Cleaning & Care
Product
Overview
What is the Yukihira Saucepan?
The Vermicular Yukihira Saucepan is a modern interpretation of a traditional Japanese Yukihira saucepan—a lightweight, quick‑heating saucepan historically crafted from copper or aluminum and used for everyday tasks such as simmering, boiling, and preparing soups. While the classic form is defined by its hammered surface and responsive heat control, Vermicular reimagines this familiar cookware in enameled cast iron to expand its performance and versatility.
By casting the Yukihira shape in precision‑engineered cast iron and finishing it with Vermicular’s signature enamel, the saucepan achieves superior heat retention, even heat distribution, and compatibility with a wider range of ingredients, including acidic foods that conventional metal Yukihira pots cannot handle. The interior grooves and contours are designed to guide heat and moisture movement efficiently, supporting techniques such as simmering, blanching, steam‑roasting, and delicate reductions.
The result is a cookware piece that preserves the approachable, everyday utility of the traditional Yukihira while delivering the enhanced thermal performance, durability, and flavor‑development potential unique to Vermicular’s enameled cast iron craftsmanship.
Wood handle design
The Vermicular Frying Pan was specifically developed for stovetop cooking. Since wood is a natural insulator, the pan's handle is resistant to heat while cooking.
Comfort was another key factor for an everyday tool like a saucepan. Considering how much of a sensory experience cooking can be, we designed a handle that comfortably fits in the palm of your hand, feels good to hold, and looks beautiful—you’ll want to leave it out on display.
Visit the Yukihira Saucepan Design page to learn more.
Dedicated Stainless Steel Lid
With the lid, you can expand your cooking techniques to include simmering, steaming, and poaching, in addition to searing and frying. The lid is oven-safe and dishwasher-safe.
Compatible heat sources
The saucepan can be used on all types of stovetops: gas, ceramic, induction, or electric. Do not use the Yukihira Saucepan in the oven, as the wood handle will burn.
When using the Yukihira Saucepan outdoors, do not place directly on charcoal to prevent any damage to the enamel coating.
Made with safe, non-toxic materials
The Yukihira Saucepan is free from potentially toxic materials like PFOA, PTFE, PFAS, and lead.
The safety of our customers and our craftspeople is of utmost importance to us. We never use toxic materials, like cadmium, to coat any of our products.
Read the Our Design Approach article to learn more
Dedicated Lids
Make the most out of your Yukihira Saucepan by pairing it with the dedicated enameled cast iron Drop Lid and the stainless steel Yukihira Saucepan Lid.
Drop Lid
A drop lid, or otoshibuta, is a traditional Japanese, slightly undersized lid that rests directly on top of food to apply gentle, even pressure. In lieu of traditional wood, Vermicular’s reimagined Drop Lid is made of enameled cast iron. Designed to draw out the full depth of ingredients through steam-roasting and searing, the Drop Lid works in harmony with instant evaporation to circulate natural moisture within a compact cooking space. Its natural weight and infrared heat gently draw out and concentrate umami and aroma. The lid will become hot during cooking, so for safety, always use pot holders when handling.
Yukihira Saucepan Lid
Specifically designed for the Yukihira saucepan, this dedicated stainless steel lid supports stewing, braising, and the resting stages of rice cooking for a light, fluffy finish. Its flat profile stores neatly in the refrigerator.
*Lids sold separately
Color Options
The Yukihira Saucepan is available in three colors: Matte Black, Sea Salt White, and Oyster Gray. The interior enamel is color‑matched to the exterior, creating a seamless, unified appearance.
Unlike other cast iron brands, we do not offer bright exterior colors such as red, yellow, or orange. The pigments used in these colors often contain cadmium, which is associated with potential health risks. To ensure the safety and well-being of our customers, we choose not to offer these bright colors.
Available recipes
A purchase of the Yukihira Saucepan includes a recipe booklet featuring over 20 original recipes that showcase a variety of cooking techniques. Visit our Recipes page for more ideas.
Quick-Start Guide
Read the Yukihira Sauce Pan | Quick-Start Guide for helpful tips before your first use.
Cooking
Cooking techniques
Steam-roast
With the dedicated Drop Lid, the Yukihira creates the ideal environment for steam‑roasting. The lid applies just the right amount of gentle pressure to the ingredients while leaving a small space for natural moisture to circulate. This controlled steam flow concentrates the inherent flavors of your vegetables and proteins, allowing them to steam and roast simultaneously. Expect tender interiors, beautifully caramelized exteriors, and deeply developed flavors—all with minimal seasoning.
Sear
The Yukihira’s thin‑wall cast iron construction heats quickly and evenly, while Vermicular’s proprietary enamel featuring instant evaporation technology instantly evaporates moisture from the surface. This combination delivers exceptional searing, creating crisp, golden crusts without overcooking. It brings out beautifully defined textures and deep, aromatic browning in every dish.
