Saucepans and Stewpans

Saucepans and stewpans are made of tinware, enameled ware, or aluminum, have a projecting handle, a lip for pouring on one or both sides, straight, flaring, or rounded sides, and may be covered or uncovered. They come in a number of sizes ranging from one to five quarts. They are used for cooking small amounts of foods such as gravies, sauces, or vegetables. Many cooks like them for mixing cakes and batters, as they are lighter than crockery or earthenware and the handle is convenient to help hold the utensil when creaming butter.

Wide, shallow, tightly covered saucepans should be used for cooking foods needing a small amount of water; deep, uncovered ones for strong-juiced vegetables like cabbage which require a large amount of water. For candy-making, aluminum pans are good, because the heat is conducted so fast that the sugar rarely scorches and also because the smooth inside surface makes it easy to keep the sides wiped free from sugar crystals.

Berlin saucepans are similar in shape to Berlin kef-ties, and Windsor saucepans to Windsor kettles, except that they have the projecting handles instead of bail handles.

Double or triple saucepans consist of sets of two or three covered pans so shaped as to fit over one burner or hole in a stove. They are a fuel-saving device, as two or three kinds of food may be cooked with one blaze.

Covers of aluminum, enameled, or tinned ware are sold separately for use with kettles or saucepans which are not provided with them, or to replace old ones. They come in several sizes ranging from about 8 to ii inches in diameter. Sets of assorted sizes in wire racks are also sold. In fitting covers to pans the measurement should be taken inside the flange of the cover, not from rim to rim.