCE
By all means, saucepans and sauce pots are very similar. For the most part, they can do the same job. They also come in similar sizes and materials. So what is the main difference?
A sauce pot is a circular pot with tall sides and two handles. A saucepan has a long handle. So really…the difference is quite minimal.
Both are excellent tools to have in the kitchen. Depending on how much cooking you do, you may need one over the other.
In my little household of two, I have a 2.5 and a 3.5-quart saucepan which are essential tools for me. They do a great job at cooking for one or larger batches if needed. I can cook anything from small leftovers to a few servings of hot chocolate or some rice.
For larger batches of cooking, I use a large sauce pot, such as a dutch oven. This is great for meal prepping food or creating large pots of soup to get me through the week.
Depending on your needs and household, review what types of food you like to cook, and what your needs are. This will be the best way to determine which product and size are better for you. The most important thing to remember is that the best kitchen appliances are the ones that work well and make cooking easier for you!