Sourcing the best saucepans

It’s easy to overlook saucepans when recalling the heroes of the kitchen; with fancy hi-tech gadgets appearing on countertops, such as slow cookers and roasters, saucepans can feel a little basic. However, regardless of how many fancy gadgets you’ve kitted your kitchen out with, there’s no denying that saucepans remain timeless, versatile and, above all, faithful cooking companions. Whether you’re whisking up a hot milky drink, reducing a sauce, preparing pasta or rice, boiling vegetables or just getting to grips with a tin of beans on toast, saucepans have the solution.

So it makes sense that, being one of the most used pieces of equipment in the kitchen, you should spend a respectful amount of time deciding which saucepans are right for you.

Saucepans: the basic facts

Let’s talk about saucepans! These kitchen gadgets are intended for use on top of a hob or gas range and, with a huge range of sizes available, you’re sure to find just the right saucepans to suit you. Ideally, you’ll want three saucepans in the kitchen; a small one (possibly with a pouring spout) for heating up sauces, soups and milk, a medium sized one, for cooking up pasta and rice, and, finally, a larger saucepan for boiling vegetables and potatoes in.

As a basic rule of thumb, it’s worth remembering that high sided saucepans are the ones you’ll turn to when heating foods with a liquid content (stews, chillis and so on), while saucepans with lower sides are perfect for reducing sauces.

Safety first with saucepans

When hunting down your perfect set of saucepans, try looking for those with long arm handles, or handles with heat resistant coverings. As saucepans spend a lot of their time above a flame or heat source, the longer the handles are the better; not only can flames scorch handles on saucepans, but it can also make them too hot. In fact, when using metal saucepans, make sure to always use a cloth or oven glove when removing them from the heat – you’ll thanks us when your hand emerges burn free.