Read the full comparison here: prudentreviews.com/saucepan-vs-saucier/ Want to know when brands like All-Clad, Made In, HexClad, and KitchenAid go on sale? Join our free newsletter to get deal alerts, giveaways, and exclusive content: prudentreviews.com/newsletter/
Nice choice of topic. I own both but often wondered why sauciers aren't the default choice for starter sets. Glad you mentioned cleaning -- sauciers are both easier to clean AND easier to remove every bit of food (such as rice with a silicon spatula). However sauce pans have one other advantage over sauciers, which is that many manufacturers offer a high quality stainless steel steamer insert for their 3-4 qt saucepans. These inserts are overpriced (All-Clad charges $70), but they have great capacity (typically 3 quarts) and are an incredible pleasure to use compared to steamer baskets.
I contend that what’s best, overall, is to have a larger sauce pan, such as a 3 qt, and a smaller saucier, like a 2qt size…for the home chef, each of these in those approximate sizes, is most likely to accommodate the specific needs of each pan, and the saucer is still capable of carrying out the duties for what you might need a small sauce pan.
Yea I’m thinking this is probably the ideal setup for a home cook. I was actually thinking of buying a similar setup with a slight tweak. The saucier will likely be my go to workhorse in the kitchen so I was thinking about getting a more expensive 2qt saucier that has a copper core, sauces often have like milk, cheeses and sugars which are easy to burn to having increased control over the temp with copper will be helpful. Also, if I want to boil a liquid in the saucier it will be nice to have that water boil like 30seconds faster due to the copper. Maybe even go for an allcad G5 for graphite if I can’t find copper saucier alternatives for cheaper since graphite seems to perform better in every way. Then my big change from your setup is using a 3qt Yukihira instead of a standard saucepan. 3qt saucepans can become quite heavy especially if you opt for copper cores. So a Yukihira represents a way to cheaply and effectively make a lightweight pan that can heat liquids very quickly due to being so thin. Some Yukihiras are basically just multilayer stockpots wearing a Yukihira costume, but well designed Yukihiras will typically be 1 layer of metal, the reason for the hammer marks is to improve the durability of the metal in order to facilitate a thinner metal to be used. Very high quality yukihiras will usually have hammer marks on the inside and bottom of the pan as well. Some well designed Yukihiras will have almost a corrugated style bend in the bottom to help prevent the pan from warping. Traditionally these pans were made out of aluminum, but its more common to see stainless steel versions of them these days. In particular some of the well designed ones will use a 21-0 stainless steel which is important because 18-8 or 18-10 stainless isn’t usable on induction and thus not suited to pans that only have one layer of metal. 21-0 is a higher quality version of 18-0 that is more durable and corrosion resistant, while still being magnetic. Also, a really great benefit of this type of stainless is there is no nickel in it, which makes it healthier from a toxic metal leaching standpoint which is especially important since I will primarily be cooking tomato sauce and boiling water in this type of pan. Whats interesting about cooking liquids is that the liquid basically functions like a pan material (its basically pointless to preheat pans that are cooking liquids), you don’t really need to worry about heat retention or hotspots because the liquid will transfer that heat for you, and this is why a Yukihira is able to get away with a “cheap” pan design because the goal is to just transfer heat as quickly as possible into the liquid.
Holy cow. You don´t want to know how long i searched how much qt (Quart) is in liter (and how many different Quart existed, especially in Germany)... for the rest of the world: 1 qt is 0,94 liters... so... basically a liter.
Working for a technology company I was frequently asked what is the best computer to buy. Typically it was a question I never had to answer, by asking: What is it you want to do and how important is the result? Ideally - unlike most cookware reviews - the construction of the cooking tool should optimize the properties of what is being cooked and the desired result. To me, in taking that approach, Demeyere is among the very few in the gold standard category and that philosophy is evident in their sauce pot and conical saucier. Sauce Pot: Optimized primarily for cooking with liquids they optimize the bottom of the pan for the application of heat and focus on tight fitting lids. Nothing is being cooked on the walls of the pan and the heat is continually circulated by convection currents, with little need for manual intervention (reducing the importance of very rounded corners). Saucier: Optimized for cooking foods with higher viscosities, greater sensitivity to maintaining precise temperatures and require and more manual intervention. Control of heat (speed and distribution) are important on all surfaces of the saucier and with more frequent manipulation of the food also playing a role, tight fitting lids are not nearly as important (little return on investment). Wisely, Demeyere's approach seems to be: "save where something provides little value to achieving a better result but using the savings to invest in things that provide much greater utility (eg. adding technology to optimize induction cooking) I certainly agree with your recommendation that, if you can only have one, go with the saucier (but add a tight fitting lid). The full cladding isn't going to hurt (just be aware of the heat distribution, over the entire pan). The broader benefits that apply to use across a wider range of foods are available when needed. I think that, if it's only about preparing sauces, the most optimal solution would be a copper sauce pan and an induction cooktop.
