The 4 Best Saucepans, Tested by Allrecipes

three saucepans on burst background — Photo: Allrecipes Illustration

Every home cook should invest in a quality saucepan. As kitchen workhorses, saucepans can boil water, cook and reduce sauces, make rice, reheat leftovers, and so much more. This essential piece of cookware comes in different sizes and materials, so you can easily find one suitable for your needs. Best of all, you don't have to break the bank to get a top-rated model.

We put various models to the test, evaluating each saucepan's overall feel, quality, value, and ease of cleaning as well as timing how long they took to boil water and how well they melted and simmered Alfredo sauce.

About Our Tests

Allrecipes Product Tester Alyssa Sybertz evaluated popular saucepans, testing each for its ability (or lack thereof) to come to temperature and retain heat. She went about this two ways; first, she timed how long it took four cups of water to come to a boil. Then, she used each saucepan to make Alfredo sauce. She noted how the cheese melted, how the sauce thickened, and whether the cream consistently simmered without scalding. During all of this, she paid special attention to the following factors:

Overall Feel: Is it attractive? Does the outside smudge? Is it hard to get out of a cupboard with one hand? Does it seem sturdy?
Cover: Is it glass or solid metal? Rounded or flat? Does it have a hole to allow steam to escape? Does it have a pour spout?
Handle: Does it get hot? Do you need an oven mitt to move the pot?
Ease of Cleaning: How much food sticks to the bottom? Can it go in the dishwasher?
Value: Is it worth the money?

Our Top Picks

Our Top Pick:

Cuisinart Saucepan at Amazon $50

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Best Budget:

SALE

Farberware Saucepan at Amazon ~~$35~~ $28

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Best Stainless Steel:

AVACRAFT Stainless Steel Saucepan at Amazon $49

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Best Cast Iron:

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Saucepan at Amazon $225

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Our Top Pick

Cuisinart Saucepan

PHOTO: Cuisinart

$50 at Amazon Orig. $72 $50 at Walmart View on Bed Bath & Beyond

Why It's Great: Heats up quickly; cool-grip handle; functional contoured design

Grain of Salt: Hand-wash only

Its contoured design and nonstick interior help this Cuisinart saucepan stand out. It was easy to clean without showing any smudges after use, and the glass cover allowed us to monitor the water and sauce while heating. With boiling water inside, we were able to carry it with one hand without an oven mitt thanks to its lightweight construction and cool-to-the-touch handle.

Due to its wide base, this saucepan boiled water quicker than all the others tested, except for a tie with the All-Clad D3 saucepan. When we started making Alfredo sauce in this, we weren't surprised that it simmered rapidly. We even had to turn the heat down slightly, but the results were smooth and not too thick.

The contoured body made the sauce easy to pour without dripping down the side of the pan, and the nonstick interior allowed the liquid to flow effortlessly out of the pot. Although it's not dishwasher-safe, the saucepan came clean with a quick soapy swipe.

The Details: Hard-anodized aluminum pot with glass lid; 3-quart capacity; oven safe up to 500°F

Best Budget

Farberware Saucepan

PHOTO: Farberware

Orig. $35 $28 at Amazon

Why It's Great: Lid has a built-in colander; has pour spouts; tight-fitting lid

Grain of Salt: Oddly shaped handle

Farberware products are reliable and reasonably priced; this saucepan is no exception. It heats up quickly and evenly, washes easily in the dishwasher, and features a straining lid that's essentially a built-in colander.

Like the other stainless-steel saucepans we tested, this produced a thick Alfredo sauce with the cream reducing the most during its simmering time. As a bonus, we didn't have to adjust the temperature to prevent the cream from sticking.

The saucepan was incredibly light; the cover fit snugly; and the pour spouts on both sides made for a seamless sauce transfer from pan to bowl. For an easy cleanup, you can pop this pot in the dishwasher.

The Details: Stainless steel pot and lid; 3-quart capacity; oven safe up to 350°F

Best Stainless Steel

AVACRAFT Stainless Steel Saucepan

PHOTO: Amazon

$49 at Amazon

Why It's Great: Heats up quickly; has side spouts and strainer lid; useful measurement marks

Grain of Salt: Can be difficult to clean

As a woman-owned cookware company, Avacraft thoughtfully designs its products to be more lightweight and ergonomic. This stainless-steel saucepan was super light and easy to move with one hand, and its curved handle was arguably the most comfortable to hold out of all of them. Thanks to measurement marks inside the pot, this model didn't require a measuring cup when adding water (we love not having to dirty another dish).

The saucepan heated quickly and produced a thick and creamy sauce. Unlike some stainless-steel saucepans, the glass cover lets you monitor what's cooking. It's important to note that during hand-washing, we had to scrub the sides; however, it's also dishwasher-safe. We also loved its two pouring spouts (for right and left-handed people), lid straining holes, and a silicone-coated lid handle.

