Top 9 Best Pasta Pots: Reviewed in 2022

Mama mia, it’s time for a new pasta pot! Italian night may be a family favorite, but it’s not without its challenges. Say goodbye to those smushy-noodle nights, and let’s talk pasta cookers. It can be dangerous to deal with the rapidly boiling water and drain without dropping everything down the drain. We are delighted to report that many other innovative chefs have taken those similar, frustrating (or harmful!) experiences and “cooked” up some fantastic alternatives to the classic pot’n’strainer set our grandmothers were burnt by. This is 2022, and it’s high time for some updated technology in the pasta-cooking world! But what is the best pasta pot?

Top 9 Pasta Pots of 2022:

Rachael Ray Cucina Pasta Pot

Let’s start with a pasta cooker that has upgraded the pasta night of many home chefs this year. Rachel Ray’s eye-catching nonstick stockpot is multi-functional far beyond Italian night! It’s even made in an oval shape on purpose (perfect for spaghetti!) and comes with a pour spout in the lid to enable easier water-draining. 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

It’s a beautiful thing inside and out. The nonstick coating makes your cleanup almost as enjoyable as the cooking process! This one feature alone has many home chefs singing its praises.

Bialetti Oval 5 Quart Pasta Pot

Bialetti has it going on. This nonstick pot features nonstick handles as well to help ensure easy and safe cooking and water draining. Speaking of draining, the strainer lid makes that final step of pasta making a breeze. And 5 quarts seems to be plenty big for the average weeknight chef. 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

Bialetti has a fantastic product with many upsides (the size, shape, grippy handles, nonstick coating, and strainer lid, to name a few!) but several cons which an eco-friendly home chef may not enjoy.

AVACRAFT Stainless Steel Pasta Pot

Wow, if there was ever a perfect gift for cooking enthusiasts, this is IT! The AVACRAFT cooker is a combination of everything in its title; it’s the ideal noodle steamer, pasta pot, spaghetti cooker, vegetable steamer, and meat steamer all in one. The 18/10 stainless material is a bonus, boasting long-lasting quality. 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

This multi-use pot can really take the place of many kitchen cookers in one fell sweep. Dishwasher safe, beautiful, and highly functional, this may be your best bet (particularly if you enjoy the options to change pot size by inserting/removing the steamer basket). 

Gotham Steel 5 Quart Multipurpose Pasta Pot

Gotham Steel has crafted a pasta pot that resolves many noodle-cooker’s woes. The nonstick coating inside is a copper lining, which is more eco-friendly than traditional Teflon nonstick options. Copper is also known to be excellent at even heat distribution, which is only enhanced by a cooking device that is pot-shaped (as the walls insulate more area of your recipe concoction). 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

This nonstick pasta pot is a small, economically friendly option with some cool features. The locking lid is a big plus for safe straining. However, some may not be fans of the round shape if they cook lots of long noodles or how the copper nonstick respond to cleaning. 

Fortune Candy 10-Quart Pasta Pot

What a unique design to add to your cookware collection! Besides the convenient feature of a strainer insert (making the last step of your pasta-making a breeze), Fortune Candy designed a pot that’s taller than it is wide. So, while it is a round diameter, the space gained by the ergonomic shapeliness equals more room for your ingredients (including whole spaghetti or other long-shaped noodles). 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

Many users are highly impressed with the size, steamer basket function, and fun shape. However, take into account that 10 quarts are quite large and maybe more than your bargaining. On the other hand, if you enjoy batch cooking (or have a large Italian family!), this may be everything you need. 

Magefesa Praga Pasta Pot

The Magefesa Praga pot featured here is a basic pasta cooker with a saucy red/maroon color. This pot is a fun addition to any kitchen collection, and many chefs love the built-in strainer (as the lid). It’s not very large, but this is actually a positive thing for small families or single person homes. 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

If you are looking for a basic, medium-small pot with few extra features (strainer lid, nonstick interior), this may be just the thing for you. 