Yea I wish more companies had that approach but in particular I wish pan sets took it even further. I think its so dumb when a whole set is the same pan material. Like I want one of these companies to say, aluminum nonstick is the best small frypan so here is a $15 nonstick, and Stockpots take forever to heat up anyway due to the volume of water and are heavy so here is a relatively lightweight and thin stainless with aluminum disc that costs $40 retail, so for the $200 you spent on this set of pans, 80% of the cost is being spent on a copper saucepan/saucier where heating speed matter the most. I think its sad that these companies offer so many product lines. In reality there is only two options an end consumer should be thinking about, are you willing to season your pans are are you not willing to season them? For the most part a set doesn’t have to be expensive, hell 3lbs of copper costs like $15 and theres really only like 1 pan in a set that benefits from copper which is the small 2quart saucepan/saucier because copper is really heavy and most cooking doesn’t require very precise control of heat, but saucemaking can be very delicate. If you have a stainless steel frypan you have to preheat the pan anyway so copper in the frypan would not only be heavy but it wouldn’t improve the cooking process much if at all. If the set is designed for people willing to season you could save so much money by having a cast iron griddle and a carbon steel frypan as the dry food cooking options and and paring them with copper+stainless saucepots. There is even an option to replace the larger saucepan with a much cheaper and lighter weight yukihira, which is designed specifically for being great at boiling liquids. I can only understand why companies wouldn’t add cast iron pans in their set because cast iron is a completely different manufacturing process but carbon steel is a stamped sheet metal process just like all the stainless steel pans, and nonstick aluminum pans are super cheap and the best for cooking eggs, so they really have no excuse for not mixing materials in their sets.
This is the actual info I wanted from this video: size, whether to get full cladding or just the bottom, and material. As you said, I'm buying a saucepan for pastas and boiling water usually, so if full-clad doesn't matter, then I'm just wasting money on it.
Perfect timing! I'm about to purchase one or the other. (or both) What size do you recommend (I am one person and using the pot for risotto, rice, polenta, oatmeal, grits, but I do want to have enough room for making more than one serving but not too big a pot that it's too hefty)? Thanks so much for your informative videos.
@@VectorAxus I think you're right (though in the written article it looks like a 2)! The saucepan is a 2qt (I just bought it) but was on the hunt for a saucier. All-Clad only makes a 3qt in D5. I looked at a 2qt saucier from Demeyere's Industry line (and others) and I thought it seemed shallow (I also looked at their 3 and I could barely lift it). I could imagine my oatmeal spitting on me. Maybe that's why America's Test Kitchen recommends a 3 to 3 1/2qt that is 5 3/4 - 7" across the bottom. But it is big. Serious Eats (I like them) recommends the 3qt from Made In (the regular one). America's Test Kitchen recommends Le Creuset's version (tres expensive). Hope that helps.
@@PrudentReviews Thanks for responding to thread. Makes sense. I wish I could find one that's not too small, not too heavy, and not too expensive. Made In? D5? A chef recommended an OXO one he uses at home.
I would like to see a review on Vigor stainless steel cookware. Can't find anything except from the mfgr. I will be considering it for my home use. What say you?
You touched on the main issue “if you want to splurge”, and I’ve seen how much they are. To most households, a pan that cost as much as these sauciers do, doesn’t justify the need. Those who cook professionally, already have one. My household has these saucepans (1/2 qts) which get a lot of use for everything and we have no problem cleaning, also, silicon spatulas are perfect for removing any food residue while cooking so nothing sticks. Soaking the pan will remove any stuck on food.
