Sauce Pan Sizes: Know Before You Buy

Sauce Pans are a staple in most of our kitchens. Their versatility is especially important when you’re living in a place with minimal kitchen space or value a minimalist kitchen design (or both!).

Of course, one of the challenges that comes with buying one is determining which size is right for you. Not sure of which size to get?

Read on to learn what you should know before you buy.

What Is a Sauce Pan?

A Sauce Pan is a type of cookware that is round and usually has tall sides, a long handle, and a lid. Just as the name suggests, Sauce Pans are often used for preparing the sauces for your dish.

Their talents aren’t reserved for just that. Sauce Pans can also be used for other types of cooking methods and tasks, such as heating up soups or vegetables or boiling eggs. The tall sides of this cookware makes it a wonderful vessel for cooking up small amounts of all sorts of food.

While all Sauce Pans tend to have this versatility, they do vary in terms of size.

Here, we highlight the different sizes they come in.

What Are the Sauce Pan Sizes?

Sauce Pans come in a wide range of sizes, but they tend to be categorized as small, medium, or large. These are usually determined by how many quarts they can hold.

Though they do exist, small Sauce Pans are less common than the other sizes. The two most common ones are medium and large Sauce Pans, which hold two quarts and four quarts, respectively. Our Sauce Pan actually exists right in between the medium and large sizes, with the ability to hold three quarts.

With the various sizes of Sauce Pans out there, the dimensions of the cookware can also change depending on the brand. Although our cookware each comes as a set size, you might find other Sauce Pans out there that have taller sides with a smaller diameter and vice versa.

Know Before You Buy: Things To Consider

Not all Sauce Pans are made the same, and that’s okay. There are many reasons why a larger or smaller Sauce Pans with a wide or short diameter might serve you better in the kitchen. At the end of the day, you have to think about your cooking needs and what would work best as a tool in your kitchen.

Let’s discuss some of the things you should know about various Sauce Pan sizes and factors to consider before buying one.

Heat Conduction and Retention

A general rule of thumb is that the larger the surface area, the longer it takes to heat up. Therefore, larger Sauce Pans won’t heat up as quickly as smaller pans.

Of course, the downside to the smaller ones heating up so quickly is that you run the risk of burning your food and having it get stuck to the bottom of the cookware. However, with the right material, that issue is avoided.

For example, our Sauce Pan is made with a naturally slick ceramic coating, which ensures that the cookware heats up with no cold spot and cooks food evenly. Additionally, the ceramic creates a non-stick surface, so you wouldn’t have to worry about food sticking to the cookware regardless.

Large Sauce Pans do come in handy when you’re using them for long, slow simmering. If that’s the cooking method you want to pursue, we’d recommend our Dutch Oven. The extra room of the Dutch Oven is ideal for heating up greater quantities of food evenly.

What larger Sauce Pans lack in heat conduction they make up for in heat retention. The size of the Sauce Pans is directly linked to how long it stays hot after removing it from the stovetop. The science of convection and conduction are key to the perfect meal.

Generally speaking, smaller Sauce Pans don’t retain heat as well as larger Sauce Pans because they have less surface area and material to absorb the heat. As a result, they cool down faster.

However, our Sauce Pan, as well as all of the other items in our Cookware Set, are the happy medium—not too small and not too large.

Maneuverability

With all the tossing, flipping, and stirring of food you’d be doing, it’s important to find a Sauce Pan that is easy for you to maneuver. While our Sauce Pan weighs a comfortable 4 pounds, larger Sauce Pans tend to be a little heavier, which makes them more difficult to maneuver.

When you’re cooking a recipe that requires the cookware to sit on the stove for a long period of time, such as with simmering, a larger Sauce Pan isn’t the worst option.

However, if you’re using the cookware for cooking methods that require constant transferring on and off the stove, a more lightweight Sauce Pan that is easier to handle would be better for you. Ultimately, the size that you choose for your Sauce Pan should take into account what you primarily want to use it for.

Stovetop Space

It makes sense that the larger your cookware is, the less you’ll be able to fit on your stovetop. Most stovetops can hold up to four 4-quart Sauce Pans. Some are slightly narrower than that and would naturally only be able to hold fewer.

Regardless of your stovetop’s size, you do have to be mindful of the other pots and pans that sit on it. It’s hard to determine what all can sit on your stovetop if you’re buying all different sizes.

To play it safe, it’s good to buy sets that include cookware of similar sizes. Not only does that ensure that you won’t be struggling for room on your stovetop, but you’ll have exactly what you need: no clutter included.

Storage

As you can imagine, bigger cookware takes up more space in your kitchen. If you’re living with a smaller kitchen, you have to utilize your space well to ensure that there’s no clutter or cookware sticking out of every which way.

If you’ve taken everything into consideration and decide that a large Sauce Pan is the way to go for you, then there are definitely ways that you can accommodate it in your kitchen. However, if you’re learning towards a smaller one, or perhaps you’re still unsure, we'd have to recommend our entire Cookware Set from Caraway.

The Cookware Set comes with the 3-quart Sauce Pan as well as all the other cookware items. Cooking is only part of the fun. Choosing a unique color to match the aesthetic of your kitchen is also an essential part of home design. But ultimately, beautiful design is all about intentionality, which boils down to smart storage solutions.

Our Cookware Set comes with a free storage unit, including the Magnetic Pan Racks and the Canvas Lid Holder. With these units, you don’t have to worry about where you can store your cookware. Keeping your Cookware Set stored properly ensures easy access while you’re making your way through your favorite recipes.

A Sauce Pan That Fits Like a Glove

Just like with any decision in your life, it’s important to weigh your needs as well as your options. If you look for kitchen essentials armed with the right knowledge, take everything you need to into consideration, then you’re guaranteed to find a Sauce Pan that fits like a glove.

Sources: How Cooking Works: Convection and Conduction | The Spruce Eats How to Measure Stove Tops | Hunker 29 Minimalist Kitchen Ideas - Tips for Designing a Minimalist Kitchen | Elle Decor The Difference Between a Sauté Pan and a Saucepan | Food Network