The Best Roasting Pans for Cooking Everything From Thanksgiving Turkey to Weeknight Meals

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Five Two Essential Roasting Pan & Rack — Photo: Courtesy of Food52

While you may not use a roasting pan on a regular basis (although we think you should as it can do everything from sear meats to roast vegetables), when the holiday season arrives the piece of cookware is essential. Don't underestimate how much easier it is to cook your Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham using a quality roasting pan over the disposable aluminum ones you'll find at your local grocery store. For starters, they're much sturdier, meaning they can accommodate big, heavy pieces of meat and the included racks lift whatever you're roasting from the bottom of the pan, ensuring even cooking.

The right roasting pan will last you for years, so it's important to choose one that can stand the test of time. "It should have the space and depth to hold the full protein and any aromatics or vegetables you're adding," says Christopher Arturo, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. "The pan should be made of a heavy, thick material which helps retain heat, and have straight sides, which encourage steam to stay inside the cooking vessel and perfume the food from the bottom up (whereas a sloped side encourages evaporation)." He added that the tall sides also keep the pan from overflowing and making a mess in your oven.

When shopping for a roasting pan, LaMara Davidson, chef and founder of Cornbread + Kimchi, recommends looking for one made of stainless steel as it can be used on both regular and induction stoves—plus, they're easy to clean. She loves using roasting pans for making one-pot meals. "You can brown your meat directly on the stove, deglaze it, and then add any vegetables or starch before you finish cooking the dish in the oven," she says. "The best part is, it's all in the same pan so you're never sacrificing any flavor and it makes cleanup easy."

The Best Roasting Pans

Best Overall: Cuisinart Chef's Classic Rectangular Roaster with Rack

$64.95, amazon.com

With enough room to hold a 20-pound turkey, this roasting pan from Cuisinart is a stellar pick for roasting the main course of your Thanksgiving feast. It has a sturdy rack, which allows for elevated cooking exposure so your turkey cooks evenly and fat drains off straight into the bottom of the pan. What's more, the large and sturdy riveted stainless-steel handles make it easy to grasp the pan to put it in or remove it from the oven.

Best Copper: Mauviel Copper Roaster with Rack

Mauviel Brushed Copper Roasting Pan — Courtesy of Amazon

$299.95, crateandbarrel.com

The exterior of this French-made roasting pan is brushed copper, which, in addition to looking nice, heats faster and more evenly than other metals commonly used in cookware. The pan has an aluminum core and a satin finish stainless steel interior, and it weighs a hefty eight pounds. The cast stainless-steel handles are large enough for you to grab firmly—even with oven mitts on—and remove the pan from the oven.

Best Budget: Chicago Metallic Roasting Pan with Rack

$33, surlatable.com

Offered at a lower price point than other roasting pans, this pick gets the job done and then some. It measures 13 by 9 1/2 inches and is made of heavyweight aluminized steel. It comes with a removable roasting rack, though note that you'll want to grasp the pan by the sides (not the lightweight handles) when removing it from the oven. It's oven-safe up to 450 degrees and can be put in the dishwasher.

Best Stainless Steel: All-Clad Large Stainless Steel Roasting Pan with Rack

$179.95, williams-sonoma.com

The high sides on this heavy-duty roasting pan help reduce the amount of food splatter that ends up in your oven, plus it has strong riveted handles that make it easy to transfer the pan into and out of the oven. It comes with a nonstick roasting rack and is big enough to hold up to a 20-pound turkey (16 3/4 by 13 3/4 inches). This roasting pan can be used over gas and electric cooktops, and it's oven- and broiler-safe.

Best Enameled Cast-Iron: Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron Rectangular Roasting Pan

$290, williams-sonoma.com

Le Creuset is an icon in the world of enameled cast-iron cookware, and for good reason: it looks beautiful, it gets the job done, and it's sturdy enough that you'll may pass this roasting pan on to your children and even grandchildren. This 5 1/4-quart roaster (15 by 10 1/4 inches) has deep sides and an enameled surface that is designed to resist staining and dulling over time. Cast iron offers exceptional heat retention, and it's dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.

Best Flat Rack: Food52 Five Two Essential Roasting Pan & Rack

$149, food52.com

A roasting pan designed for every season (not just for Thanksgiving), this versatile option has low angled sides and a durable flat rack that can also be used for grilling and even for cooling baked goods. It measures 16 by 13 inches and is made from induction-friendly stainless steel, with an aluminum core that helps to ensure even heat distribution (no hot spots). If you do end up bringing it out for Thanksgiving, it can hold a 20-pound turkey.

Best Oval: Granite Ware 19-Inch Covered Oval Roaster

$45, amazon.com

This ceramic oval roaster measuring 19 by 13 1/2 inches is made of an alloy steel and weighs 4.5 pounds. It's big enough to hold a 20-pound turkey or roast and has a porcelain enamel surface that has natural nonstick properties. When it's time for clean up, it can go in the dishwasher.

Best with Flared Sides: All-Clad Stainless-Steel Flared Roasting Pans

$365, williams-sonoma.com

The flared walls of this All-Clad roasting pan promote uniform browning and even cooking that yields crisp skin on proteins like turkey and chicken. Its three-ply construction sandwiches a heat-responsive aluminum core between an 18/10 stainless steel interior and exterior, which prevents food from sticking. The design includes a stainless steel rack and riveted handles that stay cool on the stovetop.

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