Pot vs. Pitcher — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 29, 2024
A pot is a container used for cooking or holding plants, while a pitcher is a container designed for holding and pouring liquids.
Difference Between Pot and Pitcher
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Pots are versatile containers primarily used in cooking to heat and prepare food on a stovetop or in an oven. They are typically made of metal, ceramic, or clay and come in various sizes to accommodate different cooking needs. Pitchers, on the other hand, are designed specifically for holding and pouring liquids. They feature a spout and a handle to facilitate easy pouring, making them ideal for serving beverages like water, juice, or milk.
Pots can also refer to containers used for holding plants, where the term often implies a relatively small size suitable for a single plant. Pots are essential in both culinary and gardening contexts for their functionality and durability. Pitchers are commonly made from glass, ceramic, plastic, or metal and are often used in dining settings, from casual meals to formal gatherings. The design of a pitcher focuses on ease of use, aesthetic appeal, and the ability to serve multiple people.
While pots are associated with the preparation and cultivation aspects of food and plants, pitchers are tied to the serving and enjoyment of drinks. This distinction highlights their different roles in domestic and culinary environments.
The material of a pot is chosen for its heat conductivity and durability to withstand cooking temperatures, whereas pitchers are selected based on their ability to hold and serve liquids without reacting chemically with them. For instance, a ceramic pot can be used for slow cooking, while a glass pitcher is preferred for serving cold drinks to showcase the beverage's color.
Maintenance of pots and pitchers also differs; pots may require seasoning if made of certain metals like cast iron, while pitchers often prioritize ease of cleaning, with many being dishwasher safe. This difference underscores the practical considerations in their use and care.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Use
Cooking food or holding plants.
Holding and pouring liquids.
Material
Metal, ceramic, clay.
Glass, ceramic, plastic, metal.
Design Features
May have lids, designed for heat.
Has a spout and handle for pouring.
Context of Use
Cooking, gardening.
Serving drinks.
Maintenance
Requires specific care based on material (e.g., seasoning for cast iron).
Often dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
Compare with Definitions
Pot
A container for cooking over heat.
She simmered the soup in a large pot.
Pitcher
Designed for easy liquid distribution.
The pitcher's spout made pouring drinks mess-free.
Pot
Used for holding soil and plants.
The windowsill was lined with pots of herbs.
Pitcher
A container with a spout for pouring liquids.
She filled the pitcher with lemonade.
Pot
Essential in culinary preparation.
A well-equipped kitchen has a variety of pots.
Pitcher
Commonly used in meal serving.
A glass pitcher of water was on the dining table.
Pot
Typically made of durable materials.
His favorite cooking pot was cast iron.
Pitcher
Made from materials that enhance aesthetic or practicality.
The ceramic pitcher matched the dinnerware.
Pot
Requires care based on material.
Seasoning the pot ensured it remained non-stick.
Pitcher
Often chosen for both function and style.
Their crystal pitcher was reserved for special occasions.
Pot
A round, fairly deep cooking vessel with a handle and often a lid.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who pitches the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1.
Pot
A short round container for storing or serving food
A jam pot.
A mustard pot.
Pitcher
One that pitches.
Pot
A coffeepot.
Pitcher
(Baseball) The player who throws the ball from the mound to the batter.
Pot
A teapot.
Pitcher
(Sports) A seven iron used in golf.
Pot
Such a container and its contents
A pot of stew.
Brewed a pot of coffee.
Pitcher
A container for liquids, usually having a handle and a lip or spout for pouring.
Pot
A potful.
Pitcher
(Botany) A pitcherlike part, such as the leaf of a pitcher plant.
Pot
A large drinking cup; a tankard.
Pitcher
One who pitches anything, as hay, quoits, a ball, etc.
Pot
A drink of liquor contained in such a cup.
Pitcher
The player who delivers the ball to the batter.
Pot
An artistic or decorative ceramic vessel of any shape.
Pitcher
(slang) A drug dealer.
Pot
A flowerpot.
Pitcher
One who puts counterfeit money into circulation.
Pot
Something, such as a chimney pot or chamber pot, that resembles a round cooking vessel in appearance or function.
Pitcher
(obsolete) A sort of crowbar for digging.
Pot
A trap for eels, other fish, or crustaceans, typically consisting of a wicker or wire basket or cage.
Pitcher
A wide-mouthed, deep vessel for holding liquids, with a spout or protruding lip and a handle; a water jug or jar with a large ear or handle.
