A saucepan is a round cooking vessel with a long handle and usually comes with a tight-fitting cover. The shape and size of saucepans can vary, from a shallow pan with straight sides to deeper pans with flared sides. Saucepans typically have a volume of one to four pints.
Saucepans are made from various materials, including metal (stainless steel, aluminum, cast iron), anodized aluminum, enameled metal (iron or steel), ceramic, or glass.
Shallow saucepans are often used in sauteing. Deeper pans are often used for boiling vegetables, making sauces, or braising.
Quality pans should be well-balananced and easy to lift by the handles.