The best saucepan sets can make all the difference when it comes to meal times. Whether you’re rustling up quick breakfasts or large family dinners, a reliable set of pots is essential – no matter what’s on your weekly meal plan.
Poor-quality pans show their flaws fast, with scratches, rust, and uneven heat that can ruin your cooking and your cookware. Thankfully, durable options are available to suit every type of home chef.
As a homes and kitchens writer, there are a couple of factors I consider before buying. Firstly, think about what you need and the space you have. Most saucepan sets stack for easier storage, though usually without lids. A standard three-piece set (16cm, 18cm, 20cm) covers most needs, while larger sets may include extras like a 14cm milk pan, 24cm frying pan, or stock pot.
It’s also crucial to match your pans to your hob. Gas suits all pans, but ceramic and induction hobs are pickier. For this guide, I tested all the sets on an induction hob to ensure compatibility, avoiding materials like pure aluminium or copper.
How I tested
When testing these pans, I judged them by the following criteria:
- Versatility – I put all our pans through the same cook-offs: porridge for smaller pans, basic vegetable boiling for the middle-sized pans, and pasta and small vats of chilli for larger saucepans – while frying pans saw to our fried eggs and brunches.
- Materials – I drilled down on the differences in raw materials and weighed up the pros and cons of stainless steel, non-stick aluminium and hard-anodised pans, which all bring something different to the stovetop.
- Cooking quality – I was also looking for pans that cooked my food quickly and evenly, with little or no hot spots or burning at the base, while being keen to test the popular non-stick properties that now come as standard – and just how easily would they clean up after use.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
An expert on everything culinary, Jessie Johnson has been writing product reviews for The Independent since 2021. Having reviewed everything from cake tins and fruit boxes to tea towels, she has a keen eye for quality and durability. Above all else, she ensures our readers get the best value for their money with their kitchen essentials. As well as putting her expertise into product reviews, she runs her own recipe website (Lifeasastrawberry.com) with inspiration on everything from weeknight comfort meals to baked treats.
The best saucepan sets for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Ninja foodie zerostick vivid three-piece saucepan set: £134.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Prestige Earth pan three-piece non-stick saucepan set: £105, Amazon.co.uk
- Best stainless steel set – Tala performance classic five-piece cookware set: £209, Dunelm.com
- Best for cutting-edge technology – Hexclad 13-piece hybrid cookware saucepan set: £729, Hexclad.co.uk
