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You know a saucepan is good for sauce — it's right there in the name — but this essential piece of cookware is also great for reheating, boiling, simmering and steeping. Whether you want to make soft-boiled eggs for breakfast or cook fluffy rice for a rice bowl, you’ll reach for a saucepan.
Our product analysts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab have tested more than 50 saucepans over the years. When evaluating each pan, we boil water to track the timing and heat retention, as well as whether the handles are comfortable and stay cool. We also simmer tomato sauce to see whether the bottom or side scorches. We also use any stuck-on mess to assess how easy it is to clean the pan.
After our reviews of the best saucepans, read on for more tips on what to look for when shopping for a saucepan. Looking for other pieces of cookware or bakeware? Check out our reviews of the best cast iron skillets, casserole dishes and pie plates as well.
Pros
- Tight-fitting lid
- Compatible with induction cooktops
Cons
- Handle rivets are not flush with the inside of the pan
The Kitchen Appliances Lab has seen consistently great results from a number of All-Clad cookware sets. And the saucepan from the D3 line is no different: It distributed heat evenly, simmered steadily and didn’t scorch when cooking tomato sauce without stirring. We love the 3-quart size for its versatility: It's a good choice for side dishes for a family, and the rounded interior and straight sides make it easy to whisk sauces and scrape down the pan. The tight-fitting lid has helped our cooks produce fluffy white and brown rice.
Kitchen Appliances Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou likes the 2-quart model for boiling eggs. She notes that the size means it's quick to fill with water, and the tall sides keep the eggs covered nicely. We were also impressed with the NS1 2-quart nonstick pan. It has all the “nonstick does that now?” bells and whistles: works with induction cooktops, safe for metal utensils, dishwasher safe and oven safe to 500˚F. The one note for all of the lines is that the handle rivets are not flush inside the pan, which can impede stirring and scraping and can trap bits of food over time.
| Capacity | 3 qt |
| Weight | 3 lbs |
| Induction compatible | Yes |
| Oven safe | Up to 600˚F |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes, but manufacturer recommends washing by hand |
Pros
- Rounded interior makes stirring and whisking easy
- Aluminum and stainless steel construction ensures even cooking
Cons
- Handle rivets are not flush with the inside of the pan
This pan delivers fast and even heating thanks to its triple-ply construction: The aluminum core brings quick heat conduction, and the inner and outer layers of stainless steel help ensure consistent heat distribution. The outer layer is also magnetic, so the pan is compatible with induction cooktops. The rounded interior makes it easy to whisk and stir in the pan, so it’s a good choice for rouxs and risottos.
Our pros like the comfortable handle on the pan, and the tall (read: easy-to-grab) handle on the lid. One caveat: The rivets are not flush inside, so food can get stuck if not washed properly. We also saw some scorching in our tomato sauce test, but the pot cleaned up easily.
| Capacity | 1.5 qt |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs |
| Induction capatible | Yes |
| Oven safe | Up to 350˚F |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes |
Pros
- Enamel is easy to use and clean
- Helper handle makes it easy to transport
Cons
- Pricey
Enamel cast iron pans are an investment — but a wise one for both serious and casual cooks. They work on any cooktop, distribute and retain heat well, are oven safe and are very easy to clean. Le Creuset also offers a wide variety of colors, which is nice if you have open shelving or hang your pots.
The light-colored enamel interior helps you keep an eye on scorching, and the rounded design makes it easy to stir and whisk. The helper handle makes it easy to transport to the table for serving.
| Capacity | 2.25 qt |
| Weight | 6.5 lbs |
| Induction compatible | Yes |
| Oven safe | Up to 500˚F |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes |
How we test saucepans
The Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab has tested more than 50 saucepans over the years. When we test saucepans, each gets a boil test and a scorch test:
✔️ The boil test determines how quickly the pan heats up and how well it maintains temperature. It also lets us evaluate whether the handle stays cook as is comfortable.
✔️ The scorch test indicates how evenly the saucepan cooks by assessing how much tomato sauce sticks to the bottom and side of the pan. We also use this stuck-on mess to determine how easy it is to clean the pot.
What to look for when buying a saucepan
Though saucepans are often sold as part of a set, like our best ceramic cookware sets or best nonstick cookware sets, here's what to consider when shopping for a standalone saucepan.
✔️ Size: If you’re buying a single pan, we recommend a 2- to 3-quart model. It’ll let you heat up a can of beans or simmer a quick sauce, and (critically, for many) it’s the go-to size for making boxed mac and cheese. If you have the budget and space, a 4- or 5-quart saucepan is handy for making homemade soup, and the 6- to 8-quart range is ideal for boiling pasta — and making serious batches of chili. For a tighter budget, a 1.5-quart pot will give you the ability to boil or steam eggs and heat up small portions.
✔️ Shape: Consider the depth and cooking surface of the saucepan. Some are tall and narrow, while others are wide and shallow. Those with tall walls take a little longer to come to a boil, but they generally retain heat well and the contents won’t evaporate as quickly. They’re also a good choice if you like boiling eggs — shallower pans might not allow you to cover the egg completely. Wider, shallower pans heat quickly and are handy if you are looking to reduce a sauce.
✔️ Material: You'll find a few kinds of material in saucepans:
- Aluminum is a common material in saucepans because it’s a great conductor of heat. But because it’s not durable on its own, you'll find that it's reinforced in some way: clad in layers of stainless steel or anodized to be harder. Higher-quality pans have aluminum not just in the base but throughout the walls as well. Some pans are coated with a nonstick coating or are made nonstick by being coated or embedded with ceramic.
- Enameled cast iron is made of heavy-duty cast iron coated with enamel to minimize sticking. It's long-lasting and easy to clean by hand, but it can be heavy.
- Copper is frequently incorporated because of its conductivity. But note that it's not as durable as stainless steel or enameled cast iron and can show wear more quickly. These pans may also include aluminum, and some may have a nonstick coating.
✔️ Handle: You want to find a handle that is comfortable for you. Some are easier to grip because they have a thicker design, and some include a textured grip or are designed to stay cool. Then also check how the handle is attached to the saucepan: A flush rivet is best. It creates a smooth surface inside the pan that allows more efficient stirring and easier cleaning. Take note: Cheap handles can be dangerous if they loosen over time and jeopardize your control when working with hot liquids.
✔️ Lid: By and large, lids are either stainless steel or glass. Stainless steel lids provide better heat retention. Glass lids can allow you to see what’s going on inside the pan, but condensation often obscures the view, so prioritize a tight fit over the material. You also want a comfortable knob or handle on top of the lid that doesn’t get hot during use or loosen over time.
✔️ Extra details: Pans designed with pour spouts on both sides can be helpful, and they make a pan friendly for right- and left-handed cooks. You’ll also find that some saucepans have measurement markings inside. This means you won’t need an additional tool to, say, add 6 cups of water, and it’s a no-guesswork way to determine how much a sauce or stock has reduced. It will also give you an idea of the yield of your recipe, which is handy for portioning.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Sarah Gregory Wharton is a deputy editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute. In her role, she has tested many cooking products, including saucepans and stock pots, immersion blenders and carbon steel pans. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education) and has been cooking professionally since 2017.
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