Buying a stockpot? Here are 10 top tips

One of the most important and most frequently used items of all your outdoor cooking equipment is your stockpot. It therefore really makes good sense to buy a good one and to see it as an important investment in your outdoor kitchen.

Stockpots come in various sizes from smallish to huge, regrettably they come in highly variable levels of quality and just to confuse us they are available in both stainless steel and aluminum. Before progressing you must decide which type of stockpot will best suit you.

With stockpots the idea that one size fits all doesn’t apply. You will need a few stockpots when cooking outdoors so buy with that in mind. If you can’t afford a full set now buy the size that youre going to use the most and then buy more later.

Stockpots come in an extensive range of sizes starting at 8 quarts, okay for small scale cooking going up to 162 quarts! If youre looking to do some serious outdoor cooking for friends and family then youre going to need larger pots.

And if a big stockpot is what you are after then youll find stockpots ranging in size, for example in the Bayou Classic range, from: 24 to 36 to 44 to 62 to 82 quarts going right up to a 162 quart stainless steel stock pot. The choice is up to you.. But remember, the larger the pot the more powerful the burner that is needed to heat it up with.

So when buying a stockpot here are ten important guidelines:

1. Aluminum is lighter in weight; it provides even heating without heat spots; it costs less size for size than stainless steel but it easily dents, is harder to clean, doesn’t last as long, and certainly doesn’t look as good as stainless steel;

2. By way of a contrast stainless steel is easy to clean; it lasts longer; it, doesn’t dent so easily, and it certainly looks the part as a quality piece of cookware. This said it does suffer from heat spots, it is heavier and it is more its more expensive than aluminum;

3. Go for ‘quality’ whether buying aluminum or stainless steel. Do take seriously the fact that there is a lot of ‘rubbish’ in the marketplace at the present. I warn you, if you buy cheap then you’ll soon come to regret it!

4. When selecting your stockpot, basket and lid, especially if you’re buying a large pot, ensure that its made from the highest standard of commercial grade stainless steel or aluminum appropriate for that size of pot;

5. Go for a stock pot that has an indention just short of the top of the pot; this holds the basket off the bottom of the pot for when steaming;

6. Its important that your stockpot has a thick base; this is where you’ll get wear, especially with poorer grade aluminum pots;

7. Make sure the lid fits snugly and tightly and ensure the pot has a tidy rim making pouring easy;

8. Go for pot with well designed, good quality spacious handles that are secure. Poor quality rivets and small handles are an absolute no-no as you’re going to be lifting some very hot liquids bearing considerable weight!

9. Worry not about the width versus height argument. Some say the height has to be greater than the width but, in all my outdoor cooking, with every conceivable size of stockpot, including the very largest of pots, which typically have a wider base than depth, I don’t find any difference whatsoever in respect of the taste of the food that is served up. Indeed I would go for the counter argument for practical reasons. If you have a wider base, especially when you’re cooking over a big flame outdoors you’ll find it far easier to brown and to stir in a wider pot rather than in an overly tall stockpot;

10. Finally you won’t find a good quality range of stockpots in the local hardware store. You might find one or two pots from one or two good brands but you’re much better off going online and investigating the many great offers across the whole range of sizes that you’ll find there. And whilst you might find some great brands and a good selection from each at a cookware specialty store you’re likely to be paying far more than if you buy online.