What Is A Stock Pot?

What is a stock pot? You cannot understand the importance of having a stock pot in your kitchen if you are not sure what a stock pot is and what it is suitable for. The legendary French chef Aguste Escoffier once said, “stocks are the keynote of culinary structure.”

But this kitchen tool can do more than just cook stock. Whether it is family gatherings, parties, or friendly hangouts, a stock pot is just the right cookware for the job.

However, most people are reluctant to spend money on large kitchenware like a stock pot because they are uncertain about its use. In this article, I will tell you what a stock pot is and why you need at least one in your kitchen.

Making Stock Or Stews — Even if you are not a fan of making stock or stews, having a stock pot at home is very handy.

Everything You Need To Know About Stock Pot

Chicken Soup Broth — Stock pots are essential tool for every kitchen.

A stock pot is a large, wide, and circular pot with a high wall that can cook a great volume of food. The bottom is flat, with two handles on opposite sides and a lid with a top handle to cover the pot. ⁽¹⁾

Designed for cooking large batches of food, a stock pot is the largest cookware in any kitchen. A stock pot is super durable and versatile in use. The best recipes that stock pots can handle are stocks, soups, stews, pasta, steamed vegetables, or sauce.

Stock pots are perfect for cooking broth and large batches of food. They are great for family gatherings or small parties at home. Whether you want to make chicken soup or a lot of Italian pasta, you should have this tool at your service.

Stock pots are made with a variety of materials, with each material varying in quality and price. Stainless steel is the most common material in stock pots due to its durable and non-reactive nature.

Aluminum is the lower-quality variant and more economical. This metal is less durable and more reactive to elements, so it can affect the taste of your foods. I will cover more materials for making stock pots in the upcoming sections.

Learn about the qualities you should look for in choosing the best pots for your kitchen!

Watch this video: How To Choose Your Premium Cooking Pots

What Defines A Good Stock Pot?

Metal Stock Pot With Soup — A good stock pot needs to have many outstanding traits.

On a search for the perfect stock pot for a long while, I have come to an unfulfilling but truthful conclusion: No stock pot is completely perfect; some are more suitable in certain aspects than others. Price is not the only factor that dictates the quality of a stock pot.

Learn about the best stock pots to add some to your cookware collection.

Watch this video: 5 Best Stock Pot For Cooking

Size

Size doesn’t define the quality of a stock pot. However, the right size stock pot can improve the quality of your cooking and space efficiency.

Stock pots are not measured in width and height but in volume or the amount of liquid they can hold. People measure the size of stock pots in quarts (1 quart is equal to 32 ounces or 0.94 liter).

There are plenty of sizes, but stock pots for household usage usually come in 4 main sizes: 6-quart, 8-quart, 12-quart, and 16-quart. The volume can even go up to 40 quarts. Each size offers a different serving capability, and some are better for certain dishes than others.

A 6-quart stock pot offers 12 servings in a batch, and it’s good for cooking stock, pasta, soups, stews, and curries. A stock pot with a volume of 8 quarts can perform the same task, but it, of course, can handle a larger amount of food.

Meanwhile, you can cook for 24 – 26 people with 12 – 14-quart stock pots. They allow you to prepare an even larger quantity of stock. Even better, if you want to steam whole lobsters, corn cobs, or large chunks of meat, these large pots are an excellent choice.

People rarely use extra-large stock pots for household uses. 20 – 40-quart ones are for canning, brewing beer, or preparing food in restaurants.

Cooking Pot With Brine — It’s important to pick the stock pot with the right size for better cooking experiences.

Material

The material of a stock pot directly affects its quality. Each material comes with its advantages and disadvantages. Here are some common materials in stock pots:

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a popular material used in stock pot manufacture due to its durability and good heat conduction capability. A stock pot with good heat conduction will distribute the heat evenly inside the pot and cook your food more efficiently.

Stainless steel is also a non-reactive material, which doesn’t react with elements in foods and alter their taste or cause discoloration.

In an environment such as a kitchen, cookware should come with good durability to withstand heat and bumping without changing its original qualities.

In that sense, stainless steel is the best choice for its hardness and durability: this metal is resistant to scratches and dents. It’s also lightweight and easy to clean.

Non-Stick

Many non-stick stock pots are made of aluminum, though stainless steel is another popular choice. The non-stick layer of the pot prevents food from sticking to the base.