Pot
The total amount staked by all the players in one hand in cards.
Pitcher
(botany) A tubular or cuplike appendage or expansion of the leaves of certain plants. See pitcher plant.
Pot
The area on a card table where stakes are placed.
Pitcher
One who pitches anything, as hay, quoits, a ball, etc.; specifically (Baseball), the player who delivers the ball to the batsman.
Pot
A shot in billiards or related games intended to send a ball into a pocket.
Pitcher
A sort of crowbar for digging.
Pot
(Informal) A common fund to which members of a group contribute.
Pitcher
A wide-mouthed, deep vessel for holding liquids, with a spout or protruding lip and a handle; a water jug or jar with a large ear or handle.
Pot
Often pots Informal A large amount
Lost a pot of cash in the stock market crash.
Made pots of money on their investment.
Pitcher
A tubular or cuplike appendage or expansion of the leaves of certain plants.
Pot
(Informal) A potshot.
Pitcher
(baseball) the person who does the pitching;
Our pitcher has a sore arm
Pot
(Informal) A potbelly.
Pitcher
An open vessel with a handle and a spout for pouring
Pot
(Informal) A potty or toilet.
Pitcher
The quantity contained in a pitcher
Pot
Marijuana.
Pitcher
The position on a baseball team of the player who throws the ball for a batter to try to hit;
He has played every position except pitcher
They have a southpaw on the mound
Pot
See potentiometer.
Pot
To place or plant in a pot
Pot a geranium.
Pot
To preserve (food) in a pot.
Pot
To cook in a pot.
Pot
To shoot (game) for food rather than for sport.
Pot
(Informal) To shoot with a potshot.
Pot
(Informal) To win or capture; bag.
Pot
(Games) To hit (a ball) into a pocket.
Pot
(Informal) To take a potshot.
Pot
To make or shape objects from clay, as on a potter's wheel.
Pot
A flat-bottomed vessel (usually metal) used for cooking food.
Pot
Various similar open-topped vessels, particularly
Pot
A vessel (usually earthenware) used with a seal for storing food, such as a honeypot.
Pot
A vessel used for brewing or serving drinks: a coffeepot or teapot.
Pot
A vessel used to hold soil for growing plants, particularly flowers: a flowerpot.
Pot
A vessel used for urination and defecation: a chamber pot; a toilet; the lavatory.
Shit or get off the pot.
Pot
A crucible: a melting pot.
Pot
A pot-shaped trap used for catching lobsters or other seafood: a lobster pot.
Pot
A pot-shaped metal or earthenware extension of a flue above the top of a chimney: a chimney pot.
Pot
A perforated cask for draining sugar.
Pot
(obsolete) An earthen or pewter cup or mug used for drinking liquor.
Pot
A glass of beer in Australia whose size varies regionally but is typically around 10 fl oz (285 mL).
Pot
Pothole, sinkhole, vertical cave.
Pot
A shallow hole used in certain games played with marbles. The marbles placed in it are called potsies.
Pot
Ruin or deterioration.
After his arrest, his prospects went to pot.
Pot
(historical) Any of various traditional units of volume notionally based on the capacity of a pot.
Pot
(historical) An iron hat with a broad brim worn as a helmet.
Pot
(rail transport) A pot-shaped non-conducting (usually ceramic) stand that supports an electrified rail while insulating it from the ground.
Pot
The money available to be won in a hand of poker or a round of other games of chance; (figuratively) any sum of money being used as an enticement.
No one's interested. You need to sweeten the pot.
Pot
A favorite: a heavily-backed horse.
Pot
(slang) potbelly: a pot-shaped belly, a paunch.
Pot
(slang) potshot: a haphazard shot; an easy or cheap shot.
Pot
A plaster cast.
Pot
(historical) nodot=a: a former size of paper, 12.5 × 15 inches.
Pot
Marijuana.
Pot
A simple electromechanical device used to control resistance or voltage (often to adjust sound volume) in an electronic device by rotating or sliding when manipulated by a human thumb, screwdriver, etc.
Pot
(RPG) potion
Pot
To put (something) into a pot.
To pot a plant
Pot
To preserve by bottling or canning.
Potted meat
Pot
To cause a ball to fall into a pocket.
Pot
To be capable of being potted.
The black ball doesn't pot; the red is in the way.
