Then we tested heat conduction by boiling water and cooking 24 ounces of lasagna noodles in each pot. We tracked how long it took to bring the water to temperature and how easy it was to drain the noodles after they’d reached an al dente texture.
We also cooked 1 pound of beans in each pot, as a test of how easy they were for using slightly smaller volumes of food, and what it felt like to have to reach inside the pot while it’s hot.
Lastly, we moved the pans in and out of the oven while hot and full, to test their maneuverability and oven-friendliness.
In addition to the cooking tests, we took note of the general features of each pot: their heights, widths, weights, handle shapes, lid material and fit. Things we considered
The name says it all: An eight-quart stock pot is the right size for making a fully loaded batch of stock.
Zach DeSart
Capacity
How big of a stock pot do you really need? We think you need a large stockpot, but not too large. We believe that for the average home, eight quarts is the perfect size. Go smaller and you teeter into normal pot territory, only able to make a small amount of broth. 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. You definitely need one big pot in your kitchen, and eight quarts is exactly how big.
Shape and height
Even after controlling for capacity, the shape and height of the stock pots we tested varied greatly. Finding the perfect pot on the spectrum from short and wide to tall and narrow has a lot to do with personal preference, but there are some universal factors to consider. Shorter and wider pots stacked more easily with the others we own, which made them easier to store after use, easier to reach into for stirring and flipping foods, and also more versatile for using in the oven. The narrower pots, however, took up less space on our stove, which made it easier to do other cooking tasks while our stock simmered away on a back burner.
Weight and handles
Pot thickness and handle size and shape are important with larger stock pots, specifically; moving a full pot from the sink to the stove or the stove to the oven with oven mitts on is a challenge if your cookware is super heavy or difficult to grasp. We lugged each pot, full of boiling water, around the kitchen a bit to make sure it was easy to maneuver.
Material
Almost every stock pot we tested was stainless steel, with a matching stainless-steel lid. For even cooking, lifelong durability, cooktop compatibility (induction or gas), and dishwasher friendliness, it’s really the only choice, which is why our top and budget picks were both made from this material. Two models (the RSVP and Cook N Home), though stainless steel themselves, came with a glass lid. It was nice to be able to see through the lid to check if our water was boiling we suppose, but the lids were harder to clean and weren’t nearly as durable. The one outlier was the Le Creuset, which is enamel-coated carbon steel. We stayed away from nonstick stock pots because, as with all nonstick cookware, the coatings only last a few years, can’t be used over high heat, and it won’t come handy for most stock pot projects. While we concede that nonstick frying pan can be useful there’s no reason to have a nonstick stock pot (if you’re looking for our best nonstick skillets, click here). Similarly we stayed away from all aluminum stock pots because we thought they wouldn’t be as durable.
Cooks Standard 8-Quart Stainless Steel Stock Pot
The Cooks Standard 8-quart Stainless Steel stock pot is a solid budget pick and has a 10-year warranty. It’s very similar to the Cuisinart, but just a tad taller, apparently due to a thicker aluminum-core plate at the bottom. Its looping handles are easy to grip and stay cooler than smaller ones while over the heat. But we prefer the flatter handle shape of the handles on the Cuisinart and the All-Clad—they’re just as roomy, but a little thicker, and their flatness provides better support when moving the pots around when full and heavy. Finally, the extra inch-or-so of height on the Cooks Standard limits its versatility.
Made-In Stainless Clad Stock Pot
The Made-In Stainless Clad stock pot is another wide and short option, second in width only to the winning All-Clad model. We appreciated the wide, flat handles on this pot, which made it easy to move even while wearing bulky oven mitts, and the five-ply construction, which makes it oven-safe up to a whopping 800°F. The price point knocked this pot out of the running for the budget category, and as a brand, Made-In is just too new to be able to claim the kind of long term durability of All-Clad. But we really like this pot and with extended use could easily see it claiming the top spot in the future.
Le Creuset Enamel-on-Steel 8-Quart Stock Pot with Lid
The Le Creuset Enamel-on-Steel 8-Quart stock pot with Lid is, like most other products from this iconic brand, a total looker. The color choices are fun and playful, but online reviewers warn that the coating chips over time and bemoan the fact that it isn’t dishwasher-safe. The tall, skinny shape took up little space on our stove, heated quickly, and featured a “stay cool” knob on the lid, but we preferred the stainless-steel models we tested for durability.
RSVP International Endurance 8-Quart Stock Pot
The RSVP International Endurance 8-Quart stock pot was the tallest, narrowest, and lightest weight stock pot we tested. We liked the large loop handles, which were comfortable to hold, and the glass lid with a steam vent, which makes it easy to see when water is boiling or keep an eye on your sauce. While it’s unlikely you’d need to go much hotter for anything in this pot, the lid is oven-safe only to 450°F. Also, the pot felt a little flimsier than the others we tested.
Cook N Home Stainless-Steel 8-Quart Stock Pot
The Cook N Home Stainless-Steel 8-Quart stock pot made our testing list because of its thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon. It’s very inexpensive, easy to clean, and features an encapsulated aluminum disc in the base for even heating. But despite the fact that it weighs the same as the All-Clad (five pounds) , it felt thinner in our hands. Similar to the RSVP model, we liked the tempered glass lid for peeking in on our cooking projects, but the silicone handles and topper preclude the pot from being oven-safe in a useful way.
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