The 5 Best Stockpots, According to Our Tests

Our Favorite Stockpot

We love the durable, easy-to-clean Misen 8 Quart Steel Stockpot for many reasons, including its comfortable handles and solid construction. This stockpot heats our meals evenly and cleans up easily, making it an incredible value for the money and a delight to use, performing as well as pots that cost hundreds of dollars more.

How We Tested Stockpots

To find the best stockpots, we tested more than 20 pots across price points and rated each for design, performance, durability, and ease of cleaning. We also performed the below tests:

• Pasta test: We first boiled a full package of pasta using six quarts of water, noting whether it could fit a full package of pasta. We used a thermometer to record the starting temperature of the water and a stopwatch to record how long it took the water to get from the starting temperature to a rolling boil. We then sauteed aromatics in oil, such as in a mirepoix or trinity. We then made a large-batch dish, such as homemade stock, stew, or gumbo, noting any sticking or burning. 
  
• Design: Throughout testing, we considered the pot construction, including how easy each pot was to lift and pour from and how well the lids fit. We also paid attention to the design of the handles and how comfortable they were to hold. If any utensils scratched the surface of the pot, we noted it. We also noted the shape of the stock pot. Is it wide and squat, or tall and narrow? Is the opening flared or cupped? We considered these design elements and whether they helped or hurt the performance.
• Cleaning and care: We washed the stockpots according to instructions and asked ourselves how easy or difficult it was to clean the stockpot and remove any stuck-on or burnt food. We looked to see if any design features make cleaning it easier or more difficult such as internal rivets or small grooves that could collect water or fine particles of food.

Factors to Consider

Capacity

If you're the kind of person who has a lot of high-capacity appliances around because you cook often for a crowd, you want your stockpots to follow suit. You want a pot that has more than enough capacity to contain your cooking projects. Why? Because having a soup or sauce bubbling right up to the edge of the pot increases the likelihood of spillovers and burns. Plus, having a large pot means you'll always have it at the ready for when it's time to cook a big meal. “Get at least an eight-quart pot so you can make enough stock or soup to freeze or give as a gift!" Levinson urges. 

Material

Many quality stockpots come in stainless steel, which is durable and will give you many years of use with proper care (including washing it after use and not scratching at it with metal utensils). "My favorite stockpot is made from stainless steel,” says Souper Jenny founder Jenny Levison. “They last forever and are great for even cooking of your soups!" Some budget stockpots come in aluminum or other thinner metals, which are lightweight but not as durable.

Size and Weight

Consider what kinds of foods you'll be cooking in your stockpot: According to Cian O'Sullivan, Head Chef for the Gourmet Pantry, a pot with a wider radius will evaporate water more quickly, while a taller, narrower pot has a smaller surface area and will evaporate more slowly. Size and weight also influence how easy the pot is to use: An especially heavy pot can be hard to lift for some cooks, while a lighter option can be raised and poured from more easily. 

Accessories

What makes stockpots great for broths, stocks, and pastas is their capacity for carrying water and large food items like bones and bulky vegetables. When you no longer need the leftover bones, veggies, or pasta water, helpful tools like strainers fitted to the stockpot can be very convenient tools — whether that's a strainer lid, a perforated insert fitted to boil in the pot with all of your ingredients, or a steamer basket for extra cooking capabilities.

Other Stockpots We Tested

Strong Contenders

NutriChef 12-Quart Stainless Steel Stock Pot ($74 at Amazon)

Overall, we were impressed with this pot, particularly its tight-fitting lid, but we found that the handles got too hot during use, making it awkward to carry.

Cooks Standard Classic 12-Quart Stainless Steel Stockpot ($70 at Amazon)

We love that this pot is lightweight and dishwasher safe, but its small handles make it difficult to lift and carry.

T-Fal 12-Quart Stainless Steel Oven-Safe Stockpot ($58 at Amazon)

We appreciate having an oven-safe pot. Still, we found the handles awkward to hold when we lifted and drained pasta, and while it's dishwasher-safe, putting it in the dishwasher can cause discoloration and shorten the pot's life. 

Tramontina 16-Quart Gourmet Stainless Steel Covered Stock Pot ($90 at Tramontina)

This pot's large size is perfect for even your biggest batches — and it's high quality for the price — but we worry about the pot's shiny finish over the long term, particularly for cooks who put their pots in the dishwasher.

Viking 12-Quart 3-Ply Stainless Steel Stockpot ($260 at Amazon) 

We liked this high-quality pot but found it more heavy and awkward to pour from than others we tested.

Farberware 12-Quart Classic Stainless Steel Stockpot ($63 at Amazon)

We like that the handles on this pot stay cool during cooking, but the narrow shape of the pot makes it more difficult to reach in and stir than some others we tested.

What Didn't Make the List

To make our list of the best stockpots, the pots had to be easy to handle, durable, heat evenly, and clean up easily. Other stockpots we tested had uncomfortable handles, were bulky or awkward to carry or empty, or felt flimsy. The Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stockpot was difficult to use, and it was more challenging to avoid burning our aromatics than in some other pots we tested. Other pots would be difficult to fit on our stoves or reach into (especially if you're short!) to stir or scrap the bottom. The Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless Steel Stockpot also had this issue.

Our Expertise

• Dr. Julia Skinner is a culinary instructor, food writer, and food historian with over ten years of experience writing and teaching about food. You can find her work at @rootkitchens, on her website, or in her newsletter.
• Cian O'Sullivan is the Head Chef for Gourmet Pantry in Kinsale and Carrigaline, Ireland. Jenny Levison is the founder and chief "soup slinger" of Souper Jenny in Atlanta, GA. Paul Ferhibach is a James Beard semi-finalist and executive chef of Big Jones restaurant in Chicago. He is the author of "Midwestern Food a Chef's Guide to the Surprising History of a Great American Cuisine." Daniela Savone is a South Carolina-based chef, caterer, and food writer.