The 8 Best Roasting Pans of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

May 18, 2024

Whether it’s a holiday, Sunday dinner, or just time for a casserole, our favorite roasting pans promise brag-worthy roasts every time.

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Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore

Whether you’re tasked with making a roast for a holiday occasion or you just want to whip up a casserole, a roasting pan is the key to success. With so many styles and sizes, however, it can be difficult to determine which is the best roast pan for your needs.

“Maintaining even heat, allowing sufficient airflow, and [having] multiple uses all factor into looking at the right pan to purchase,” says Matt Gillett, owner of Saddleback Barbecue and The Slice.

To find the best roasting pans, we carefully tested 19 pans and determined how well or poorly they roasted a chicken and potatoes. Then, we rated each roasting pan based on design, performance, ease of cleaning, and value.

Target

Its reversible rack adjusts for high or low positioning in the pan, making it ideal for every type of roast.

It isn’t dishwasher safe.

This pan received high marks across the board, and is recommended for every type of roast or bird from beef to turkey to pork.

It comes with a reversible rack that holds roasts or birds that weigh up to 20 pounds. We also appreciate that the reversible rack allows for high or low positioning within the pan, which is a feature most roasting pans we tested didn’t have. The pan’s wide handles ensure safe lifting and moving of hot foods in the kitchen, and it cooks worry-free in temperatures of up to 500°F.

During our testing, our roasts were evenly cooked and juicy, and the potatoes were some of the most evenly roasted in all of the pans we tested. None of them were overdone, but all were beautifully caramelized. The gravy whisked up from the drippings was even in consistency as well, with no burnt or flour taste to it.

When we washed this roasting pan, we didn’t need to scrub this pan/rack set, as the nonstick surfaces of both the pan and rack made them impressively easy to clean. Post-meal dish washing time was much shorter compared to other pans we tested. Soap and warm water were all it took for this pan and rack to wash clean, and we decided the price was extremely reasonable for such a high-performing roasting pan.

However, it isn’t safe for the dishwasher or on induction stovetops, and you should avoid using metal utensils with this pan. But because the roasting pan produced an evenly cooked roast, this is the best roasting pan we tested.

Price at time of publish: $36

Product Details: Dimensions: 13.5 x 3.5 x 16.5 inches | Materials: Stainless steel | Rack Included: Yes | Lid included: No | Care: Dishwasher safe

Amazon

Even though it was one of the cheapest roasting pans we tested, it evenly cooked both chicken and potatoes.

It’s a bit smaller than other roasting pans on our list.

For those looking for an affordable roasting pan, this is the best option for you. While this is one of the least expensive roasting pans we tested, it was also one of the highest performing.

After cooking a chicken and potatoes in this roasting pan, we found the chicken to be perfectly and evenly roasted, and the potatoes had a crispy exterior with a fluffy, pillowy interior.

When it was time to clean the pan, we found it to be fairly straightforward to clean with a mild dish soap and water. While its flat shape made the rack easy to clean, washing each section of the wire rack sufficiently took a few extra minutes. Despite this, the roasting pan earned a perfect score for ease of cleaning since the pan itself didn’t require any difficult scrubbing.

Keep in mind that this pan can’t withstand the direct heat or open flame of a stove top, and should only be used in the oven. Compared to our best overall pick, this pan is a bit smaller, so you may want to opt for a slightly larger pan if you are cooking for a crowd or large family.

Because of its exceptional performance at an affordable price point, this roasting pan earned a score of 5 out of 5 star rating during our testing, making it the best roasting pan for those looking for a budget-friendly option.

Price at time of publish: $30

Product Details: Dimensions: 11.3 x 2.4 x 16 inches | Materials: Stainless steel | Rack included: Yes | Lid included: No | Care: Hand wash only

Amazon

It makes a thoroughly cooked bird in slightly less than an hour, and a tasty well-developed fond for the gravy to go with it.

