A quality stock pot is an essential item for every Kiwi home. Not only can you make healthy, home-made stocks without nasty additives, nutritious bone broth and warming soups. A large pot is essential for cooking salted meats, boiling crayfish, pasta and corn, making pork and puha boil-ups, and even for making cheeses and preserves. A stock pot is also handy for making home brew and even dyeing materials or making soap!
A stock pot (or soup pot) is a tall, narrow vessel with vertical sides and a tight-fitting lid. At Chef’s Complements, you can get a stock pot to match your regular range of pots if you choose brands such as Scanpan, Essteele or Chasseur. We stock both functional soup pots and real eye-catchers which are nice enough to serve your stew at the table.
For professional kitchens, maraes and large functions we offer commercial stock pots.
We also carry so-called multi pots. They have stainless steel steam basket inserts that can be placed inside the stock pot, so you can conveniently prepare steamed vegetables from your garden or the market at the same time. Another handy addition is a pasta insert for quick and easy draining of pasta.
What to consider when buying a stock pot
Since stock pots are large pots, think about storage and measure your cupboards before buying. Also check whether the soup pot has safe, strong handles for carrying when in use. Stock pots can be very heavy, therefore, a good riveted handle is the safest. They should also be roomy enough to accommodate oven mitts.
Will you be using your stock pot for broths or liquids that are acidic? Tomato-base preserves, cheeses, home brews and court-bouillons, for example, require a non-reactive metal such as stainless steel, not copper or aluminium.
Must-have accessories for your new stock pot
- Boil ‘N’ Wraps are muslin bags for boiling shellfish, vegetables and chicken etc. while making stock. They can also be used for boiling hops for beer making.
- Silicone infusers keep your herbs together while adding rich flavours to your stews
- Simmer mats give you precise temperature control to avoid burnt food and pots that are boiled dry
