Saucepan Sizes
Saucepans are small pots with deep sides and long handles that can be used to craft everything from a simple roux to complex sauces. Most saucepans hold between 3 and 5 quarts and can be found hanging up by the cookline or simmering sauces on burners in most kitchens.
Saucepan Size Chart
| Size | Capacity (qt.) | Diameter (in.) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 1-3 | 5-8 | Small portions |
| Medium | 3-6 | 7-9 | Most sauces, general cooking tasks |
| Large | 6-10 | 9-12 | Mother sauces, soups, boiling |
Saucepan Sizes Explained
Small
Small saucepans between 1 and 3 quarts are ideal for small sauces, glazes, or syrups. High-volume operations may rarely use small saucepans, while contemporary-casual and fine dining restaurants often keep several on hand.
Medium
Medium, holding between 3 and 6 quarts, are the most common in commercial kitchens. They're used for reducing complex sauces, but their versatile size enables many different cooking styles in small quantities.
Large
Large saucepans hold 6 or more quarts and are used for making mother sauces (béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato), which can later be converted to other sauces by adding extra aromatics and ingredients. They also work well for cooking grains, boiling food, or braising meat. For bulk sauces in large-scale operations, consider purchasing a steam kettle.
How to Choose the Right Saucepan
Saucepans are differentiated by different features:
- Handle Style: Hollow, solid, or silicone-covered options
- Saucepan Sides: Straight or flared
- Material: Aluminum, stainless steel, mixed metal, or copper
Choose your saucepans with these factors in mind:
- Menu: Sauce-heavy menus benefit from multiple small and medium saucepans
- Product Output: Use large saucepans in high-volume operations
- Cooking Needs: Straight-sided models are best for delicate sauces, while flared sides suit longer cooking at low temperatures
- Speed vs. Durability: Aluminum heats faster; stainless steel is more durable
Saucepan Sizes FAQ
How to measure saucepan sizes?
You can measure a saucepan's capacity with several methods:
- Fill it to the top with a quart measuring cup to determine volume
- Check the pot itself; some saucepans have the size written on them
- Measure its dimensions, calculate volume (volume = π × r2 × height), and convert cubic inches to quarts (1 quart = 57.75 in.3). Note: this formula only works with straight-sided saucepans. Finding the volume of flared saucepans involves more complex calculations
How big is a 11⁄2-quart saucepan?
Small saucepans holding 11⁄2 quarts are typically 5 to 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall.
How big is a 2-quart saucepan?
2-quart saucepans are usually between 6 and 8 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall.
What size is a 3-quart saucepan?
Most 3-quart saucepans are 8 to 9 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall.
How big is a 41⁄2-quart saucepan?
Saucepans holding 41⁄2 quarts are typically between 8 and 9 inches in diameter and between 5 and 6 inches tall.
Shop All Saucepan Sizes at KaTom
Whether you need several smaller saucepans for reducing individual sauces or a large one for bulk preparation, you can find every saucepan size at KaTom.