The Details: Stainless steel pot with glass lid; 2.5-quart capacity; oven safe up to 350°F

Best Cast Iron

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Saucepan

PHOTO: Amazon

$225 at Amazon $225 at Nordstrom View on Nordstrom

Why It's Great: Works well on high heat; withstands wear and tear; helper handle for easy maneuvering

Grain of Salt: Heavy; expensive

Le Creuset's Signature Enameled Cast Iron Saucepan is a winner for many reasons: It has an attractive design, is built to last, and works on any cooktop including induction cooktops. When a recipe requires high heat, this is a great option since it's oven-safe up to 500°F.

This saucepan had the fastest cheese melting time during our tests, and was the most effective at retaining heat. There were minimal remnants of sauce left in the pan post-pour, but we were able to remove them with a gentle swipe of a sponge. The biggest downside to this saucepan is its weight. You'll need two hands to move this around; however, it does have a convenient helper handle to make transporting easier.

The Details: Enameled cast iron pot and lid; 2.25-capacity; oven safe up to 500°F

Our Takeaway

The Cuisinart Contour Hard-Anodized Saucepan is our top pick since we love its superior heating capabilities, contoured pot design, and easy-to-clean nonstick interior. Unlike other options, this saucepan was light enough to hold with just one hand.

How to Pick the Right Saucepan

Design

A saucepan's cover and handle can make you love or hate it. Saucepans usually come with lids, but they differ in material and fit. Glass covers are convenient since they allow you to watch your food while it cooks, while stainless-steel and cast-iron lids are excellent at retaining heat.

Sometimes, saucepan handles are made with the same material as the pan, and other times they feature heat-resistant materials or cushioning. Ergonomic handles offer the most comfortable and natural grip. Another important factor is how the handle is attached to the pan. Handles attached by flush rivets are best. Be cautious of ones that are glued on or attached by a normal screw—these are unlikely to stand the test of time.

While the above factors are most important when buying a saucepan, some models have additional features, such as pour spouts, a built-in strainer, and measurement markings.

Material

There are three main materials for saucepans: a nonstick coating, stainless steel, and enameled cast iron. Both stainless steel and nonstick saucepans are often made with a core of aluminum, an excellent heat conductor. Stainless steel cookware, for example, is most popular for its durability and ability to retain heat. It's also usually dishwasher safe. Nonstick is preferable for its easy-to-clean surface, allowing liquids to pour out effortlessly.

Enameled cast iron is made of heavy-duty cast iron coated with an enamel glaze that provides some nonstick qualities and superior heat retention. Drawbacks to enameled cast iron include its heaviness and high price tag.

The Leftovers: Other Saucepans We Tested

The Tramontina 2.5-Quart Enameled Cast-Iron Saucepan's performance was almost identical to the Le Creuset's, and it is an equally beautiful addition to your kitchen. It didn't earn top marks since its significant weight was more than the Le Creuset's. This was a hindrance and made using it quite challenging. This was the only saucepan that was impossible to hold long enough to scoop out all the sauce, so we had to leave it on the counter while removing the sauce by the spoonful.

Utopia Kitchen's 2-Quart Nonstick Saucepan performed relatively well given the low price point. However, it took the longest to boil water and melt cheese, suggesting that it may not transfer and hold heat as well as others. It was easy to clean and handle, though.

This All-Clad D3 3-Quart Saucepan came in a close second in the stainless steel category. It produced a thick, creamy sauce and had the fastest boiling time. It lost points with the cover on when it was on the verge of being too heavy to maneuver with one hand. We also thought the handle was too long and not the most comfortable shape to hold, and the cleanup process required some scrubbing to get it completely rinsed.

Common Questions

What size saucepan do you need?

Saucepans can come in anything from 1 quart to over 4 quarts. The smaller 1- and 2-quart saucepans are great for cooking a serving or two of rice, heating soup, or boiling one or two eggs. It's good to have on hand, but it has limitations.

Slightly larger are the 2.5-quart to 3.5-quart. These are a great "standard" size that's good for every household, being large enough to make multiple servings of rice, soup, or pasta, but also able to handle smaller quantities and sauces.

Many households also enjoy having a 4-quart or larger saucepan in their cookware collection. These are clutch for making numerous servings at once, but the large size can be an issue with any small quantities.

What's the difference between a saucepan, a pan, and a saucier?

While most of these cookware pieces can be used interchangeably, they do have certain recipes they're best at. Saucepans tend to have flat bottoms and straight high sides, which is great for any cooking that involves heating liquids. They also often come with a lid to hold in the heat and steam. Pans are also made with flat bottoms but are wider with shallower sides, and they often don't come with a lid. Sauciers have the smallest flat area, as they curve a lot up the sides, almost like a bowl or wok, which makes it easy to whisk your sauces while cooking. Their sides also tend to be a little shorter than a saucepan.

Why Take Our Word For It?

Allrecipes shares community-driven recipes, products, and tips to millions of home cooks. Our Product Tester Alyssa Sybertz and Commerce Writer Melanie Fincher selected our favorite saucepans after testing and evaluating various models. Because of our hands-on research, we believe our list features the best saucepans on the market.