With non-stick stock pots, you have to be extra careful since the non-stick layer can be damaged by impact from other things, like metal utensils.

Aluminum

Aluminum is the second most popular material in the stock pot market due to its affordable price. Aluminum is good at heat-conducting, which makes it easier to spread heat evenly in a shorter amount of time. This gives aluminum a more favorable choice in large-scale cooking. ⁽²⁾

Aluminum is softer and more lightweight than stainless steel, which makes it easier to carry. However, a lower price also means more downsides. The problems with aluminum are its soft nature and high reactivity.

Its softness makes it more prone to scratches and staining, while being a reactive metal causes it to interact with elements in foods, thus changing its flavors and colors. Also, aluminum is very vulnerable to dents which can lead to instability in heat conduction.

Preparing Chicken In Stock — Different materials come with different qualities and prices.

Hard-Anodized Aluminum

Hard-anodized aluminum stock pots are made from electrochemically-treated aluminum. This enhanced aluminum is more sturdy than normal stainless steel and better at resisting scratching.

This material is relatively non-stick and non-reactive to foods. It’s also oven safe and easy to clean. This type of pot is heavier than traditional aluminum stock pots due to its coating. You shouldn’t wash anodized aluminum in a dishwasher.

Iron-Clad And Ceramics

There are also more durable materials in the market, such as iron-clad and ceramics. An iron-clad pot is fairly heavy, but it’s not very likely to show any sign of damage even when you drop them.

On the other hand, although ceramics are durable, they can break or crack when getting bumped or dropped.

Thai Noodle Soup In Pot — It can be a nuisance if you opt for a cheaper option at the cost of durability.

Multi-Clad

Multi-clad pots come with multiple layers of different materials (up to 7 layers). A tri-ply pot is also a type of multi-clad pot. This type of pot tends to be heavier, but it is also much more durable and resistant to impact or stains.

Multi-clad pots include an aluminum core to conduct and distribute heat evenly, with outer layers being stainless steel and cladding on the sides. Multi-clad pots can be used on the stovetop and in the oven.

Porcelain-Enameled Steel

Porcelain-enameled stock pots are made of good quality carbon steel coated with porcelain enamel. They are lightweight, durable, and safe to use in an oven or dishwasher.

Some pots come with a stainless steel rim to reinforce durability. This kind of pot is good at distributing heat evenly and quickly.

They don’t react to acidic foods and are quite non-stick. However, the colorful enamel exterior is prone to chip or crack with strong impact. Porcelain-enameled stock pots are not dishwasher safe.

Porcelain-enameled stock pots usually have a seamless coating with heatproof handles on both sides and on the lids.

Kitchen Stock Pots — One amazing feature of porcelain-enameled stock pots is their aesthetic looks.

Heat Conduction

Heat conduction is a common criteria to judge a stock pot. This quality can directly affect how your food is cooked and how much time it takes to finish your food. In this aspect, there are three factors you should consider: size, construction, and material.

Bigger stock pots will need more time to heat up evenly than smaller ones since they have more space for the heat to reach. 6-quart stock pots boil water the fastest.

A stock pot has a unique construction of a narrow base and tall sides, which means the base takes less time to heat up and the heat will reach all parts of the pot faster.

Lastly, material plays an important role in heat conduction too. Aluminum and hard-anodized aluminum are very good at conducting heat, superior to stainless steel in that aspect.

Vegetables In Pot — Heat conduction should be a top priority when choosing a stock pot.

Affordability

Price is also a criterion to define a good stock pot. Stainless steel bestows high quality on any stock pot, which, in return, results in a higher price. Aluminum and non-stick pots are cheaper, but they come with some downsides.

Hard-anodized aluminum stock pots are more expensive than aluminum pots, but they cost less than stainless stock pots. Multi-clad and porcelain-enameled stainless steel stock pots are among the most expensive.

Regarding price and quality, stainless steel pots are the best choice for a household kitchen. They can last a lifetime if you keep them properly, making a sure-win investment for your kitchenware.

You Should Pay Attention To These Special Features Of Stock Pots

Certain stock pots come with remarkable features that assist you a lot in your kitchen work. Here are some notable features:

Stock Pots With Lids — Additional features can come in handy in many cooking situations.

