Is there any point in buying a saucepan set? I asked 4 chefs

There are many occasions where investing in one of the best saucepan sets is the most convenient option. Plus, buying a common-sense configuration of pans often works out as straightforwardly economical.

But what about the pans that never get used? In my kitchen, I find milk pans or in-between sized saucepans don’t get a look in compared to my trusty frying pan and stockpot.

So is a saucepan set or building a collection with individual non-stick pans a better idea? When I asked four different trained chefs for their expert advice one product recommendation in particular, an all-in-one pan, cropped up again and again. Here’s why.

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Saucepan sets vs individual pans

When I lived in my first-year accommodation at uni, all of us had been packed off with the same pan set by our parents, which led to 8 not-so-world-wise 20-year-olds trying to cram half a dozen frying pans into one cupboard. Not ideal. But what’s the alternative to a one-size-fits-all set?

Jesse Jempner, head chef at meal kit delivery service Mindful Chef has an alternative: one ‘really good “forever” frying pan’.

In my time as Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor, I’ve found all-in-one pans, which are similar to frying pans but often with a deeper, more versatile shape, as the best option for a pan that ticks every box.

Jesse agrees, saying that a well-designed all-in-one pan should be able to ‘streamline your kitchen without compromising on what you can cook’.

‘They’re also great for creating a calmer cooking experience: fewer pans on the go, less washing up, and a more fluid rhythm while you’re in the kitchen.’

So what should you look out for on the hunt for such a pan? Jesse advises first looking for one that can handle ‘steaming, frying, boiling, and even finishing dishes in the oven.’

My favourite example of this is Our Place’s Always Pan Titanium Pro (£175 at Our Place). I awarded five stars to it in my review thanks to its incredibly useful size and shape as well as its tri-ply construction which allowed me to use metal utensils on its interior and finish meals in it in the oven. The only downside is it’s seriously pricey. So is it worth investing in a more expensive pan like this one?

Splashing out can actually be a good value move over time, according to Aurélia Noël-Delclos, co-owner of Chez Antoinette, a French restaurant based in London.

‘For me, investing in a good-quality “forever” pan is essential,’ says Aurélia. ‘The quality of your cooking equipment has a real impact on the results you achieve, so it’s always worth prioritising one or two excellent pieces over a full set of lower quality.’

That’s a view shared by Saifur Rahman, Head Chef at Tower Tandoori. ‘If cooking happens most days, better value usually comes from buying one genuinely durable workhorse pan first, then adding only what gets used.’

In terms of specific recommendations, Saifur says ‘In practice, that often means either a 24–28 cm tri-ply stainless sauté pan with a lid, or a 26–28 cm enamelled cast-iron casserole. Either option covers a huge amount of everyday cooking, from browning and pan-roasting to simmering sauces, cooking pulses, and one-pot meals, and both cope well with high heat and oven use.’

Recently our expert reviewer Helen McCue tried one such all-in-one stainless steel pan from Tom Kerridge’s collection with M&S (£60 at M&S), which she awarded five stars to in her review, calling it a ‘versatile multipurpose cookware piece’.

Downsides of all-in-one pans

Though I think all-in-one pans are the best place to start, the chefs I spoke to had reserverations about investing in one as your only pan.

‘All-in-one pans are great for saving space, but they can’t fully replace a saucepan set,’ says Giuseppe Miggiano Italian chef and owner of Casa Tua in London. ‘They limit flexibility and don’t perform equally well across all cooking tasks.’

Saifur Rahman adds that ‘They can also be less effective for proper searing because crowded food steams rather than browns, and sauce work can suffer because wide, shallow shapes reduce control when simmering small volumes.’

For me, the best solution of all is investing in a good all-in-one pan for starters and then slowly adding the pieces you need based on your everyday cooking agenda. If you like the sound of that, you can find my favourite tried and tested picks of that type below to cover every budget.