Made-in's stainless clad sauciers, while less visually stunning, are much more affordable. I have their 3.5 quart model (seems to be discontinued now as they only have 2 and 5 quart models listed) and it's one of my most-used pieces of cookware. It seems like I make a batch of pasta sauce in there at least once a week and also use it for rice/risotto, small roasts, scalloped potatoes...just about everything. I'm not saying everyone needs a saucier, but you don't need to spend $440 on a copper one (unless you're made of money).
@@PrudentReviews The main thing is my other saucepan works perfectly, and I’ve had it for 25+ yrs (the old Farberware, and I say that it’s older because I’ve seen comments that they are now made cheaply).
I love your videos. I only found your channel about a month ago. I am on the hunt for a large non-stick saucier (12") that will not warp (easily). I currently have a set of Calphalon (30+ years old) that I love but they are not non-stick. I like using a non-stick saucier for one pan meals. I use my current saucier almost every night.
Hi Stephanie! Thanks for watching :) I linked to two options in the video description that might work. One is the Misen 3-quart non-stick saucier. It's a great price but might be too small for what you're looking for. The second options is the All-Clad 12-inch non-stick chef's pan. They call it a chef's pan but it's essentially a big saucier. Hope this helps!
I suggest you go to a Home Goods, where I have found many different types of pans, and some are made in Italy and are heavy (I have bought a couple that were cheaper and they started chipping at the bottom - I now use them for boiling eggs, potatoes for mashed potatoes etc.).
@@PrudentReviews Thanks for the tips! I was looking at the All-Clad - I really appreciate your recommendation. If/when I splurge, I want to splurge on the right pan. 🙂 And you will be the first to know because I will definitely use your link for the purchase.
Read the full comparison here: prudentreviews.com/saucepan-vs-saucier/
Want to know when brands like All-Clad, Made In, HexClad, and KitchenAid go on sale? Join our free newsletter to get deal alerts, giveaways, and exclusive content: prudentreviews.com/newsletter/
Very happy I signed up!
Video title: Why you don't need both
Me after watching video: I think I need both 🙃
Nice choice of topic. I own both but often wondered why sauciers aren't the default choice for starter sets. Glad you mentioned cleaning -- sauciers are both easier to clean AND easier to remove every bit of food (such as rice with a silicon spatula). However sauce pans have one other advantage over sauciers, which is that many manufacturers offer a high quality stainless steel steamer insert for their 3-4 qt saucepans. These inserts are overpriced (All-Clad charges $70), but they have great capacity (typically 3 quarts) and are an incredible pleasure to use compared to steamer baskets.
I contend that what’s best, overall, is to have a larger sauce pan, such as a 3 qt, and a smaller saucier, like a 2qt size…for the home chef, each of these in those approximate sizes, is most likely to accommodate the specific needs of each pan, and the saucer is still capable of carrying out the duties for what you might need a small sauce pan.
Yea I’m thinking this is probably the ideal setup for a home cook. I was actually thinking of buying a similar setup with a slight tweak. The saucier will likely be my go to workhorse in the kitchen so I was thinking about getting a more expensive 2qt saucier that has a copper core, sauces often have like milk, cheeses and sugars which are easy to burn to having increased control over the temp with copper will be helpful. Also, if I want to boil a liquid in the saucier it will be nice to have that water boil like 30seconds faster due to the copper. Maybe even go for an allcad G5 for graphite if I can’t find copper saucier alternatives for cheaper since graphite seems to perform better in every way.
Then my big change from your setup is using a 3qt Yukihira instead of a standard saucepan. 3qt saucepans can become quite heavy especially if you opt for copper cores. So a Yukihira represents a way to cheaply and effectively make a lightweight pan that can heat liquids very quickly due to being so thin. Some Yukihiras are basically just multilayer stockpots wearing a Yukihira costume, but well designed Yukihiras will typically be 1 layer of metal, the reason for the hammer marks is to improve the durability of the metal in order to facilitate a thinner metal to be used. Very high quality yukihiras will usually have hammer marks on the inside and bottom of the pan as well. Some well designed Yukihiras will have almost a corrugated style bend in the bottom to help prevent the pan from warping. Traditionally these pans were made out of aluminum, but its more common to see stainless steel versions of them these days. In particular some of the well designed ones will use a 21-0 stainless steel which is important because 18-8 or 18-10 stainless isn’t usable on induction and thus not suited to pans that only have one layer of metal. 21-0 is a higher quality version of 18-0 that is more durable and corrosion resistant, while still being magnetic. Also, a really great benefit of this type of stainless is there is no nickel in it, which makes it healthier from a toxic metal leaching standpoint which is especially important since I will primarily be cooking tomato sauce and boiling water in this type of pan. Whats interesting about cooking liquids is that the liquid basically functions like a pan material (its basically pointless to preheat pans that are cooking liquids), you don’t really need to worry about heat retention or hotspots because the liquid will transfer that heat for you, and this is why a Yukihira is able to get away with a “cheap” pan design because the goal is to just transfer heat as quickly as possible into the liquid.