Tight-Fitting Lids

Lids are essential to retaining heat in any kind of pot. Lids in stock pots are good for preventing plashes as the base bubbling also. Lids usually come in 2 options: glass lids and metal lids.

With a glass lid, you can see the contents and monitor cooking better. But a lid made of stainless steel is more durable and expensive.

Lids Stock Pot — Lids are also an important factor when it comes to choosing a good stock pot.

Oven-Safe

Not every stock pot is safe with an oven, especially the glass and ceramics kinds. If you want to use your stock pot as a food container to put into the oven, look for some kind of oven-safe stock pot. Those stock pots are more resilient in high temperatures than others.

Most metal pots, such as aluminum, stainless steel, or cast-iron pots, are safe in the oven.

Homemade Artisan Bread — Always read the manufacturer’s description about oven safety before putting your pot into the oven.

Dishwasher-Safe

If you own a dishwasher, it’s better to check if your stock pots will be fine in a dishwasher. Most aluminum and stainless stock pots are safe in dishwashers. Some heavier glass stock pots are not suitable for dishwashers.

Wash Stock Pots — You should wash some types of stock pots by hand since the dishwasher can cause damage to them.

Heatproof Handles

Made of stainless steel and plastic wrap, heatproof handles will prevent your hands (as well as your children’s) from getting burnt by the heat from the pot. But not every stock pot comes with this feature.

Strainer

A strainer is extremely handy when you want to strain your ingredients out dry and clean without touching the water, especially with pasta or macaroni. Some stock pot brands include strainers in the purchase.

Stainers Stock Pot — Stainers are useful when it comes to stock pot because your stock needs a lot of straining.

Enamel

Enameled stock pots are made with metal and coated with a layer of enamel to further increase durability and prevent scratches. Enameled stock pots come in many colors, unlike normal steel pots.

Stackable Feature

If your kitchen space is a bit small, stackable stock pots are there to solve your storage problem. These features enable your set of stock pots to be stacked, thus only taking up one space in your cabinet. Your stock pots are also in a better storage condition that way.

Best Stock Pot Brands To Buy

There are various brands that you can choose to get your new cookware from. Here are the best recommendations that I can give:

All-Clad

All-Clad is one of the most trusted cookware suppliers out there. I recommend you buy this Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 8-quart stock pot. It has a wide base for sauteing before cooking. The tri-ply construction is super durable and good at heat conducting.

Opt for a 6-quart stock pot if you need a smaller one for your kitchen. The product is worth any dime spent.

Le Creuset

Le Creuset’s enameled stock pots are the most well-known for their quality. Go for a Le Creuset enamel on steel 8-quart stockpot if you are looking for a beautiful stock pot with good durability.

Tramontina

Tramontina is a more affordable brand for household use. If you are looking for a good stock pot at a reasonable price, go for this Tramontina hard anodized 8-quart stock pot.

People who prefer ceramic stock pots should check out this Tramontina ceramic 6-quart stock pot. With a copper porcelain-enameled pot like this one, you won’t have to worry much about keeping it clean.

Cuisinart

Cuisinart is extremely versatile when it comes to cookware. Take a look at this Cuisinart 6-Quart stainless stock pot with a high impact bonded base and good heat conduction. A tempered glass lid and handles are an added bonus.

Types of Kitchenware That Are Similar To Stock Pots

If you need to cook a large batch of food but no stock pot is around, there are some other types of cookware that you can use as alternatives.

Properties	Stock pot	Soup pot	Large saucepan	Dutch oven
Shape	Narrow base, very tall sides	Wide base, relatively tall sides	Narrow base, short sides	Wide base, shallow sides
Size	Generally the largest	Large	Large	Large
Weight	Lightweight	Heavy	Lightweight	Heavy
Material	Diverse	Diverse	Diverse	Mostly cast-iron
Best use	Stock and broth	Soups	Sauces	Stews and braised foods
Handle(s)	2 handles on both sides	2 handles on both sides	One long handle	2 handles on both sides
Heat conduction	Heat distributed to faster all parts	Heat concentrated at the base	Heat spread to faster all parts	Slower heat conduction

Shape And Size

From the table, you can see these look-alike cookwares have some aspects that set them apart. Stock pots have narrow bases and super tall sides to hold a lot of liquid inside, while soup pots have wider bases with a little shorter sides to hold denser content like soup.

