Of all the pieces of cooking equipment you will buy, stock pots are some of the most versatile. They are useful in making stocks and in reducing those stocks. They are an excellent choice for cooking pasta and soups as well as fro canning or steaming foods. A good quality pot will last many years and be useful in many types of cooking.

Stock pots come in many sizes. Some are as small as six quarts and others may be as large as 20 quarts. If you need something even larger, commercial stock pots are available. While a stock pot should be larger than the soup pot that you use since you will make more stock than soup, it is quite possible to use the same pot for both soup and stocks.

Most homes do well with a stock pot that is in the range of 6 to 12 quarts. These pots are also useful for many other cooking needs. Most pots will be found with a round base and straight sides.

It is important that your stock pot has a heavy thick bottom that will prevent burning. If you plan to use the pot for sups, this is especially important. Otherwise the starches from the soup may begin to sick as the soup simmers. A thin bottomed pot can cause these starches to begin to scorch and ruin the entire pot of soup.

Cookware can be made of many different materials. Some of the choices include aluminum, copper, cast iron and stainless. In addition you will find some pots are coated with nonstick material. Each of these choices have both positive and negative properties and may affect the cost of the pot.

Materials used in the pots will affect the conductivity of heat characteristics of the pan. The best pots conduct heat up the sides to heat the liquids at the top of the pot as well as at the bottom.

Handles need to be securely attached in order to prevent spill hazards. There should also be room to grasp the handle securely to move the pot from one spot to another while filled with boiling liquids. Look for heavy rivets or screws to hold the handle on the pot.

You may want to take your time in choosing from the many stock pots. A good pot will last for many years and meet many of your cooking needs for the entire family.