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Best saucepans and saucepan sets
The best saucepan sets and saucepans look good, cook well, last for years and easily stack away into your cupboards or drawers.
We've tested Ninja and Tefal saucepans, along with other popular brands, to find the best saucepans for cooking, durability and scratch resistance.
Two saucepan sets impressed enough to get our Best Buy recommendation, and two more get our Great Value seal of approval.
The best saucepan sets
Only logged-in Which? members can view the saucepan set test results below.
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| Saucepan set | Height of pans when stacked | Non-stick | Scratch resistance | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | Good | |||
| Excellent | Good | |||
| Excellent | Average | |||
| Good | Excellent | |||
| Good | Excellent | |||
| Good | Good | |||
| Good | Good |
Date tested: August 2023. Page last checked: February 2024. All saucepan sets are compatible with induction hobs. We aren't able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
The saucepan sets we tested
All the saucepan sets we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best saucepan sets from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
Argos Home 3-piece Aluminium pan set
Available from Argos (£54)
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 19.7cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 16 x 8.6cm, 18 x 9.6cm, 20 x 10.4cm; non-stick, lids have steam holes and draining holes built in; suitable for all hob types; not oven safe; dishwasher safe; stated PFOA-free; one-year guarantee
Dunelm Essentials Stainless Steel 3-piece pan set
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 20.6cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 17 x 7.5cm, 19 x 8cm, 21 x 9.5cm; suitable for all hob types; oven safe - no maximum temperature stated; dishwasher safe; no warranty information available
Ikea Annons 5-piece cookware set
Available from Ikea (£12)
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 21cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes for the 17cm and 21cm saucepans
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 15 x 6.5cm, 17 x 9cm, 21 x 9.7cm; suitable for all hob types; lids have steam holes; not oven safe; dishwasher safe; no warranty information available
Jamie Oliver by Tefal Hard Anodised Aluminium Non-Stick Saucepan Set with Lids
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 18.6cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 16 x 7.5cm, 18 x 8.8cm, 20 x 9.7cm; non-stick, lids have steam holes and pans have scales for measurements (litres and quarts) on the inside; suitable for most hob types but not hotplates; oven safe up to 210°C; dishwasher safe; stated PFOA, cadmium and lead-free; two-year guarantee
Le Creuset Toughened Non-stick Saucepan 3-piece set
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 21cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 16 x 9.5cm, 18 x 11.2cm, 20 x 12.2cm; non-stick; suitable for all hob types except hotplates; oven safe up to 260°C; not dishwasher safe; stated PFOA-free; lifetime warranty
Ninja Zerostick hard anodised 3-piece saucepan set
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 21.5cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 16 x 7.5cm, 18 x 9.5cm, 20 x 10.5cm; non-stick and lids have steam holes; suitable for all hob types; oven safe up to 260°C; dishwasher safe; stated PFOA, calcium and lead-free; 10-year guarantee
Best non-stick frying pans – discover the pans we've tested with the best and most durable coating
Ninja Zerostick Stackable 3-piece set
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 16.6cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 16 x 7.4cm, 18 x 9.2cm, 20 x 10.2cm; non-stick and lids have steam holes; suitable for all hob types; oven safe up to 260°C; dishwasher safe; stated PFOA, calcium and lead-free; 10-year guarantee
ProCook Gourmet non-stick 4-piece saucepan set
Available from ProCook (£69.99) (Out of stock)
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 22cm
Number of pans 4
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 14 x 6.5cm, 16 x 8cm, 18 x 9cm, 20 x 10cm; non-stick, lids have steam holes and draining holes built in; suitable for most hob types but not hotplates; oven safe up to 260°C; dishwasher safe; stated PFOA-free; 10-year guarantee
Russell Hobbs Classic Collection 5-piece pan set
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 25.5cm
Number of pans 4 plus one 24cm frying pan
Are lids included? Yes for the 16, 18 and 20cm saucepans
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 14 x 7cm, 16 x 7.6cm, 18 x 8.5cm, 20 x 9.6cm, 24 x 5.9cm; lids have steam holes; suitable for all hob types; not oven safe; dishwasher safe; 5-year guarantee
Scoville Neverstick 5, 3-piece saucepan set
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 17cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 16 x 7.6cm, 18 x 8.6cm, 20 x 9.6cm; non-stick and lids have steam holes; suitable for all hob types; not oven safe; dishwasher safe; stated PFOA and flake-free; lifetime guarantee
Tefal Ingenio Emotion 4-piece stainless steel pan set
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 10.6cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? No
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 16 x 9cm, 18 x 9cm, 20 x 9cm; one detachable handle included and pans have scales for measurements (litres and quarts) on the inside; suitable for most hob types but not hotplates; oven safe up to 175°C; dishwasher safe; 10-year guarantee
Tower Cerastone 3-piece pan set
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Height of pans when stacked 23cm
Number of pans 3
Are lids included? Yes
Need to know Diameter x height of pans: 18 x 8cm, 20 x 8.7cm, 22 x 9.6cm; non-stick and lids have steam holes; suitable for most hob types but not hotplates; not oven safe; not dishwasher safe; 5-year extended warranty
The best saucepans
Only logged-in Which? members can view the saucepan test results below.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
| Saucepan | Typical price | Non-stick | Scratch resistance | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Excellent | |||
| Excellent | Excellent | |||
| Good | Excellent | |||
| Good | Excellent | |||
| Average | Average | |||
| Good | Poor |
Date tested: November 2021. Page last checked: February 2024. All pans come with a lid and are compatible with an induction hob. We aren't able to show every retailer, and cheaper prices may be available.
