Best Sauce Pans For Versatile Cooking

Cook with confidence using the best sauce pans. Reduce the risk of sauces catching and grains sticking to the pot with safe non-stick coatings. Go for tri-ply stainless steel or aluminium pans that conduct heat efficiently and evenly, eliminating hot spots and uneven cooking. The best pots and pans are durable and stain-resistant. For delicious pilaf and risotto, choose brands that are well-known for premium quality cookware. From creamy custards to chocolate ganache, a variety of sauce pans with tight-fitting lids and strong riveted handles are essential kitchen arsenal.

It's fun to dust off the old cookery books and try out some retro recipes. Any professional chef will tell you that a sauce pan with a thick base is a must. This surface is in contact with direct heat and a lesser pan will buckle under the high temperatures. You may have heard of inferior quality induction hob pans no longer working because the flat base has warped and can no longer form a magnetic connection with the hob.

Best Sauce Pans At A Glance:

• Best overall sauce pan: Zwilling Pro 18/10 Stainless Steel Saucepan – View on Zwilling
• Best sauce pan for style: Alessi Sauce Pan – View on Amazon UK
• Best for versatility: Le Creuset, 3-ply Non-Stick Milk Pan – View on Harts of Stur

There are various types of sauce pan designed for specific cooking needs. A pan with a pouring spout is perfect for heating milk and soup. Non-stick pans have a coating that means tricky foods like eggs won't stick; also non-stick is easy to clean. Wide sauce pans have the same benefit as a sauté pan; the large surface area makes it easier to reduce sauces and evaporate off excess liquid. Once you have a set of sauce pans, you can be whipping up béchamel, fluffy mashed potatoes and glazes for meat that simply cannot be replicated in any other kitchen apparatus.

When it comes to investing in a sauce pan, the saying "buy cheap, buy twice" is apt. If your budget allows, opt for quality cookware from brands such as Zwilling, Kuhn Rikon, and Samuel Groves. The latter offers a refurbishment service so you really are buying a pan for life. We've selected some pan-tastic options, offering durability, compatibility with induction hobs and non-stick properties. For more information about choosing the right cookware for your household, scroll to the FAQs below.

Best Sauce Pans

Our Verdict: Best Sauce Pans

We recommend the Zwilling Pro 20cm 18/10 Stainless Steel Saucepan for induction-ready cookware that makes stove-top suppers versatile, energy efficient and easy to clean up. The titanium-reinforced encapsulated base allows you to get the benefit of precise temperature control with an induction hob; using a pan that evenly conducts heat. When you need high heat for boiling, the thick base ensures that it won't warp. Indeed, use it on any hob type and pop it in the oven – this versatile sauce pan can be used in a number of ways. Stylish and functional (note the measuring lines on the inside of the pan) Zwilling are winning at cookware.

FAQs: Best Sauce Pans

What features should I consider when buying a sauce pan?

A sauce pan is a cooking vessel with high, straight sides and a long handle, typically used for heating or simmering liquids, making sauces, or cooking small quantities of food. "Saucepan" and "sauce pan" are used interchangeably. But there are distinctions between a sauce pan and a pot. A cooking pot typically has two shorter handles.

Sauce pans come in different sizes, commonly 16cm, 18cm, 20cm, and 24cm in diameter and can be purchased as a pan set along with a frying pan. The depth of the sauce pan can also vary and the capacity can range from 0.5 litres up to three litres. Larger stove-top cookware designed for simmering, boiling and braising includes stock pots and casserole dishes. A heavy pan offers better heat distribution, however it will be more difficult to handle.

Copper pans offer excellent heat conductivity but require maintenance. Instead, go for stainless steel sauce pans that are durable and stain-resistant. Pans made up of multiple layers, with an aluminium core, provide superior heat distribution. A pan with a tight-fitting lid is the best for trapping heat and flavours and results in more efficient cooking. Also, look for sauce pans with riveted and ergonomic handles for strength and a comfortable grip.

What are the benefits of cooking with a sauce pan?

The key benefits of a sauce pan are versatility and control. The high sides and long handle make it easy to stir delicate dishes and simply take it off the heat when close to boiling. Let's be honest, we don't all have room for countertop appliances and there's not much that can't be cooked in a sauce pan. Their compact design means storage is a whole lot less problematic; nest them in the cupboard and sit the lids in separator pads. In addition, the majority of new sauce pans are easy to clean thanks to non-stick coatings.

You can cook a wide range of dishes in a sauce pan. From tomato, chilli, or hollandaise sauces to boiling spaghetti or poaching eggs – it's a simple kitchen essential. To prevent stains and increase the longevity of your cookware, avoid overheating the pan, and use wooden or silicone utensils to prevent scratching.

How do I clean my sauce pan?

To quote Mrs Beeton's Family Cookery (1930s edition): "Aluminium utensils and vessels should be cleaned with a solution of hot suds and ammonia." Yikes! Don't do that. Nor do our contemporary pans need scouring with "silver-sand" or "sifted ashes". That book dates back to a time when sauce pans were commonly made of iron. The thought of using brick-dust or turpentine to clean cookware is rather staggering.

If you're struggling to get stubborn caramel off the bottom of your sauce pan, follow these simple steps:

Allow the pan to cool completely. Never plunge hot pots and pans into cold water – it will buckle them.

Fill the pan with warm, soapy water and let it soak for a while to loosen any stuck-on food.

Use a non-abrasive scrubber or sponge to gently remove food residue. In the same way it's best not to use metal utensils, avoid steel wool or abrasive cleaners that could damage the surface.

For tough stains, create a paste with baking soda and water, apply it to the stains, and let it sit for a few minutes before scrubbing. Note, salts in dishwasher tablets will get into the rivets of sauce pan handles and erode them, so ideally hand wash your cookware.

Rinse the pan thoroughly with warm water to remove all soap and residue.

Towel-dry the sauce pan or let it air dry.

If stubborn stains persist, you can try simmering a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar in the saucepan for a few minutes, then scrub again. Mrs Beeton would be proud.

What are the differences between types of stainless steel sauce pans?

You may have seen the material of a sauce pan described as 18/10 stainless steel and wondered what that means. It refers to the grade of stainless steel. High-quality stainless steel is an alloy containing 18% chromium and 10% nickel. This grade is more resistant to rusting and staining. Chromium gives stainless steel its non-reactive properties. Also, it gives it that mirror-like lustre.

18/8 stainless steel is similar to 18/10 (18% chromium and 8% nickel) and is still great quality, albeit with slightly less resistance to corrosion and staining. These form the part of the 300 series of food grade stainless steel, that is by far the most common type for cutlery and kitchenware. Look for 304 stainless steel. Combined with an aluminium core, this is the best material for a sauce pan. Stainless steel is non-magnetic, so it will need a disc in the base that's conductive in order to work on an induction hob.

While it's less expensive, 18/0 stainless steel (18% chromium and no nickel) is more prone to staining and rust. This is known as 430 stainless steel.

How do I know if my sauce pan is suitable for an induction hob?

It's simple, if a magnetic is attracted to the base of your sauce pan then it can be used on an induction hob.

Natalie Knowles is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for A Modern Kitchen, specialising in kitchen appliances. When she's not testing coffee machines, she flexes her creative flair as an artist.