Braise and stew
Cast iron’s natural heat retention makes the Yukihira ideal for gentle, consistent simmering. Whether you’re braising meats or preparing delicate stews, the pot maintains a stable temperature that helps ingredients break down evenly while preserving their shape. The hammered interior texture increases surface area for efficient heat transfer, resulting in deeper, more developed flavors in less time.
Deep Fry
The Yukihira’s lightweight cast iron body offers steady, reliable heat retention, keeping oil temperatures stable even when ingredients are added. This prevents greasy results and ensures crisp, light, evenly fried textures every time. Its dual spouts also make draining and transferring oil easier and more controlled.
Rice cooking
Thanks to its even heat distribution and responsive temperature control, the Yukihira excels at cooking rice. Each grain cooks uniformly, staying distinct, tender, and aromatic. Pair it with the dedicated Yukihira Saucepan Lid, designed to support the resting stage of rice cooking, for a perfectly light and fluffy finish.
Cleaning & Care
Washing the saucepan
To protect the enamel coating from damage, never use abrasive cleaning agents and scrubbing pads (metal brushes, scouring pads, etc.) when cleaning the saucepan. Always clean with mild dish soap and a soft sponge.
The wood handle may warp if soaked in water for a long period of time. Wipe wet spots with a dry cloth immediately after washing.
Dishwasher use
Washing the saucepan in the dishwasher may damage the wood handle. We recommend handwashing only.
Preventing & removing rust from the rims
Preventing rust
The rim of the Yukihira saucepan is intentionally left uncoated due to the thin-wall casting, making it prone to rust. Here are a few tips to minimize rust formation:
- Always dry the saucepan immediately after washing. Make sure the rim is dried thoroughly with a dry cloth.
- Coat the rim with a thin layer of cooking oil, especially before the first few uses.
- Apply cooking oil on the rim before braising, stewing, or cooking with acidic ingredients such as tomato sauce or vinegar.
- Apply cooking oil to the rim when storing food inside the pot for an extended period
Removing rust
In the event that rust appears, you can easily remove it by using mild dish soap on the affected area. If rust persists, you can either:
- Sprinkle baking soda and scrub gently with a wet sponge.
- Apply Bar Keeper's Friend Soft Cleanser and scrub gently.
Once the rust is removed, coat the rims with a thin layer of cooking oil to prevent it from developing again.
Watch our Removing Rust video for a visual guide.
Cleaning tips
- Removing burnt food
If excessively high temperatures are used, or there is not enough moisture in the saucepan, food may burn and leave a residue. To remove burnt food, we recommend cleaning with baking soda. See here for step-by-step instructions.
- Removing discoloration
The Yukihira Saucepan may develop discoloration when cooking with ingredients high in pigments, such as tomato sauces or certain spices. To clean your saucepan of any discoloration that may have developed, see here for step-by-step instructions.
- Removing white spots
Dark interiors can sometimes develop white spots, which are stains caused by cooking with starchy ingredients, like beans, or from mineral deposits from water. To clean your saucepan and remove any white spots, refer to the step-by-step instructions here.
Proper storage
Make sure to store the saucepan in a well-ventilated area. If stacking with other cookware, we recommend placing paper towels or felt plate dividers between the saucepans to minimize friction.
There may be instances where the wooden handle fades, warps, or develops a gap between the hook due to sun exposure, heat, and/or humidity. We recommend storing the saucepan in a dark, cool, and dry area.
Using a chipped pan
If your saucepan chips, please refrain from further use and reach out to support@vermicular.us to
to determine whether it is safe to continue cooking with it.
Repair service
We currently only offer a product repair/recoating service in Japan; it is not available for the US market.
Warranty
We hold all of our cookware to the highest standards for safety and quality, and stand behind our promise to excellence in craftsmanship. Therefore, we do not set a warranty period for any of our enameled cast iron cookware. We will replace any item found to be defective in material or workmanship when put to normal household use and cared for according to the instructions provided.
Vermicular cookware is warranted to you by Vermicular USA to be free from defects in material and workmanship at the time of its purchase.
- You must follow the use and care instructions provided with the cookware. Damage from any use not in accordance with the provided instructions is not covered.
- This warranty covers normal household use only. Damage from commercial use or other non-consumer use is not covered.
- This warranty does not cover any damage due to normal wear and tear, damage due to misuse or abuse, improper cleaning or negligence, or any damage resulting from use other than the intended purpose of the item.
- Over time, oil stains may appear. This is considered normal wear and tear and will not affect the performance of the cookware.
To make a warranty claim, please contact Vermicular USA at support@vermicular.us.
