Shop for Saucepans, Milkpans and Chef's Pans

Saucepans, Milk Pans and Chef Pans

Saucepans are one of the most common pan type found in the kitchen. A saucepan is a cooking vessel generally used on the hob for heating food and reducing sauces. Typical saucepans have one long handle, a diameter of 16 to 20 centimetres and a capacity of 1.5 to 3 litres. Deep saucepans are also available in the standard diameters, but with taller bodies for more capacity. These deep saucepans usually have an extra 'helper handle' to aid lifting. Smaller saucepans without lids are called milk pans, and these usually have one or two pouring spouts on the rim. A version of the milk pan with a short vertical handle is called a milk pot or sauce pot. Even smaller pans are generally used for melting butter. Chef pans are also included in the saucepan group. They have a rounded bottom and combine the features of a saucepan, frying pan and stir-fry, which makes them a very versatile pan. The word 'pots' is a general term that is often used instead of 'saucepans'.

Saucepans are made from a variety of materials - stainless steel, stainless steel and aluminium sandwich (also known as three-ply or clad), hard anodised aluminium, cast aluminium, copper, enamelled cast iron, enamelled aluminium and enamelled steel. Some saucepans have a non-stick coating on the interior. These materials all have different properties, which you should consider before buying. Click on the names below for more information on each of the saucepans or visit our cookware guide, which contains more information on materials, as well as a cookware comparison chart that summarises features of the saucepans available from the Pots and Pans website.