Mainstays 8-Qt Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Metal Lid

This is a review for the Mainstays stainless steel 12qt stockpot. Overall, my first impressions of this product were pretty good. It looks and feels pretty solid. I've seen stockpots like these all my life, and my mother owned a few in this style that she used for canning. I've used this one, the 12 quart, as an extra large pot. My wife has made macaroni and cheese in it, and wild rice soup for feeding more than 3 people. My mom has made gumbo with it too. As for the pot itself, it's a little bit big. It does well for things where you don't necessarily need to precision pour stuff. I've made more messes trying to put the contents in ziploc bags than anything else. However, the capacity is very nice. The next largest pot I own is 6 quarts, so this essentially gives me 2 times the capacity of that one. After using it, I've had no issues with cleaning the pot, nothing sticking to the bottom. There is a little discoloration but I imagine that's from my stove. If you're looking for a decent stock pot that won't take up too much space, then I'd recommend giving this one a try. If you wanted to use it for canning, however, I'd recommend upsizing to the 20 quart if you can find it. I give mine a thumbs up.

This is a great stock pot. It is lightweight and a good size for large meals or bulky food items. The lid is tight fitting and the handles are a good size, even with oven mitts on. It is easy to clean and would be possible to clean well in most sinks.