The saucepans we tested
All the saucepans we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best saucepans from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
Dunelm Essentials Aluminium Saucepan
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Cons Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results
Induction hob compatible? Yes
Weight 1.0kg
Need to know Comes with lid with steam vent; not oven safe; dishwasher safe; suitable for all hobs except induction; no warranty; available in 16, 18 and 20cm sizes
Eaziglide Neverstick2 Aluminium Non-Stick Saucepan
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Weight 1.3kg
Need to know Comes with lid with built-in strainer; non-stick coating; oven safe up to 260°C; dishwasher safe; suitable for all hobs; lifetime guarantee; available in 16, 18 and 20cm sizes
GreenPan Venice Pro Extra Ceramic Non-Stick Saucepan
Available from GreenPan (£70)
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Weight 1.5kg
Need to know Comes with lid; non-stick coating; oven safe up to 220°C; dishwasher safe; suitable for all hobs; lifetime guarantee; available in 16, 18 and 20cm sizes
Don't miss our pick of the best chef's knives
Lakeland Hard Anodised Bell Shaped Saucepan
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Cons Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results
Induction hob compatible? Yes
Weight 1.4kg
Need to know Comes with lid; non-stick coating; oven safe up to 180°C; dishwasher safe; suitable for all hobs; 3-year guarantee; available in 16, 18 and 20cm sizes
ProCook Professional Granite Saucepan
Available from ProCook (£36)
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Cons Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results
Induction hob compatible? Yes
Weight 1.5kg
Need to know Comes with lid; non-stick coating; oven safe up to 260°C; dishwasher safe; suitable for all hobs except hot plates; 25-year guarantee; available in 14, 16, 18 and 20cm sizes
Salter Geo Hex Non-Stick Aluminium Saucepan
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Induction hob compatible? Yes
Weight 1.0kg
Need to know Comes with lid with steam vent; non-stick coating; not oven safe; dishwasher safe; suitable for all hobs; 10-year guarantee; available in 16, 18 and 20cm sizes
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How we test saucepans
We test the most searched-for saucepans and saucepans sets from top UK retailers. We buy all the saucepans we test, meaning our reviews are honest and unbiased.
Non-stick
- We cook a tin of baked beans in each pan and don't stir them once boiling to really push the non-stick to its limit.
- We then rate how easy it is to pour the beans out, the amount of residue left in each pan and how difficult that residue is to scrape off.
The best saucepans have slick non-stick surfaces, where the beans slide out easily. With the worst, a lot of unappealing beany residue is left in each pan, and it's difficult to get off.
Heat conduction and distribution
We use a thermal imaging camera and analyse the results to measure the heat distribution of each saucepan and how fast they heat up.
All saucepans heat up evenly enough to cook well, although the best are more even. The best pans also heat up quickly, while others take longer to reach their top temperatures.
Scratch resistance
We use a lab-approved hardness-test pencil to apply the same force to each saucepan to:
- test how well each pan stands up to lots of light scratches – representing taking the pan in and out of the cupboard repeatedly, or months of handwashing
- subject each pans' surface to heavy scratches. These represent big bangs and scrapes.
The best saucepans don't show signs of scratches at all. Others have the non-stick coating crumble and come away.
Strength
We lift heavy weights in each saucepan to see how strong and well-built they are.
The best are easily able to pass our strength tests; the worst saucepans have handles that start to bend and flex.
Handle heat
A hot handle base can be an issue if you grab the handle a little bit too low.
We use temperature probes and thermal imaging to see how hot each handle got, to ensure they remain safe to pick up. Most pans' handles are fine, and don't get warm to touch, but some get hot at the base.
Washing
We hand wash each saucepan one hour after cooking on it, to see how easy it is to scrub clean.
The best clean up in a matter of seconds with a soft sponge. The worst need a fair amount of elbow grease to get clean.
Read our guide to find out what can and can't go in the dishwasher
Watch: how to clean a burnt saucepan
We've all accidentally burnt food onto a saucepan at some point in our lives. But the saucepan can be rescued. Try our favourite method from those we've tested. Steps below or watch the results it gives above. :
- Wait for the saucepan to cool down
- Fill the saucepan with water and add a dishwasher tablet or one tablespoon of biological washing powder
- Put the saucepan back on medium heat and bring to a boil
- Leave to simmer for around 10 minutes
- Rinse the pan and wipe away the mess with a non-scratch sponge
- Then wash as normal, repeating the process if necessary.
Can you put saucepans in the dishwasher?
We recommend that you hand wash your saucepans if you can, even though most modern pans claim to be dishwasher safe.
This is because dishwasher salt and detergent, combined with high-pressure water used in a dishwasher can slowly damage the non-stick coating.
We found lots of customer reviews saying that the non-stick surface quickly deteriorated when they used a dishwasher, so set your pans aside for a quick hand wash, and leave the dishwasher to handle the plates and cutlery.
What is PFOA-free?
PFOA-free means the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) wasn't used to make the non-stick coating of a frying pan.
PFOA was used worldwide as an industrial surfactant in chemical processes. It's now considered a health concern and was added to the POP Regulation Annex I in 2020, which prohibits its use in manufacturing, and in products placed on the market.
Find out more about PFOA in our guide: what does PFOA-free mean?