I'm on a quest for the perfect pasta pot with colander insert and can't find a good one…

I've had the Kaiko pasta pot (https://www.amazon.com...) with colander insert for years. In terms of functionality it's great, but the enamel material feels cheap and it's starting to wear off. I just bought the All Clad 6-qt pasta pot with colander insert, but I've found it terrible: the bottom of the colander doesn't go all the way down to the bottom of the pot (I guess so it can be used as a steamer?) so it's hard to actually get enough water in the pot to cook a pound of pasta. Plus water spills everywhere when I lift the colander out of the pot, which didn't happen with the Kaiko one.

Anyone know of a pasta pot that is more like the Kaiko one, but in stainless steel?

linzarella
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10 Comments

Emily K.
Emily K. June 15, 2021
Hi Linzarella! We love our Italian Pasta Pot by Mepra: https://food52.com/shop/products/7660-pasta-pot-and-serving-set. It's stainless steel, similar in size to the one you've had (7QT), and has a nice elegant quality too. Check it out and let us know what you think :).
 
linzarella
linzarella June 15, 2021
I love that pot and strongly considered it, but I actually already have almost those exact serving utensils that come with it (I bought the Mepra full silverware+utensil set from Food52 a few months ago). I'd LOVE to buy that Mepra Pasta Pot but don't want to pay for serving ware I don't need. Do you have an option to get just the pot?
 
linzarella
linzarella June 15, 2021
Also, I see somewhat wrote in the reviews that the colander insert doesn't give you much space to cook a full pound of pasta because it doesn't go all the way to the bottom of the pot. This was the issue I had with the All Clad pasta pot that I returned. Could you clarify if this would also be an issue with the Mepra pot?
 
Emily K.
Emily K. June 16, 2021
Oh! We don't carry it sans serveware, but if it makes a difference, they're actually a bonus item (so, free here). As for the colander—this isn't an issue we've been seeing come up, but it really depends on how big of a pot you're looking for. This colander is designed to be raised (it can also be used for steaming), so it won't touch the bottom of the pot, but there should still be plenty of space for pasta. Hope that helps with your decision but let us know if we can answer any other Qs!
 
linzarella
linzarella June 16, 2021
That's helpful. So I'll definitely order it if you can just confirm that it's designed to cook a pound of pasta without overflowing or spilling water when you lift the colander?
 
Emily K.
Emily K. June 16, 2021
Yes! Since most pastas recommend 4-6 quarts of water per pound, and this pot is 7 quarts, we just suggest sticking with closer to 4 quarts to prevent any overflowing—otherwise, we don't foresee any issue with water spillage.
 
Gammy
Gammy June 14, 2021
I have a Cuisinart 12 quart pasta pot, insert and steamer basket that I love. The insert sits about an inch or so above the bottom of the pot. I use the combo not only for cooking pasta but for making broth as I can easily lift the bones, etc. out when done. This is mine: https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-77-412-Classic-Stainless-12-Quart.
 
702551
702551 June 13, 2021
I bought a separate pasta insert for my stockpot which looks a lot like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Winware-Professional-Aluminum-Steamer-20-Quart/dp/B001CHHL9S/

about 25 years ago either at a Chinese hardware store or a restaurant supply shop (I forget which but I know I did not pay much).

Mine is stainless steel and the three welded on feet broke off a long time ago but otherwise it still works fine.

I suggest you try your local restaurant supply store first.
 
Nancy
Nancy June 13, 2021
Agree with the recommendation to check out restaurant supply shops.
Also there's a Calphalon (I think) stainless steel 4 piece set of pot, lid and 2 baskets...one full depth for pasta, one shorter for steaming vegetables.
 
702551
702551 June 13, 2021
I just noticed that this question comes from a person whose profile shows San Francisco as the location.

You might try some of the Chinese hardware stores in SF. I know there were a couple on Grant Avenue in Chinatown back in the Nineties. My memory is hazy but I think there was one on Polk Street as well. I'm sure there are still a few out in the avenues (Sunset, Richmond).

There was also a pretty good hardware store at Japantown Center back in the day. Don't know if it still exists. I believe one of the good ones closed a few years ago.

At least a few years ago there was a big restaurant supply store just south of the Caltrain trainyard.
 
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