Stock pot size question

[Platypus]

I'm looking for the largest stock pot I can find that will fit on a standard stove top burner. It seems they come in all shapes and sizes but what I am looking for I suppose is height, not width. I have no idea what quart size to get that is still reasonable for a standard kitchen stovetop. I am thinking 8-12qt is good but again, not sure.

Any cooks here have some recommendations for a good sized one? It will mainly be for large soups. Pho, Pozole, etc, so it needs to be large enough to accommodate the ingredients but not too large that it wont heat evenly due to the width being more than that of the burner itself. My only other requirement is that it should not be made of aluminum.

Thanks

 

[BurnItDwn]

Sorry, this won't be much help, but I have a 20 quart stock pot that I use when making Gumbo or when steaming crab legs...

Takes a while for it to heat up, but eventually, my stove can bring it to a boil ....

I recommend stainless steel, with a glass cover, and ideally, a steamer piece in case you want to steam things .... Dunno what brand I have though ...

 

[Platypus]

Thanks, Brian. I had planned on SS or something enameled. 20 seems quite large but then again I see 42 and 80qt models... I am clueless.

 

[Jzero]

Home cookware is made to work on home stovetop burners, and as you increase in size, the width does not need ot increase that much. I have a 20qt stock pot that fits just fine on my large burner. Of course it will also take a looooong time to come to a boil. It's more useful as a bucket for brining a turkey...

My 12qt is a little more useful since it will come to a boil in a reasonable amount of time but is still deep enough to do things like boil pasta without overflowing.

The real question is how much are you actually making? If you're making soup for 4 people, 12qt is more than enough. If you're making soup for 10 you'd be pushing it.

Unless you really need enormous capacity you may well be better off with enamelled cast iron. I never make soup in a stock pot....I always use a cast iron dutch oven or soup pot (which is just a modified dutch oven). The cast iron will be better about heating evenly and the heat retention is great for serving.

 

[Platypus]

Home cookware is made to work on home stovetop burners, and as you increase in size, the width does not need ot increase that much. I have a 20qt stock pot that fits just fine on my large burner. Of course it will also take a looooong time to come to a boil. It's more useful as a bucket for brining a turkey...

My 12qt is a little more useful since it will come to a boil in a reasonable amount of time but is still deep enough to do things like boil pasta without overflowing.

The real question is how much are you actually making? If you're making soup for 4 people, 12qt is more than enough. If you're making soup for 10 you'd be pushing it.

Unless you really need enormous capacity you may well be better off with enamelled cast iron. I never make soup in a stock pot....I always use a cast iron dutch oven or soup pot (which is just a modified dutch oven). The cast iron will be better about heating evenly and the heat retention is great for serving.

Yeah I've got a few enameled cast iron dutch ovens and what not but they are ~5qt and do not have enough capacity to manage the task. The issue is really volume. They would be enough if it was just broth but once you start adding in stuff it quickly runs out of space. I am thinking 12q is a good size but I didn't know if there was some 'standard'

 

[AVAFREAK182]

http://www.panamatours.com/Magazine/topsancocho.JPG

there ya go

 

[Jzero]

Yeah I've got a few enameled cast iron dutch ovens and what not but they are ~5qt and do not have enough capacity to manage the task. The issue is really volume. They would be enough if it was just broth but once you start adding in stuff it quickly runs out of space. I am thinking 12q is a good size but I didn't know if there was some 'standard'

There's no standard b/c it's all based on how much you want to cook at a time. Are you cooking dinner for 2? 4? 6 people? Cooking a ton at once to freeze?

 

[Platypus]

There's no standard b/c it's all based on how much you want to cook at a time. Are you cooking dinner for 2? 4? 6 people? Cooking a ton at once to freeze?

In the enameled cast iron 5qt pans it yields enough for probably 5-6 people, ideally I would like to double that for storing later. Logically that would put me in a 10-12qt pan I believe.

 

[Jzero]

In the enameled cast iron 5qt pans it yields enough for probably 5-6 people, ideally I would like to double that for storing later. Logically that would put me in a 10-12qt pan I believe.

Sounds pretty good. You're probably better off one size bigger than you think you need (it's always easier to manage when it isn't filled to the brim) so maybe even consider 14qt. You can often find diameter measurements to help compare to your burner size.

 

[Platypus]

Thanks for the help Jzero. I need to go look at them this afternoon, it will be much easier to tell without eyeballing it from an online picture.

 

[squirrel dog]

Gee , I don't know , sounds like you are looking for stock pots in a bulk size, like say the size of an alternator.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Gee , I don't know , sounds like you are looking for stock pots in a bulk size, like say the size of an alternator.

Well, he would need an alternator sized stock pot for making bulk beef ... that's for sure!