One happy customer wrote, “It is wonderful. No sticking on the bottom and cleanup was a breeze. This is also a beautiful piece of equipment.” Most stockpots are made out of stainless steel, anodized aluminum, or enameled steel. These materials promote equal heat distribution, which decreases cook time and keeps food from burning. Stockpots can be as small as six quarts for single cooks and as cuisinart griddler elite large as 60 quarts to feed a small village. You can also find stockpots that are narrow with tall sides to help reduce the amount of evaporation that occurs during the slow cooking process. The handles have to be comfortable, sturdy, and easy to grip—the last thing you want to feel is uncertainty as you move a large pot of scalding water off the cooktop or while draining through a strainer.
The unique structure of this layering forms a complete heat delivery system, one that uses less energy to heat and maintain even temperatures, and that is extremely responsive to changes in temperature. Known for its high-end copper cookware, Mauviel has been handcrafting kitchenwares since the 1830s in the same small village in France. Besides the All-Clad and the Calphalon options reviewed above, there are several other quality pans that we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. This means they have layers of other metals that are added to further increase the ability of the pan to spread heat throughout the vessel – across the bottom and up the sides. A rim with a slightly flared lip will provide smooth, dripless pouring, which makes for easier cleanup of the pan and stovetop. But they’re also good for having a peek without releasing heat and steam.
The high quality of materials is immediately apparent in both construction and finishing details. This kettle proves to be well balanced with a solid feel when handling the pot, the lid is precision fitted, and the mirror exterior and brushed interiors are consistently finished throughout. Unlike some cheaper options, these are good on all stovetops including induction, and they’re also oven and broiler safe to 500°F.
This Prima Matera stewpan can be washed with warm, soapy water to clean the interior and exterior, and the copper should be maintained with a polishing paste. But deBuyer has solved this with a special iron-magnetic, stainless steel bottom – creating the Prima Matera line for efficient use on all ranges, including induction. As much as we love many of the other available Demeyere products , we’ll still stick to our guns. At this time, there are only a handful of reviews for both sizes on Amazon.com or elsewhere. The only common remarks are that they heat quickly and evenly, and those that have submitted reviews all rate these products highly, with no complaints. And the stainless steel lid fits snugly on the drip-free rim to retain moisture and minimize evaporation.
The quality of encapsulated disk-bottomed pans can vary from good to great, and they are also sold at various price points – though you’ll find they’re generally cheaper than multi-ply. Mauviel’s high standards are apparent in the robust handcrafted construction, superb conductivity and even heating, and professional-grade dimensions and design of this French-made piece. The M’Cook 9-quart stewpan provides perfect conductivity thanks to the quick and even heat distribution of the five bonded layers. A few multi-ply models, such as All-Clad’s D5 line, contain extra layers of steel rather than copper, in order to maximize performance on induction.
The lid is constructed of 304 grade stainless steel, and has a precision fit on the rolled pan lip, designed for clean, dripless pouring of liquids. The sheets of stainless steel have a core of various layers of aluminum, copper, and silver that measures a total 3.8 millimeters in thickness. But the sides are thinner, because they’re stainless steel rather than clad.
We tested six highly rated stockpots—all with a capacity of eight quarts, which we think is the perfect size —to find the very best model on the market. Read on for the reasoning behind our top two picks, how we tested our stockpots, and the other models we considered. You may experience delays in shipping as we are taking the necessary precautions to protect you and our team. We are still working hard to get in-stock items shipped within 24 hours. Also, I worry about smaller amounts of liquid burning in a wide pot, if the liquid barely covers the bottom.
Because of the pot’s size, it can be very pricey, but you really don’t need the same level of performance that you require from a skillet or sauté pan. The goal is to buy a stockpot that will last, but without spending for a build quality that you’ll rarely rely on. Turning to your six-quart Dutch oven, or the eight-quart pasta pot that comes with most cookware sets, can be too limiting for large batches of stock. Stockpots are also our go-to for crowd-feeding dishes like lobster boils.