The groove around the edge catches drippings, but also limits the amount you’ll have for that tasty gravy.

If you don’t mind spending a little extra on the right roasting pan, this is the best one for you. We found it brought plenty of bang for the buck, and minus a couple of points for cleaning issues, we felt it outperformed other more expensive brands.

During our testing, we found that this pan roasted a bird thoroughly after about an hour. Although the color on the roasted chicken wasn’t as even as other roasting pans we tested, it still produced a mouth-watering meal.

This roasting pan was also able to produce a nice fond for making a chicken gravy on the bottom of the pan. We also liked that the pan has a groove around the edge for catching the drippings from the bird, which is handy, but also limits the amount of liquid you’ll be able to use for gravy later on.

This roasting pan does come with a rack, but we found it didn’t quite have as much room underneath as other pans we tested. We were able to fit potatoes under the rack, but it was a tight fit. However, this roasting pan yielded delicious potatoes that were caramelized and buttery.

After we cooked the chicken and potatoes, there was a little bit of stuck-on food, but it came off after some scrubbing. Although we opted to scrub this pan during our testing, we do appreciate that the pan and rack are both dishwasher safe.

While it is true to its stainless steel name and cleans easily for the most part, we did find that it stained slightly from the potato starches we cooked in it. Otherwise, the performance of the pan was exemplary and earned an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.

Price at time of publish: $160

Product Details: Dimensions: 12.5 x 3.5 x 18.5 inches | Materials: Stainless steel | Rack included: Yes | Lid included: No | Care: Dishwasher safe

Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore

Amazon

It has a naturally nonstick surface and can withstand up to 1,200°F.

It has to be seasoned prior to use, and it can be easily scratched.

This French-made carbon steel roaster provides excellent heat retention, a naturally nonstick surface, and the capacity to withstand up to 1,200°F. It can be used on induction, glass top, and standard stove top surfaces as well.

A fairly straightforward pan with a streamlined design, this model also has deep sides that helped create a lovely crisp texture on the chicken’s skin during testing. It also has a flat rack that allowed just enough space under the chicken for the potatoes to cook while we roasted— but it was tight.

However, the potatoes that did fit underneath turned out perfectly, cooked to a pillowy softness inside. Although the nonstick feature likely made our cooking time longer due to not having the ability to develop fond (as the surface was too slippery), the end result was still outstanding.

Its nonstick surface meant that only a very small amount of dish detergent was required to clean the roaster and rack. The rack’s design also made it easier to clean than some other more intricate models. Because of how simple it was to clean, this roasting pan earned a perfect score of 5 out of 5 for its ease of cleaning.

The manufacturer advises against cooking acidic foods like tomatoes, vinegars, and citruses in order to protect the longevity of the carbon steel. In addition, the pan is prone to being scratched fairly easily (we found it was scratched after the very first time making gravy in it), but the manufacturers say this is normal and to be expected.

Overall, the price is high for a roaster and rack combo, but with its excellent nonstick capability, overall ease of cleaning, and capacity for induction stove use, it is the best carbon steel roasting pan.

Price at time of publish: $140

Product Details: Dimensions: 10 x 4.25 x 18 inches | Materials: Carbon steel | Rack included: Yes | Lid included: No | Care: Hand wash only

Target

It produced a perfectly cooked chicken, has supportive handles, and is dishwasher safe.

Because the potatoes were slightly overcooked, the cleanup process was a little tedious.

If you’re looking for a stainless steel option, this is the best stainless steel roasting pan we tested. This pan roasted a perfect, evenly browned chicken. However, the potatoes were a little overdone and a little too crispy, so we recommend taking the potatoes out of the oven while the bird finishes cooking.

This roasting pan is oven safe up to 500°F, and stovetop safe up to around a medium high heat. Its exterior is brushed stainless steel with an aluminum core, and it comes with a slightly U-shaped rack that is gently sloped on the sides and a flat bottom to hold your roast.