Holy cow. You don´t want to know how long i searched how much qt (Quart) is in liter (and how many different Quart existed, especially in Germany)... for the rest of the world: 1 qt is 0,94 liters... so... basically a liter.
Working for a technology company I was frequently asked what is the best computer to buy. Typically it was a question I never had to answer, by asking: What is it you want to do and how important is the result?
Ideally - unlike most cookware reviews - the construction of the cooking tool should optimize the properties of what is being cooked and the desired result. To me, in taking that approach, Demeyere is among the very few in the gold standard category and that philosophy is evident in their sauce pot and conical saucier.
Sauce Pot:
Optimized primarily for cooking with liquids they optimize the bottom of the pan for the application of heat and focus on tight fitting lids. Nothing is being cooked on the walls of the pan and the heat is continually circulated by convection currents, with little need for manual intervention (reducing the importance of very rounded corners).
Saucier:
Optimized for cooking foods with higher viscosities, greater sensitivity to maintaining precise temperatures and require and more manual intervention. Control of heat (speed and distribution) are important on all surfaces of the saucier and with more frequent manipulation of the food also playing a role, tight fitting lids are not nearly as important (little return on investment).
Wisely, Demeyere's approach seems to be: "save where something provides little value to achieving a better result but using the savings to invest in things that provide much greater utility (eg. adding technology to optimize induction cooking)
I certainly agree with your recommendation that, if you can only have one, go with the saucier (but add a tight fitting lid). The full cladding isn't going to hurt (just be aware of the heat distribution, over the entire pan). The broader benefits that apply to use across a wider range of foods are available when needed.
I think that, if it's only about preparing sauces, the most optimal solution would be a copper sauce pan and an induction cooktop.
Yea I wish more companies had that approach but in particular I wish pan sets took it even further. I think its so dumb when a whole set is the same pan material. Like I want one of these companies to say, aluminum nonstick is the best small frypan so here is a $15 nonstick, and Stockpots take forever to heat up anyway due to the volume of water and are heavy so here is a relatively lightweight and thin stainless with aluminum disc that costs $40 retail, so for the $200 you spent on this set of pans, 80% of the cost is being spent on a copper saucepan/saucier where heating speed matter the most.
I think its sad that these companies offer so many product lines. In reality there is only two options an end consumer should be thinking about, are you willing to season your pans are are you not willing to season them? For the most part a set doesn’t have to be expensive, hell 3lbs of copper costs like $15 and theres really only like 1 pan in a set that benefits from copper which is the small 2quart saucepan/saucier because copper is really heavy and most cooking doesn’t require very precise control of heat, but saucemaking can be very delicate. If you have a stainless steel frypan you have to preheat the pan anyway so copper in the frypan would not only be heavy but it wouldn’t improve the cooking process much if at all.
If the set is designed for people willing to season you could save so much money by having a cast iron griddle and a carbon steel frypan as the dry food cooking options and and paring them with copper+stainless saucepots. There is even an option to replace the larger saucepan with a much cheaper and lighter weight yukihira, which is designed specifically for being great at boiling liquids.
I can only understand why companies wouldn’t add cast iron pans in their set because cast iron is a completely different manufacturing process but carbon steel is a stamped sheet metal process just like all the stainless steel pans, and nonstick aluminum pans are super cheap and the best for cooking eggs, so they really have no excuse for not mixing materials in their sets.
This is the actual info I wanted from this video: size, whether to get full cladding or just the bottom, and material. As you said, I'm buying a saucepan for pastas and boiling water usually, so if full-clad doesn't matter, then I'm just wasting money on it.
I have both Misen and Made in but my Made in is just a regular stainless steel. I would say, Saucier is like the western wok.
