I’m looking at that All Clad sale and a saute pan is a hole in my current pot/pan collection. Does anyone find one size or the other more generally useful? I’m having trouble picturing the size without a diameter being listed.
TIA!
I did a quick web search and it seems that the 3qt and 4qt may be the same diameter but that the 4qt has deeper sides. I don’t know if this is for all lines or just the two I found. Note that is based on the dimensions as reported on Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table. Both were around 10.5 inches in diameter.
Not sure of the price but at this size, I prefer a good cast iron fry pan.
It looks like 3-quart = 10-1/2-inch, 4quart = 11-inch. But I believe that there are different models, so I suggest you look on amazon for your exact model to get an accurate size.
I have some of these. The 3qt Master Chef saute is 11.1" in diameter, about 2.7" high. The 6qt MC is 13.5" diameter and about the same height. I believe the 4qt is the same diameter as the 3qt but a third higher. They use standard diameters so the lids are interchangable. The 3qt is a workhorse in our kitchen (30 years and counting).
Note that the stainless All Clad pans are thinner than the Master Chef/MC2 and LTD lines. I had a 6qt stainless saute pan and the bottom warped (no issues with the 6qt MC in 20+ years of use).
This link has lid sizes matched to various pans (The sizes listed are the internal diameter, e.g., 10.5" for 3 & 4qt saute. I used external dimensions above.)
Thank you David, that was the sort of input I was hoping for.
Sorry, I should have specified that I was looking at the copper core. Seems like a good price:
Thanks Brian. I have a good cast iron fry pan but can think of circumstances where I’d like the straight sides on the saute pan. And I’ve been very happy with the small copper core sauce pan that I currently own (bought 15ish years ago at the no longer existent Williams Sonoma outlet at Woodbury common). Also, the older I get the heavier my cast iron gets. Sort of the way the ink leaks out of my books to make the print smaller.
And thanks Corey. My googling also implies diameter is very similar and possibly identical. Without the model number to search on it’s hard to be definite.
I went with the 3 quart.
For anyone else who comes across this thread, the 6 qt is the perfect size for browning two packages of chicken thighs (ie 8 thighs). We have the MC2 and the heat distribution is excellent with even browning even over the areas that extend past the flame.
Correct choice IMO. 3 suits 90% of my needs. I do have less expensive 5q for a few rare occasion
Also great for large batches of caramelized onion