The stainless steel handles are riveted in place for a safe and secure grip, and they stay cool for comfortable gripping while cooking. We also like that it has a convenient pouring rim that prevents drips, too.

Because the potatoes got overcooked during testing, we found that cleaning the stainless steel pan required some effort and scrubbing. However, we do appreciate that this option is dishwasher safe, unlike some other roasting pans on our list.

Although you may have to make some adjustments with roasting vegetables with this pick, it earned one of our top spots because of its ability to roast a flawless chicken.

Price at time of publish: $108

Product Details: Dimensions: 12.1 x 5.2 x 19.3 inches | Materials: Stainless steel, aluminum | Rack included: Yes | Lid included: No | Care: Dishwasher safe

Amazon

It's versatile, has a great nonstick capability, and is excellent for cooking proteins and one-pot creations.

The chicken slid around slightly on the rack.

This ceramic pan is ideal for the home cook who is looking for an efficient roasting pan to handle their proteins and occasional one pot meals. It’s also a great option for those who care about kitchen aesthetics, as this is a sleek, modern-looking pan.

Regarding the pan's performance, it was noted that while the roast was perfectly golden brown after cooking for about an hour, the skin was crispy in some places but not others. After about 15 minutes, the potatoes looked brown and started to caramelize.

However, after cooking with the chicken for an hour, the potatoes ended up overdone, dark, and crunchy. If you use this roasting pan to make sides, you may want to remove them before the chicken is finished cooking. The gravy was smooth and well-incorporated.

It was also incredibly easy to clean, and stuck-on food came off effortlessly with just a few swipes of the rough side of a scrubber sponge. Because of this, we gave it a 5 out of 5 star rating for ease of cleaning. It's also technically safe for the dishwasher—but the manufacturer does recommend hand washing in warm soapy water for best results.

While the handles made the pan simple to maneuver with just the potatoes in it, the V-shaped rack leaves a little too much room between its sides and the pan. This meant that once the roast was added, we noticed that it did slide around a bit.

Unlike a few other options on our list, it’s safe to use metal utensils with this roasting pan because of its scratch-resistant surface. It can also be used on gas and electric stovetops. Overall, this ceramic roasting pan earned a score of 4.1 out of 5, making it one of the best roasting pans we tested.

Price at time of publish: $150

Product Details: Dimensions: 13.25 x 2.5 x 16.25 inches | Materials: Ceramic, PFAS-Free nonstick surface, aluminum, stainless steel | Rack included: Yes | Lid included: No | Care: Dishwasher safe, hand wash recommended

Amazon

This pan can roast turkeys up to 25 pounds and has a removable rack that doubles as a baking dish.

It was a little difficult to get the drippings out to make gravy.

This versatile roaster can function as a baking dish when the rack is removed, and it conveniently works on gas, ceramic, and electric cooktops, as well as in the oven. Both the rack and the roasting pan are nonstick, and it’s safe for temperatures of up to 500°F in the oven.

After cooking the chicken for an hour and one minute, it had a light, crispy feel to its skin. The chicken was a little bit light on the bottom, but that may be due to the close proximity of the rack to the potatoes we put in with it. When we checked the potatoes after the same amount of time, they were unevenly browned with a few on the crispy side, and some still a little blond on the bottom. All of the potatoes were perfectly creamy on the inside, however.

The gravy had a well-blended consistency, although it did require a bit of maneuvering to get enough of the drippings out of the grooved edges of the pan to make it.

Because of the nonstick design of this pan, cleanup was swift and easy, which earned this roasting pan a score of 5 out of 5 for ease of cleaning. We recommend skipping any harsh detergents, steel wool, bleach cleansers, nonstick sprays, or metal utensils on this pan as they might damage the nonstick surface. However, nylon scrubbing pads are fine to use.

Price at time of publish: $200

Product Details: Dimensions: 13 x 5 x 16 inches | Materials: Stainless steel | Rack included: Yes | Lid included: No | Care: Dishwasher safe

Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore

Amazon

It has a removable nonstick rack, a groove-lined pan that traps juices as they drain, and stay-cool, sturdy handles.

