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The Winners, at a Glance
The Cuisinart MultiClad Pro’s build is rock-solid, with riveted handles, a snug-fitting lid, and triple-ply stainless steel cladding (a core of aluminum sandwiched between layers of stainless steel) from the base to the top of the pot’s wall. The wide, flat handles are very comfortable and leave plenty of space for oven-mitt-covered hands. The thick base layer manages heat well, which means you’re less likely to burn your food.
If you’re the type of cook who forgets to use oven mitts when reaching for hot pots, the rubbery grips on the Cook N Home stockpot might just save you from a painful burn. This stockpot has a disc of stainless steel and aluminum cladding on the bottom only, which shouldn’t present a problem in most cooking scenarios. Still, you’ll need to pay closer attention because food tends to scorch more quickly in this pot than in our top pick.
This budget pick from Vigor has a tri-ply clad base for even heating and it browned mirepoix evenly in our testing. It also has a stainless steel lid (compared to the glass lid that comes with the Cook N Home) and its handles stick out far from the sides, making it easy to grab even when it’s full of boiling water. It’s another good budget stockpot, though it’s a little wide and might not fit great on smaller burners.
We think most home cooks will be well served with a 12-quart stockpot, but if you know you need a bigger size—to make larger batches of stock, huge pots of soups, or lobster boils for a very large crowd—then you may want to consider owning a 16-quart pot as well. The Tramontina is our top pick for this larger size. It shares the same build quality as the 12-quart version, which we also tested. Its shortcomings are minor, and, for the price, it’s the best we found.
The All-Clad stockpot is extremely well-built with sturdy rivets, wide, comfortable handles, and the tightest fitting lid out of all the models we tested. A full pound lighter than the Cuisinart, it was slightly more maneuverable, and its flared lip was easy to pour from.
Do I need a stockpot?
That depends on how much space you have in your kitchen, and how often you plan on performing tasks that require a large-format pot. If you have the room to store it, we suggest investing in a 12-quart stockpot. You may not use it every day, but when you need its large capacity, youll be glad to have it on hand.
Kitchen Equipment Expert’s Favorite Stockpots
Is a 12 quart stockpot a good size?
For most home kitchen tasks, we think a 12-quart stockpot is an ideal size and large enough for making big batches of stock or sauce. Going with a smaller stockpot, like one that’s eight quarts, means the pot is very similar in volume to a 6- or 8-quart Dutch oven.
Can a stock pot be too big?
Stock pots come in a variety of sizes, and using one that is either too big or too small can hurt your cooking, like causing ingredients to steam rather than sear or liquid to evaporate too rapidly. Here’s what you need to know about the differences between the most common sizes—6, 8, and 12 QT—so you can decide which one best suits your needs.
Should I buy a 12 quart stock pot?
Go larger, like a 12-quart stock pot and storage and maneuverability become real issues. Eight-quart stock pots can boil a few pounds of pasta, yield more than four quarts of stock, and cook a large batch of long-simmering Sunday sauce, all while stacking and stowing easily when not in use.
What is the difference between 8 quart and 12 quart stock pot?
Our 8 QT Stock Pot features a cooking surface diameter of 9.75″, so you can sear pieces of meat for a stew or brown turkey for chili without the risk of overcrowding the pot. 12 Quart Stock Pot A 12 QT stock pothas all the functionality of its 8 QT counterpart, just with more cooking space.