Have you ever wanted to make your own fudge at home? Maybe you want to make sweet treats to give as gifts, or to make your homemade ice cream sundae that much more special.
Perhaps you just want to see if you can make it, and then eat the whole batch yourself. We’re not judging your fudging habits.
But if you are new to fudge making, then you may not know that there is one thing you will definitely need in order to make a delicious batch of fudge, and that is a good quality saucepan.
Don’t panic if you’re unsure what constitutes a good fudge saucepan. We have found some to fit any budget that should work just fine.
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What Sort Of Saucepan Do I Need?
The short answer is that you will need a heavy gauge one. This means that the saucepan will need to be made from a suitable metal material and have a suitable thickness to it.
Heavy gauge saucepans are usually quite heavy when you hold them, but this doesn’t guarantee their quality.
You will need a saucepan made from a non-corrosive metal, like stainless steel or anodized aluminum.
So much the better if it has an aluminum or copper core for added durability, but be careful not to get an entirely copper pan, as this can affect the taste if you make something like chocolate fudge.
Make sure the saucepan is a straight-sided one, so you can easily scrape around the sides of the pan while the fudge is cooking. A rounded, bulb-shaped pan would not be ideal for this.
How Big A Pan Do I Need?
This depends on the size of the batches you’ll be making. It might be easier to get a few sizes if you’re not sure how much fudge you’ll be likely to be making at once yet. For regular fudge making, you should be fine with a 2-3 quart capacity saucepan. In metric, that is 1.9-2.8 liters.
If you are likely to be making large batches of fudge, then a 5-quart (4.7 liters) pan will be better. The main thing to remember is to ensure that the bulb of your fudge thermometer will need to be properly immersed in the cooking fudge mixture.
This will not be possible if the pan is too large for the amount of fudge you are making, as the layer of the substance will be too thin to cover the thermometer bulb.
If the pan is not big enough, however, you will risk the pan boiling over which will be a serious sticky mess to clean up, and also the mixture may not heat evenly since some of it will be too far away from the heat.
Since temperature is key in fudge making, this won’t be ideal, and you could end up with a less-than-perfect consistency.
Why Should I Get A Special Saucepan For Making Fudge?
You don’t need a special saucepan for fudge making, you just need one that will work. You may already have a stainless steel heavy-duty saucepan, like we described, in the right size in your cupboard. If so, then there is no need to invest in a new one.
However, if you have a saucepan that is the perfect size, but made of the wrong material or vice versa, then we do seriously recommend investing in a pan that will be compatible with fudge making.
This is because you don’t want the metal to affect the taste of the fudge, and it needs to be able to conduct heat efficiently enough to heat the mixture evenly.
What Are The Best Saucepans For Making Fudge?
We’ve found a few saucepans that will be suitable for heating fudge mixture on the stove. Here are a few that we found.
1. All-Clad 4201 Stainless Steel Tri-Ply Bonded Dishwasher Safe Sauce Pan with Lid
No products found.This stainless steel saucepan comes in various sizes, so you can get the right one for you. The 2-quart, 3-quart, 3.5-quart, or the 4-quart would be best for fudge making but only use the two biggest sizes if you’re sure you’ll only be making large quantities of fudge every time.
This pan is perfect because it’s stainless steel on the outside and the inside, but the center layer is made from aluminum, which will help the pan to heat quickly and to evenly distribute heat throughout the fudge mixture.
The biggest drawback to this pan is that it is pretty expensive, and if you’re thinking about cooking fudge as a hobby, then this is a lot of money to spend on a saucepan. If you’re serious about fudge making, though, this pan will suit your needs very nicely indeed.
2. Cuisinart 719-16 Chef’s Classic Stainless Saucepan with Cover, 1 1/2 Quart
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This saucepan is much more wallet-friendly than our first pick. The base is aluminum and the pan itself is made from stainless steel, so it’s a good start.
This pan specifically states that it does not alter the flavors of what is heating inside, which is ideal. Metallic-tasting fudge isn’t a flavor that will ever catch on.
The cool grip handle will be useful when working with high-heat settings. This saucepan only has a 1 and a half quart capacity, though, so it will only be suitable for smaller batches of fudge.
3. Duxtop Whole-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Saucepan with Lid
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This is a super, middle-of-the-range option. It’s available in 1.6-quart or 3-quart sizes and is made from tri-ply stainless steel, meaning it has two layers of stainless steel and a middle layer of high-quality aluminum which will help heat distribution.
This is a great option since it is relatively budget-friendly but has an aluminum core which is perfect for heating fudge.
4. AVACRAFT Stainless Steel Saucepan with Glass Lid
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This stainless steel saucepan comes in 1.5-quart, 2.5-quart, and 3.5-quart sizes, so there’s one for everyone. It features an ergonomic handle for easy maneuvering and has a matte finish on the interior to help avoid scratching and marking over time.
Amazingly, this saucepan has a 5-ply stainless steel base with multi-clad encapsulation to help avoid heat spots inside. It has two aluminum layers on the base as well as a heat-retention layer.
