Matfer Bourgeat Excellence 1-quart Sauce Pan

A 1-quart pan is the right size for a cup of beurre blanc, melted butter, a single portion of oatmeal or a hollandaise held over low heat. Small sauces scorch quickly in thin pans, and the aluminum core in the Excellence base spreads the heat so the edges do not run hotter than the center.

The handle is welded and watertight, so no water collects inside it in the dishwasher. Matfer cookware is bought by home cooks as well as professionals. The matching lid is the 5 1/2-inch Excellence lid; the rest of the line is in the Excellence collection.

Where a 1-Quart Pan Earns Its Place

Small pans are easy to overlook until a recipe calls for melting two tablespoons of butter or warming a cup of milk for hot chocolate. In a larger pan, that little liquid spreads thin and scorches at the edges before the center is warm. The 14 cm base keeps a small volume deep enough to stir and to judge by eye, and it is the pan for poaching a single egg, infusing cream with vanilla or toasting spices in oil before they go into a curry.