Lagostina Stainless Steel Pasta Pot

Wow, what a well-crafted piece of cooking-ware! The Lagostina Pasta Pot features hammered stainless steel for an eye-catching kitchen piece. A thick aluminum core backs this up for a quality cooking experience of even heat distribution (key when cooking soups, stews, and pasta dishes). It comes with a pasta-cooking insert to make the last step, straining, a breeze. 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

It is beautiful and comes with a pasta-cooking insert. A huge plus to this set is the dishwasher-safe design and its ability to withstand such high temperatures. There are many recipes that “finish” the dish in the oven; some use the oven-safe approval simply to keep food warm between “done” and serving-time. 

Calphalon Premier Nonstick Cookware

Calphalon has been in the business of bringing joy and up-to-date kitchen technology to homes everywhere since 1963. This pot+steamer+strainer combo is part of the Calphalon Premier line, boasting 40% longer lasting nonstick coating. The steamer and strainer inserts (two separate pieces) are easily interchangeable, and the whole set is easy to clean in the dishwasher or by hand. 

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

The Calphalon is sure to endure but may not be up to par if your biggest concerns are the airtight lid or a lid-vent. However, the interchangeable pieces mean this multi-use pot offers a wider range of uses than a standard pasta pot. 

EVERNEW Titanium Pasta Pot

We have saved the most unique for last! There is nothing old or old-fashioned about this Evernew pasta pot. One look, and you’ll be just as intrigued as we were as we reviewed myriad pots to discover the best pasta pots around. Users agree this is the lightest, most durable, and most efficient pasta pot with strainer lid they’ve ever seen. If you like unique kitchen gadgets and cook small amounts of pasta often, this is for you!

Pros

Cons

Takeaway

The Evernew will be an enjoyable and easy to use addition to your kitchen collection. You need to check this one out for those smaller-serving recipe nights or when you want a single gadget that will do all the pasta-making steps without dirtying extra dishes. 

Buying Guide

What makes for a good pasta cooker or pasta pot set? We have curated some top tips below to help you better determine which of the top rated noodle cookers is perfect for your family’s needs:

1. Consider Other Uses

Pasta pots are so-called for the obvious reason—they are excellent for cooking pasta! Often this means they have built in strainer-type lids or inserts or unique shapes made to handle a variety of noodle shapes (i.e., oval pots for long spaghetti-type foods). However, these fantastic designs are valuable for a host of other recipes, from steamed vegetables to cooking frozen meat (while it still has that rectangle shape from the too long package for circular pots!).  A pasta pot with a strainer combo, whether built into the lid or as an insert, is particularly useful.  Consider the variety of recipes you make in a typical week, and imagine what kind of pasta pot/noodle cooker may minimize hassle for those recipes as well! 

2. Classic or Nonstick

Consider whether you want more of a “classic” interior such as stainless steel or some kind of nonstick lining. Many chefs prefer the classic stainless steel for its durable and long-lasting character. However, recently the nonstick craze has revolutionized home chef’s experiences in the kitchen. A nonstick pot is especially valuable for pasta recipes that will include a sauce or saturated fat ingredients (which tend to be hard to clean later). The thing about nonstick is that teflon (the original “nonstick” on most pots and pans) is not eco-friendly, and many have concerns about its health friendliness as well. There are now various alternative nonstick lining materials such as copper and ceramic, which are considered much safer. 

Check out our FAQ below for more information about this. 

3. Hold it right there!

Some pasta pots and steamers have grippy handles, and some do not. Do you like the added safety measure of grip-materials on your kitchen appliances? Some may find this intrusive, while others find this feature to be invaluable. Think about the pot handles you already have; also, consider how you need to handle pasta pots at the straining step. Many are much more confident in that last, sometimes scary step (i.e., attempting to strain screaming-hot water off your noodles without burning anything!) with grippy handles because it increases your control on the pot. 

4. Lock It Up

For this last point, we’re going to focus on the lid: to lock, or not to lock? That is our question. Lots of the pasta pots we listed above have locking lids. What is the purpose of this? Safety. In many cases, lids have strainer features either as built-in designs or as inserts with a spouted lid. In either case, you’ll still be tipping the whole pot over to get the water out of the pot. 

With a locking lid, you have the added safety of knowing the lid is secure, and you can focus on slowly/carefully dumping the excess water off the pasta or steamed veggies. 