Pot
(transitive) To shoot with a firearm.
Pot
To take a pot shot, or haphazard shot, with a firearm.
Pot
To secure; gain; win; bag.
Pot
(British) To send someone to gaol, expeditiously.
Pot
To tipple; to drink.
Pot
(transitive) To drain (e.g. sugar of the molasses) in a perforated cask.
Pot
To seat a person, usually a young child, on a potty or toilet, typically during toilet teaching.
Pot
To apply a plaster cast to a broken limb.
Pot
To catch (a fish, eel, etc) via a pot.
Pot
To score (a drop goal).
Pot
To fade volume in or out by means of a potentiometer.
Pot
A metallic or earthen vessel, appropriated to any of a great variety of uses, as for boiling meat or vegetables, for holding liquids, for plants, etc.; as, a quart pot; a flower pot; a bean pot.
Pot
An earthen or pewter cup for liquors; a mug.
Pot
The quantity contained in a pot; a potful; as, a pot of ale.
Pot
A metal or earthenware extension of a flue above the top of a chimney; a chimney pot.
Pot
A crucible; as, a graphite pot; a melting pot.
Pot
A wicker vessel for catching fish, eels, etc.
Pot
A perforated cask for draining sugar.
Pot
A size of paper. See Pott.
Pot
Marijuana.
Pot
The total of the bets at stake at one time, as in racing or card playing; the pool;
Pot
A plain defensive headpiece; later, and perhaps in a jocose sense, any helmet; - called also pot helmet.
Pot
The total of the bets at one time; the pool.
Pot
To place or inclose in pots
Pot
To shoot for the pot, i.e., cooking; to secure or hit by a pot shot; to shoot when no special skill is needed.
When hunted, it [the jaguar] takes refuge in trees, and this habit is well known to hunters, who pursue it with dogs and pot it when treed.
Pot
To secure; gain; win; bag.
Pot
To tipple; to drink.
It is less labor to plow than to pot it.
Pot
To take a pot shot or shots, as at game or an enemy.
Pot
Metal or earthenware cooking vessel that is usually round and deep; often has a handle and lid
Pot
A plumbing fixture for defecation and urination
Pot
The quantity contained in a pot
Pot
A container in which plants are cultivated
Pot
(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent;
A batch of letters
A deal of trouble
A lot of money
He made a mint on the stock market
It must have cost plenty
Pot
The cumulative amount involved in a game (such as poker)
Pot
Slang terms for a paunch
Pot
A resistor with three terminals, the third being an adjustable center terminal; used to adjust voltages in radios and TV sets
Pot
Street names for marijuana
Pot
Plant in a pot;
He potted the palm
Common Curiosities
Can both pots and pitchers be decorative?
Absolutely. While functional, both pots and pitchers can be crafted in designs that complement home decor, with some pieces even serving as decorative elements.
Can a pot be used for serving food?
Yes, pots can serve food, especially in casual settings or when serving hot dishes directly to the table.
Can I use a metal pot on any type of stovetop?
Most metal pots are compatible with various stovetops, but it's important to verify compatibility, especially with induction cooktops which require magnetic materials.
What’s the best way to store pots and pitchers when not in use?
Pots can be nested or hung by handles to save space, while pitchers should be stored upright in a cabinet or displayed on a shelf, ensuring they are clean and dry to avoid dust accumulation or mildew growth.
How do I choose the right pitcher for my needs?
Consider the pitcher's material, size, and design features like spouts and handles based on the types of beverages you plan to serve and your aesthetic preferences.
Is there a specific type of pot for every cooking method?
Yes, there are specific types of pots designed for various cooking methods, such as stockpots for broths, saucepans for sauces, and Dutch ovens for braising.
What maintenance is required for ceramic pots and pitchers?
Ceramic pots and pitchers should be handled with care to avoid chips or cracks and washed gently, preferably by hand, to maintain their finish and integrity.
How do I know if a pitcher is dishwasher safe?
Check the manufacturer’s instructions or labeling for care instructions; many modern pitchers, especially those made from glass or certain plastics, are designed to be dishwasher safe.
Are all pitchers resistant to heat?
Not all pitchers are heat resistant; materials like glass or certain plastics may not withstand hot temperatures, unlike metal or some ceramics.
Are there eco-friendly options for pots and pitchers?
Yes, there are eco-friendly options made from sustainable materials like recycled glass or metal, and biodegradable plant pots.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
