Hi. I've been thinking about picking up one of these for making sauces;
but it seems like both have their strong points compared to the other.
The Windsor pot gives you better loss of moisture because of the flared
sides, and thus is handier for reductions; the saucier has the curved
bottom edge, which makes whisking while cooking more effective.

So I figured I'd ask people here what they prefer and why? And if you
figure that neither gives you anything a small saucepan doesn't that
would justify spending the $, tell me that too -- I don't currently
have a small saucepan that's not non-stick, so that's still useful to
hear.

Thanks.

Chris Metzler wrote:
> Hi. I've been thinking about picking up one of these for making sauces;
> but...

I'd stick with the regular saucepot or a "saucier". Reason being, when
I am working with a small quantity I tend to tilt the pot to whisk.
The windsor isn't so good for tilting...

Chris Metzler wrote:
> Hi. I've been thinking about picking up one of these for making sauces;
> but it seems like both have their strong points compared to the other.
> The Windsor pot gives you better loss of moisture because of the flared
> sides, and thus is handier for reductions; the saucier has the curved
> bottom edge, which makes whisking while cooking more effective.
>
> So I figured I'd ask people here what they prefer and why? And if you
> figure that neither gives you anything a small saucepan doesn't that
> would justify spending the $, tell me that too -- I don't currently
> have a small saucepan that's not non-stick, so that's still useful to
> hear.

I picked up a very inexpensive saucier to see if I would use it. It has
been amazingly versatile. I use it for everything from ice creams and
custards to gravies and sauces. The one I have has a small base (5.5")
and a wide top (10") so it does reductions very well. The construction
is aluminum embedded in stainless.

I consider it $20 well spent and I probably won't be replacing it with a
more expensive one.

Matthew

--
I'm a consultant. If you want an opinion I'll sell you one.
Which one do you want?

"Chris Metzler" > wrote in
message t...
>
> Hi. I've been thinking about picking up one of these for making sauces;
> but it seems like both have their strong points compared to the other.
> The Windsor pot gives you better loss of moisture because of the flared
> sides, and thus is handier for reductions; the saucier has the curved
> bottom edge, which makes whisking while cooking more effective.
>
> So I figured I'd ask people here what they prefer and why? And if you
> figure that neither gives you anything a small saucepan doesn't that
> would justify spending the $, tell me that too -- I don't currently
> have a small saucepan that's not non-stick, so that's still useful to
> hear.

I don't have a Windsor pot so I can't do a perfect comparison. I love the
two sauciers we have though. The curved sides make it easy to stir or whisk
and the heat goes gently up the sides.

My favorite is this one http://www.copperpans.com/facosa.html
I also have a Martha Stewart tri-ply that was cheap but works well, a great
buy. I don't think they are available, but others probably are.

As for a sauce pan, they are handy for a lot of chores. We use one for
making soft boiled eggs, for instance, or heating a bit of soup.

On Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:51:46 -0500, Chris Metzler
> wrote:

>So I figured I'd ask people here what they prefer and why?

I've had both, and now use my 2-3/4 quart copper Windsor exclusively.

The main point to me is to fit the bottom (heat-transferring) surface area as
closely as possible to the burner you're most likely to use the pan on, which
for me is usually a small one, and after that to maximize the surface area.

(Main pet peeve: the fact that so few pot/pan ads specify the diameter of the
bottom. I find that to be crucial in fitting pots and pans to my cooktop.)

I've never noted any problem with buildup in the corners while whisking.

-- Larry