FAQ’s

Interior materials are in two categories: classic and nonstick. Classic can be broken down further into two types: aluminum and stainless steel. Nonstick can be basically broken down into two categories: teflon, copper, and ceramic. Teflon contains harmful chemicals but is still pervasive in many kitchens since its discovery and subsequent heavy marketing push in the 1930s-40s. Because of the known carcinogens in this material, we’ll leave it off our list. See below for a brief description of each of the other four best materials options: 

Classic: Aluminum

• Aluminum has been used and loved in the cooking world for a long time. 
• One of the main reasons people appreciate aluminum cookware is the weight. Aluminum is notoriously lightweight, thus making for a uniquely easy cooking experience. 
• A second highly praised feature is thermal conductivity. Aluminum is an excellent metal for even and fast heat distribution (especially valuable in something like steamer recipes or pasta, soups, and stews!). 
• Aluminum is also rather cheap. This (hopefully) translates to a lower cost cooking pot. 
• Aluminum is not without cons. Like copper, this metal is not good with highly acidic foods or extremely alkaline ingredients. That doesn’t mean the kitchen will explode if you put vinegar in the pot, but it does mean less than optimal results for your health due to potentially leaching metals into your recipe. 

Classic: Stainless Steel

• Stainless steel is the classic of classics. From durability to metal safety, it’s an easy choice for many. 
• Stainless steel is highly resistant to corrosion. This means no worry about rusting or degradation of the interior based on acidic ingredients (common to pasta recipes, especially, i.e., tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, etc.). 
• Environmental- and health-safe. Stainless steel, even after all these years, has stood the test of scientific studies worldwide. As of this moment, it is still considered potentially the safest or in the top safest materials to cook with, at a wide range of heat applications.
• Cons of stainless steel mainly come down to convenience in the cleaning department and weight. 
• As for cleaning, stainless is often dishwasher safe, but food can stick like glue. Suppose you don’t get the pot into the sink and soak in water immediately after emptying. In that case, you may very well have signed yourself up for a few days of soaking and scrubbing, especially if you happen to have accidentally let something burn. 
• It is not particularly light. However, most find it’s easy enough to handle, depending more on the company’s unique craftsmanship, which made your kitchen device. 

Nonstick: Copper

• Copper is loved for its versatility. It is notably valuable on a variety of points.
• For one, it heats up and cools down quickly. This is great for those who want to get things done ASAP and are able to multitask in the kitchen. On the other hand, the pan may heat or cool faster than some chefs are able to move, providing an ironic inconvenience.
• Copper is free of the highly toxic chemicals common in teflon. Still, those with sensitivity to copper (such as Wilson’s disease sufferers) will want to avoid copper for the slight copper-leaching that is inevitable over time.

Nonstick: Ceramic

• Ceramic is known to be scratch resistant and shock resistant. With minimal attention, you can keep your ceramic nonstick pots in rotation for a very long time with success.
• Often, ceramic devices are dishwasher safe (a huge plus for busy professionals and homebodies alike!). 
• Much more chemically resistant than most other materials, even copper and aluminum. In fact, many who incorporate ceramic into their collections quickly decide it’s the only type of material they ever want to use again! It is so nonstick, and many find it easy to reduce or eliminate greasing/oiling their food to prevent sticking. This translates to lower calorie meals and the ability to make lighter fare without heavy cleanup. 
• However, some find ceramic pans to be quite heavy. For weaker arms, this may be an issue. 
• Another con to ceramic is it does take a while longer to heat than some other materials; however, it is often better at retaining heat, which is a bonus for making large one-pot meals and going back for seconds!

Conclusion

So what’s the best pasta cooker for your household? It depends on your preferences with cooking style and your other weekly recipe rotations. The best pasta pot is just a few minutes of self-reflection away: Consider your own kitchen and cooking style. Take inventory of the pots for cooking pasta that you already own. Are you specifically wanting a certain size? You may want to measure your current favorite pot. What are the most-likely moments you’d want to use a pasta pot or cooker device (beyond Italian night)? Use this guide and FAQ to help determine what the best pasta cooker is for your kitchen.