And since these are made from thin carbon steel with thermal properties similar to that of stainless, they easily develop hotspots, and are best relegated to boiling tasks or making thinner soups. Unfortunately, stainless also has poor heat transfer qualities, which creates hot and colds spots on the cooking surface – and low-quality alloys, while less expensive, will tend to pit and stain. They also recommend cooking with a small amount cuisinart pots and pans set of oil or butter to preserve the nonstick surface. Use wood, silicone, or plastic utensils, avoid metal tools, and store with a pan protector or tea towel to preserve surfaces. Neoflam’s stockpot is dishwasher safe, but they do recommend washing in warm, soapy water with a soft sponge, and to avoid using abrasive cleansers or scouring pads. Neoflam is a multinational company that started as an importer of US and European kitchenware.
The All-Clad has a solid build, but at 5 pounds is surprisingly light for a large, fully-clad pan. All-Clad is the renowned American manufacturer of fine cookware – really, the Cadillac of kitchenware. And this handsome mirror-polished 8-quart stockpot is from their Stainless Collection, one of All-Clad’s most popular lines. They’re great for cooking lobster and crab as well, and can serve as deep fryers, too.
The thick, heavy sidewalls won’t have a huge impact when you’re boiling water or making stock using a traditional gas or electric range. But they can be very beneficial if you’re going to be slow cooking or braising large cuts of meat. I was first taught the value of a good stock pot when I was in culinary school. I learned that a flavorful stock is one of the key (or dare I say “secret”) ingredients in many of the best restaurant dishes. Since 1995, Epicurious has been the ultimate food resource for the home cook, with daily kitchen tips, fun cooking videos, and, oh yeah, over 33,000 recipes. My family really loves making soups on weekends and therefore, we have plenty of this kind of pots, indeed.
The Bayou Classic provides good value relative to cost, particularly with the “Big Daddy” sizes. The Classic Stockpot will work on all stovetops including induction – but, as mentioned above, finding a big enough burner on a non-commercial indoor stove may be a challenge for most of the larger sizes. The asking price is a bit steep for cast aluminum, despite its many fine qualities. But if you enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the Retro stockpot, a few extra dollars may be well worth it for this lovely and highly functional little cooking vessel. Both the body and lid are constructed of cast aluminum, and these work together to create a convection effect within, circulating currents of hot air for more efficient cooking. Made in China, it comes with Calphalon’s limited lifetime warranty to be free of material and manufacturing defects.
The porcelain-coated interior is as easy to clean as Le Creuset’s legendary porcelain-enameled cast iron Dutch ovens and frying pans. And with both the interior and exterior coated with Ecolon, cleanup is fast and easy too. One hundred percent dishwasher safe, cleanup couldn’t be easier – just use a dishwasher detergent that’s free of bleach or citrus additives, or hand wash with warm, soapy water and a soft sponge. Calphalon recommends using plastic, silicone, or wooden utensils to prevent scratching the nonstick surface. The hard-anodized aluminum provides outstanding heat conductivity for energy-efficient performance, and is virtually free of hot spots.
Do not store stockpots when they are still damp and always store them carefully in a dry cupboard area. Avoid stacking and overcrowding to prevent scratching and chipping of the enamel surface. This was especially noticeable when we had to lug it to the sink to strain chicken stock. But despite its heft, it had one of the thinnest bases in our lineup. Therefore, it brought stock to a boil relatively quickly, but we had to keep a keen eye on the onions when sautéing them to avoid scorching. Our winner excelled in comfort; it was light and maneuverable, with rubbery grips on both the pot and the lid.
Much lighter than cast iron, and with far superior thermal properties than stainless steel, cast aluminum is a lightweight and affordable alternative for cookware. Well known for its exceptionally even heat distribution and transfer properties, this means fast cooking and reduced energy consumption for the home cook. The thick aluminum core provides fast and even heating while the high-grade stainless steel retains its good looks well, even with heavy duty use. And the snug-fitted glass lid makes it easy to watch whatever’s cooking. Stockpot with Cover in Stainless Steel – The aluminum encapsulated base heats quickly and spreads heat evenly. The glass lid that comes with this eight-quart stockpot will allow you to keep an eye on your food, and no matter how hot the stockpot gets, the lid will always remain cool.
Today, most nonstick coatings are still made with PTFE, but without PFOA. Almost all are constructed of aluminum, so they’re also lightweight – a feature appreciated by those who find excessive weight to be an issue. And they require the use of only small cuisinart griddler elite amounts of fat, which makes for healthier cooking. Smaller than most of the other stockpots in our review (with the exception of the 3-quart Neoflam, reviewed below), many shoppers report the 4-quart size is ideal for couples and small families.
And robust cast-iron handles easily bear the load of copper, to ensure that this artisanal piece will last for generations when properly tended to. This style with the cast iron handles is also available in a 9.6-quart capacity. This material distributes heat the best, and is the ultimate metal to prevent scorching – important when making thick soups, stews, goulash, and so on. Unless you have an unlimited budget and unlimited storage space, a cooking vessel in the 6- to 8-quart range needs to have greater flexibility, with a multipurpose nature. It should work equally well in the oven and on the range for making thick stews and casseroles, as well as thinner soups or stocks. Dishwasher safe, it comes with Demeyere’s 30-year warranty to be free of manufacturing and material defects.