What to look for in a pot?
Modifying your original terms:

Size: 2-3 quart/liter.  I consider 2.5 quarts to be ideal.

Material: Two options: hard-anodized aluminum nonstick, OR  stainless-steel interior/exterior. With stainless, it should have either an encapsulated aluminum disk base or a tri-ply construction (aluminum layered with stainless)

Bottom: Thick is good, and you absolutely must have aluminum here for conduction

Handle: stainless is good, as long as it stays relatively cool.  The handle absolutely must be riveted on, with thick rivets. Screws, glue, or welded handles do not last long-term.  Tack-welded handles are the bane of the restaurant I work for right now; we've had several handles snap off in the last year.

Additional things to look for:

Weight: HEAVY. You want fairly thick cookware for even heating, but most of that weight should be from thickness of the aluminum disk. 

Design: A flared lip around the pot, to facilitate clean pouring.  

Shape: I'm partial to shallow designs, which flare out at the top.  Although it's nonstick and not stainless, I love my Calphalon Contemporary shallow 2.5 qt saucepan for it's extra-flared design.  This lets it transmit heat more efficiently from the range, and allows it to safely hold a larger capacity of food.  It also allows for faster and cleaner reduction of sauces.

Lid: TEMPERED GLASS with a handle on top, and a flange to help seal tightly on the pot/pan.  Tempered glass is very durable and lets you see the progress of your cooking without releasing the steam.  The handle also remains cool, so you don't burn yourself on it; this is the second problem I have with solid stainless lids on many premium cookware lines (All Clad, and most manufacturers' tri-ply products).