Despite its name, a saucepan is just a small pot with high, straight sides and a single long handle. Saucepans commonly have lids and sometimes include small spouts on the side for easy pouring. They can be used in cooking stews, steaming, boiling, simmering, braising, reducing, melting or warming, and in many other ways.

When you cook with a saucepan, take advantage of its deep sides and handy size. Use it to boil small servings of grains or vegetables, melt butter quickly, or build complex reductions without fear of burning or “breaking” them.

You may already have a saucepan in your kitchen arsenal, but does it have everything you look for in a great piece of cookware? Here’s everything to consider when choosing a saucepan.

When you are looking for saucepans in the present market, you will be surprised by the number of options available. You will find non-stick saucepans, stainless steel saucepans, cooper saucepans, aluminium saucepans, cast iron saucepans and hard-anodized aluminium as well.

Consider the hob you have, some designs work better on specific hob types, like gas, induction or ceramic. They are also available with lids and without them, for use on different kinds of cooktops.

It is good to go for a saucepan that comes with a lid and saucepans with handles with smooth edges that won’t be slippery when your hands are wet. It is easy to forget how much you use a saucepan handle when cooking, so the handle should be comfy to hold.

The weight of the pan should be balanced, heavy enough to feel stable on the hob so a spoon won’t be enough to topple it over, but light enough to carry and pour comfortably.

Saucepans obviously get heavier as they get bigger, but don’t forget that the volume can also increase substantially, as food also adds more weight.

About the size, there is no best size of saucepan for everybody, so consider what you are most likely to cook with a saucepan to decide what size is going to best meet your needs.

If you have a medium size family cooking for only one or two people, SQ Professional Una Non-Stick Hera Small Size Saucepans Set of 3 (16CM/ 1.3l - 18CM/ 1.8l - 20CM/ 2.5l) is a great place to start.

If you cook for a family of four or tend to make somewhat larger servings of meals, Una Non-Stick Rhea Large Size Saucepans Set 3 (22cm / 3.3L - 24 cm / 4.3L - 26cm / 6.0L) will likely be the most appropriate.

SQ Professional Saucepan 3pc Set comes with a clear tempered glass lid that helps to retain the moisture and flavour in your food while enabling you to keep an eye on your cooking. Designed with you in mind, the reinforced riveted handles offer comfort and durability.

SQ professional saucepans can be used in gas, electric, induction, ceramic and halogen hobs. They are also dishwasher safe. Its outstanding non-stick coating allows you to create delicious healthy meals using less oil.

With a little care, you'll enjoy your non-stick pans for a longer period and this type of cookware is generally very affordable, easy to wash, and provides the easiest release of foods.

Non-stick cookware does not require much grease, so there’s no layer of fat left to scrub away. As compared to ceramic cookware, which requires thorough cleaning to avoid a build-up of grease that can shorten its life span, non-stick cookware is fuss-free. Since it does not let food stick or burn to its surface, it only requires cleaning with a soft sponge and some soapy water, making your life much easier.

On the other hand, non-stick cookware allows for uniform heat distribution, which cooks food faster and also saves on gas. Now, you don’t have to stand in the kitchen for hours until the end, just to get a healthy and delicious meal on the table.

Non-stick pans are the lightest cookware option among ceramic, copper and cast iron, so you’re not saddled with moving heavy pots and pans around the kitchen.