Highly resistant to corrosion, stains, or rust, this pan is made from 18/10 food-grade stainless steel. For the quality, the price is modest, so it’s definitely one to consider.
5. GrandTies Full-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Sauce pan Induction Cookware – 3 QT Stainless Steel Pot
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This saucepan has a sensible 3-quart capacity, which should work for most standard fudge recipes. It has three layers like some others without the designer price tag.
The core layer is made of bonded aluminum to help even heating throughout the pan. It also has useful laser-etched measurement marks inside the pan, which will come in handy and save on the dishes if you don’t have to use a measuring jug too.
This pan is compatible with every type of cooktop including induction, gas, halogen, and ceramic hobs.
6. Rachael Ray Brights Hard Anodized Nonstick Sauce Pan/Saucepan with Lid
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This is an example of a non-stainless steel saucepan that you can use for making fudge. It is made from hard-anodized aluminum, with a non-stick coating.
While stainless steel pots don’t have any coating on them, this means they are easy to scrub clean without worrying about damaging them.
More on Non Stick Coatings
With non-stick coatings, it can be a blessing and a curse in fudge making. Of course, it sounds like a good thing when dealing with molten sugar or sticky condensed milk because you can’t help but think of the clean-up job and fudge mixture is undeniably sticky.
While a non-stick coating might help you to remove more mixture from the pan in a timely manner, it doesn’t necessarily help with the cleaning.
When you wash a pan that has been heating fudge, you’ll probably have to use a considerable amount of elbow grease and a harsh, course scourer, to get it clean again.
This will start to remove the non-stick coating over time, and what’s underneath won’t be as good at self-cleaning.
It’s up to you whether you use a non-stick pan for this sticky mixture or a stainless steel one, but if you do get a non-stick pan, make sure you check that it’s made with anodized aluminum like this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Sort of Saucepan Do I Need For Fudge?
The short answer is that you will need a heavy gauge saucepan for fudge. This means that the saucepan will need to be made from a suitable metal material and have a suitable thickness to it.
Heavy gauge saucepans are usually quite heavy when you hold them, but this doesn’t guarantee their quality.
You will need a saucepan made from a non-corrosive metal, like stainless steel or anodized aluminum.
So much the better if it has an aluminum or copper core for added durability, but be careful not to get an entirely copper pan, as this can affect the taste if you make something like chocolate fudge.
Make sure the saucepan is a straight-sided one, so you can easily scrape around the sides of the pan while the fudge is cooking. A rounded, bulb-shaped pan would not be ideal for this.
What Sort of Saucepan Do I Need?
The short answer is that you will need a heavy gauge one. This means that the saucepan will need to be made from a suitable metal material and have a suitable thickness to it.
Heavy gauge saucepans are usually quite heavy when you hold them, but this doesn’t guarantee their quality.
You will need a saucepan made from a non-corrosive metal, like stainless steel or anodized aluminum.
So much the better if it has an aluminum or copper core for added durability, but be careful not to get an entirely copper pan, as this can affect the taste if you make something like chocolate fudge.
Make sure the saucepan is a straight-sided one, so you can easily scrape around the sides of the pan while the fudge is cooking. A rounded, bulb-shaped pan would not be ideal for this.
What Size Pan Do I Need For Fudge Making?
This depends on the size of the batches you’ll be making. It might be easier to get a few sizes if you’re not sure how much fudge you’ll be likely to be making at once yet.
For regular fudge making, you should be fine with a 2-3 quart capacity saucepan. In metric, that is 1.9-2.8 liters. If you are likely to be making large batches of fudge, then a 5-quart (4.7 liters) pan will be better.
The main thing to remember is to ensure that the bulb of your fudge thermometer will need to be properly immersed in the cooking fudge mixture.
This will not be possible if the pan is too large for the amount of fudge you are making, as the layer of the substance will be too thin to cover the thermometer bulb.
If the pan is not big enough, however, you will risk the pan boiling over which will be a serious sticky mess to clean up, and also the mixture may not heat evenly since some of it will be too far away from the heat.
Since temperature is key in fudge making, this won’t be ideal, and you could end up with a less-than-perfect consistency.
Why Should I Get a Special Saucepan for Making Fudge?
You don’t need a special saucepan for fudge making, you just need one that will work.
You may already have a stainless steel heavy-duty saucepan, like we described, in the right size in your cupboard. If so, then there is no need to invest in a new one.
However, if you have a saucepan that is the perfect size, but made of the wrong material or vice versa, then we do seriously recommend investing in a pan that will be compatible with fudge making.
This is because you don’t want the metal to affect the taste of the fudge, and it needs to be able to conduct heat efficiently enough to heat the mixture evenly.
In Summary
Now you have an idea of what sort of saucepan you’ll need to use for making fudge at home, we hope you have a wonderful time flicking through recipes to find the perfect fudge for whatever purpose you are making it for.
There are so many different varieties of fudge from plain vanilla, to double chocolate or fruit-infused fudge. Now you have the right saucepan that can handle the heat for this job, we’re sure you’ll enjoy trying them all.
Last update on 2024-11-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API