Pot vs. Vat — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 15, 2024
A pot is typically a deep, round container used for cooking, while a vat is a large tank or tub used for industrial or commercial processes.
Difference Between Pot and Vat
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A pot is a familiar kitchen utensil, often made of metal or ceramic, used mainly for cooking meals. Whereas a vat is much larger, used in industries like brewing, dyeing, or in chemical processes.
Pots are generally equipped with a handle or two, making them easy to maneuver and pour. On the other hand, vats are stationary and often integrated into a facility's infrastructure.
In terms of capacity, pots are designed to hold liters of content, suitable for home cooking. Vats, however, can hold several thousand liters, accommodating commercial or industrial scale operations.
The maintenance and cleaning of pots are straightforward and can usually be done with typical kitchen cleaning tools. Whereas cleaning vats often requires specialized equipment or chemicals, reflecting their use in industrial environments.
Pots are versatile and used in various cooking methods including boiling, stewing, and frying. In contrast, vats are typically used for processes like fermentation, storage, or mixing on a large scale.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Use
Cooking food in homes or restaurants
Industrial or commercial processes
Size
Small to medium, few liters capacity
Large, several thousand liters capacity
Material
Metal, ceramic, sometimes glass
Metal, concrete, plastic
Portability
Portable with handles
Stationary, often fixed
Maintenance
Regular kitchen cleaning methods
Specialized industrial cleaning methods
Compare with Definitions
Pot
Often has a lid and one or two handles.
She lifted the pot by the handle to drain the pasta.
Vat
A large container used for industrial processes.
The dye was mixed in a huge vat.
Pot
A container usually used for cooking.
She stirred the soup in a large pot.
Vat
Used for storing or processing chemicals.
Waste materials were treated in a specialized vat.
Pot
Used for domestic cooking.
The stew was simmering slowly in the old pot.
Vat
Requires periodic maintenance and cleaning.
Cleaning the vat took several hours due to its size.
Pot
A short and broad vessel.
The pot on the stove was filled with boiling water.
Vat
Often part of a fixed installation.
The brewery had several vats for fermentation.
Pot
Metal or ceramic kitchen utensil.
He bought a new pot for his induction cooker.
Vat
Constructed from materials suited to withstand chemicals.
The vat was made of high-grade stainless steel to prevent corrosion.
Pot
A round, fairly deep cooking vessel with a handle and often a lid.
Vat
A large tank or tub used to hold liquid, especially in industry
A vat of hot tar
Pot
A short round container for storing or serving food
A jam pot.
A mustard pot.
Vat
A water-insoluble dye, such as indigo, that is applied to a fabric in a reducing bath which converts it to a soluble form, the colour being obtained on subsequent oxidation in the fabric fibres.
Pot
A coffeepot.
Vat
Place or treat in a vat
The grapes are vatted for between 15 and 21 days and then aged in small barrels
Pot
A teapot.
Vat
A large vessel, such as a tub, cistern, or barrel, used to hold or store liquids.
Pot
Such a container and its contents
A pot of stew.
Brewed a pot of coffee.
Vat
To put into or treat in a vat.
Pot
A potful.
Vat
A large tub, such as is used for making wine or for tanning.
A vat of liquid
A vat of acid
A vat of wine
A vat of olives
A vat of fat
A vat of glue
Pot
A large drinking cup; a tankard.
Vat
A square, hollow place on the back of a calcining furnace, where tin ore is laid to dry.
Pot
A drink of liquor contained in such a cup.
Vat
(Roman Catholic) A vessel for holding holy water.
Pot
An artistic or decorative ceramic vessel of any shape.
Vat
(dated) A liquid measure and dry measure; especially, a liquid measure in Belgium and Holland, corresponding to the hectolitre of the metric system, which contains 22.01 imperial gallons, or 26.4 standard gallons in the United States.
Pot
A flowerpot.
Vat
(transitive) To put into a vat.
Pot
Something, such as a chimney pot or chamber pot, that resembles a round cooking vessel in appearance or function.
Vat
(transitive) To blend (wines or spirits) in a vat; figuratively, to mix or blend elements as if with wines or spirits.
Pot
A trap for eels, other fish, or crustaceans, typically consisting of a wicker or wire basket or cage.
Vat
A large vessel, cistern, or tub, especially one used for holding liquors in an immature state, chemical preparations for dyeing, or for tanning, or for tanning leather, or the like.
Let him produce his vats and tubs, in opposition to heaps of arms and standards.
Pot
The total amount staked by all the players in one hand in cards.
Vat
A measure for liquids, and also a dry measure; especially, a liquid measure in Belgium and Holland, corresponding to the hectoliter of the metric system, which contains 22.01 imperial gallons, or 26.4 standard gallons in the United States.
Pot
The area on a card table where stakes are placed.
Vat
A wooden tub for washing ores and mineral substances in.
Pot
A shot in billiards or related games intended to send a ball into a pocket.
Vat
A vessel for holding holy water.
Pot
(Informal) A common fund to which members of a group contribute.
Vat
To put or transfer into a vat.
Pot
Often pots Informal A large amount
Lost a pot of cash in the stock market crash.
Made pots of money on their investment.
Vat
A tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its cost of production
Pot
(Informal) A potshot.
Vat
A large open vessel for holding or storing liquids
Pot
(Informal) A potbelly.
Pot
(Informal) A potty or toilet.
Pot
Marijuana.
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
What is a pot used for?
A pot is used for cooking foods like soups, stews, and sauces.
What is a vat used for?
A vat is used in various industrial processes, such as fermentation or chemical mixing.
What materials are vats made of?
Vats are typically made from materials like stainless steel, concrete, or industrial-grade plastics.
How do you clean a vat?
Vats require specialized cleaning methods, often involving industrial cleaning solutions.
Can a pot be as large as a vat?
Generally, no. Pots are much smaller and intended for kitchen use.
Do vats have handles?
Typically, no. Vats are large and fixed, not meant to be moved regularly.
What's the typical capacity of a pot?
Pots can typically hold from 1 to 10 liters, depending on their size.
Are pots portable?
Yes, pots are portable and often have handles for easy movement.
Can you use a pot for industrial processes?
Pots are not suitable for industrial processes due to their size and material limitations.
What is the typical use of a vat in brewing?
In brewing, vats are used for fermenting large batches of beer.
Can you use a vat in a kitchen?
Due to its size and specialized nature, a vat is not practical for use in a kitchen.
Is it safe to cook in a vat?
Cooking in an industrial vat is not advisable due to its size and material properties.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
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.