Dutch ovens are as wide as stock pots, but their sides are much shorter. As for saucepans, they are both narrow and squat.

About the average size, a stock pot is the largest pot in the kitchen, whereas a soup pot, a saucepan, and a Dutch oven are relatively the same size.

Weight And Material

Regarding the weight of cookware with the same volume and material, a stock pot is quite light due to its thin base, while the rest are heavier. A Dutch oven is the heaviest tool because of its cast-iron material.

That feature makes Dutch ovens very special. Because they are made almost exclusively of cast iron, they can withstand high heat (up to 450°F). Meanwhile, other types of pots come in a variety of materials, such as stainless steel, aluminum, or ceramics.

Other Features

Judging by the name, you can tell that stock pots are good at cooking stock, soup pots are best for soups, and people create saucepans to prepare sauce or small quantities of food. Dutch ovens, on the other hand, are good at slow cooking, such as stews and braises.

Regarding handle design, saucepans have one long-extended handle, whereas the rest come with two handles on both sides.

The last quality is heat conduction. Both stock pots and saucepans have thin bases to distribute heat faster and more evenly to the sides. By contrast, soup pots and Dutch ovens come with thicker bottoms to prevent food from burning.

Types Of Cookware Pot — Various types of cookware have the same look, but they are made for different purposes.

Foods To Cook With Stock Pots

There are tons of foods that you can cook with your stock pot. It’s time to impress your friend and your family with these recipes:

Vegetable Broth

Vegetable broth is easy to prepare, but few people can do it correctly. It’s not easy to keep the crunchy texture and unique taste of the vegetables. This recipe will save you from all failed experiments.

Learn how to cook organic vegetable broth for your family.

Watch this video: How To Easily Make Your Own Vegetable Broth At Home

Chicken And Rice Soup

Chicken and rice soup is a healthy soup perfect for cold weather. It comes with vegetables and brown rice cooked in chicken stock for a sweeter flavor.

Corn On The Cob

Those corn cobs are so flavorful, fresh, and rich in taste. The best side dish or main dish to eat in the summertime. You will be so obsessed with this simple yet delicious dish.

Pasta

There are so many pasta variants for you to choose from, from classic spaghetti to lasagne and linguine. Every kind of pasta needs a stock pot to make. Time to take your stock pot out!

FAQs

The above article has covered most aspects you should know regarding stock pot, but I have more knowledge to share with you in this section.

Can I deep fry food in a stock pot?

The construction of a stock pot is ideal for deep frying. The narrow surface and the tall sides save you from using too much oil. The heat conduction of stock pots is good, especially the stainless steel variants. This means your oil will be heated up better and evenly.

What are tips on cleaning a stock pot?

Always make sure you remove any excess fat or oil that is stuck inside the stock pot. I recommend using warm water to break down those stubborn stains.

If you don’t get rid of all the remaining substances on the pot, mold will grow on those stains, potentially causing food poisoning.

How to clean a burnt stock pot?

Due to the thin construction of most stock pots, I recommend avoiding using scrubbers, which will potentially leave scratches on the pots. A soft sponge is good enough for the job.

For the burnt spots, you can use water with vinegar and heat it until it boils for 2 minutes. After that, add a few teaspoons of baking soda to eradicate the burnt spots. Gently scrub your pots again with a soft sponge to wipe them away.

Can I use a stock pot as a skillet?

In some emergencies, you can use your stock pot as a frying pan even though a stock pot is not designed for this task.

However, the tall side of the stock pot makes it harder to flip the ingredients. Also, a skillet with a large base and shallow sides concentrates heat better in the middle to cook the food, while a stock pot spreads heat to unnecessary parts.

How do I know my stock pot size?

This information is usually included in the label or packaging. Otherwise, you can measure the width and height of the pot, then do some simple calculations to find out. If you measure in inches, remember that 1 quart equals 57.75 cubic inches.

A Few Words On Stock Pots

A stock pot is the largest cookware in your kitchen and is suitable for special tasks. Great power comes with great responsibility! A stock pot can perform exceptionally well in handling a great volume of food.

It’s always good to have a stock pot available in your kitchen: this tool will save you from a lot of trouble preparing food for parties or gatherings. Before you leave, remember to like and share this useful article!