Perfect timing! I'm about to purchase one or the other. (or both) What size do you recommend (I am one person and using the pot for risotto, rice, polenta, oatmeal, grits, but I do want to have enough room for making more than one serving but not too big a pot that it's too hefty)? Thanks so much for your informative videos.
dont quote me but i think that saucier is a 3qt. i was thinking of getting the same one hence why im here on youtube lol
@@VectorAxus I think you're right (though in the written article it looks like a 2)! The saucepan is a 2qt (I just bought it) but was on the hunt for a saucier. All-Clad only makes a 3qt in D5. I looked at a 2qt saucier from Demeyere's Industry line (and others) and I thought it seemed shallow (I also looked at their 3 and I could barely lift it). I could imagine my oatmeal spitting on me. Maybe that's why America's Test Kitchen recommends a 3 to 3 1/2qt that is 5 3/4 - 7" across the bottom. But it is big. Serious Eats (I like them) recommends the 3qt from Made In (the regular one). America's Test Kitchen recommends Le Creuset's version (tres expensive). Hope that helps.
For these types of pan I usually recommend 3 quarts. This article provide more context prudentreviews.com/saucepan-sizes/
@@PrudentReviews Thanks for responding to thread. Makes sense. I wish I could find one that's not too small, not too heavy, and not too expensive. Made In? D5? A chef recommended an OXO one he uses at home.
@@PrudentReviews I read all your articles!
I would like to see a review on Vigor stainless steel cookware. Can't find anything except from the mfgr. I will be considering it for my home use. What say you?
I've seen that brand at restaurant supply houses. Looks like a bargain.
@@quakerwildcat I agree.
Thank you very much.
There's such a good deal on the All-Clad 4 quart right now but I have to ignore the massive discount in favor of waiting for a Saucier sale ;_;
How can you not mention the size of the saucier pot you are using??
Did this channel do a review on the Made In Copper Saucier 5.2 pan ? ? 🤔
You touched on the main issue “if you want to splurge”, and I’ve seen how much they are. To most households, a pan that cost as much as these sauciers do, doesn’t justify the need. Those who cook professionally, already have one. My household has these saucepans (1/2 qts) which get a lot of use for everything and we have no problem cleaning, also, silicon spatulas are perfect for removing any food residue while cooking so nothing sticks. Soaking the pan will remove any stuck on food.
💯 the copper saucier is super expensive but there are a ton of other more affordable options.
Made-in's stainless clad sauciers, while less visually stunning, are much more affordable. I have their 3.5 quart model (seems to be discontinued now as they only have 2 and 5 quart models listed) and it's one of my most-used pieces of cookware. It seems like I make a batch of pasta sauce in there at least once a week and also use it for rice/risotto, small roasts, scalloped potatoes...just about everything. I'm not saying everyone needs a saucier, but you don't need to spend $440 on a copper one (unless you're made of money).
@@cvkealey agreed. The saucier in the thumbnail of this video is the Made In 2-quart stainless steel one. Great piece.
@@PrudentReviews The main thing is my other saucepan works perfectly, and I’ve had it for 25+ yrs (the old Farberware, and I say that it’s older because I’ve seen comments that they are now made cheaply).
Amen👍.
I love your videos. I only found your channel about a month ago. I am on the hunt for a large non-stick saucier (12") that will not warp (easily). I currently have a set of Calphalon (30+ years old) that I love but they are not non-stick. I like using a non-stick saucier for one pan meals. I use my current saucier almost every night.
Hi Stephanie! Thanks for watching :) I linked to two options in the video description that might work. One is the Misen 3-quart non-stick saucier. It's a great price but might be too small for what you're looking for. The second options is the All-Clad 12-inch non-stick chef's pan. They call it a chef's pan but it's essentially a big saucier. Hope this helps!
I suggest you go to a Home Goods, where I have found many different types of pans, and some are made in Italy and are heavy (I have bought a couple that were cheaper and they started chipping at the bottom - I now use them for boiling eggs, potatoes for mashed potatoes etc.).
@@PrudentReviews Thanks for the tips! I was looking at the All-Clad - I really appreciate your recommendation. If/when I splurge, I want to splurge on the right pan. 🙂 And you will be the first to know because I will definitely use your link for the purchase.
Saucier feels like a semi Wok
"if you want to splurge"
you weren't kidding