You’ll likely need some stainless steel polish to keep this pan looking its best.

Overall, the best roasting pan on our list is the Rachael Ray 16” x 13” Roaster with Dual-Height Rack. The roasting pan yielded perfectly cooked chicken and potatoes, and we love that the pan was easy to clean and is reasonably priced.

We put 19 of the best roasting pans to the test by preparing roasted chicken and potatoes, carefully following the same recipe for each roasting pan. After roasting the chicken and potatoes, we reserved the drippings to make gravy. While testing, we assessed each pan and considered its design, performance, ease of cleaning, and value.

For design, we looked closely at each pan’s shape, capacity, materials, and features like handles. When cooking the chicken and potatoes, we considered the way the pan’s heat was distributed, its air flow, whether foods stuck to it, and how well it cooked the foods. For some models, we also assessed the highest temperature the pan can withstand, and whether it can be used on the stovetop as well as in the oven.

Regarding ease of cleaning, we explored how easy the pan is to clean by hand, whether it’s dishwasher-safe, and whether it had nonstick surfaces that made it easy to clean. When assessing value, we determined whether the pan performed as advertised and if we considered it worth the price. After considering all of these factors, we rated each roasting pan and chose the best ones based on our testing process.

When it comes to the best roasting pans, sizes can vary so you’ll want to consider both what you need to cook and what your kitchen can handle.

“Since oven sizes can vary, be sure your roasting pan will fit easily into your oven. There are even petite-sized roasting pans for some countertop ovens,” says Art Jackson, co-founder of Pleasant House Pub.

You’ll want to take into account the size of your oven’s interior as well as any handles and lids that add extra height and width.

While it’s best to get the proper size for your roast, if you do end up with a larger pan size than you need, try to fill the extra space up with chopped vegetables and a bit of water, broth, or wine to keep the drippings from burning.

The best roasting pans can be made of a variety of materials, including aluminum, stainless steel, carbon steel, and ceramic. Jackson recommends hard, anodized aluminum with a non-stick coating as it has great heat retention and is easy to clean.

However, Gillett recommends stainless steel, such as the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro Triple Ply Stainless Cookware 16-Inch Roasting Pan Skillet, especially for those with less cooking experience. “I’m a stainless steel fan. I think for the casual home cook, it is versatile and easier to maintain,” he says. “It can take a beating and be brand new for the next use.”

When choosing the best roasting pan for your kitchen, you’ll also want to consider any additional features that it comes with as well.

While a rack isn’t necessarily imperative, it does have its benefits in a roasting pan. Generally, racks are helpful for holding your roast up off the bottom of your roasting pan, keeping it above its own drippings so the skin can get crisp and taut. It also helps with airflow which promotes even roasting.

Depending upon the type of cooking you’ll be doing, you may want to consider a lid with your roasting pan. Plenty of the best roasting pans don’t come with lids and they get the job done without them. However, lids also have advantages for your cooking, like keeping the moisture in when steaming, for juicier meats, or preventing messy meat from splattering inside your oven.

“Using aluminum foil to substitute as a lid is an easy way to work around your pan not coming with a lid. This could also be a space saver in the house considering the size of the pan and lid,” says Gillett.

In order to prepare your foods optimally, you’ll want to look for either a rectangular or oval-shaped pan. Rectangular roasting pans have more roasting versatility as they provide a greater cooking area, while ovals are great for lifting roasts up above their juices, ensuring crispy skins, easy basting, and even browning.

Meanwhile, roasting pans with flat bottoms are ideal for stovetop cooking as you’ll probably want less pooling of juices around the edges. Handles can add helpful lifting assistance and portability when needed.

When choosing the best roasting pan for your kitchen, care is an important detail to consider in more ways than one. For example, if you have an oversized option that’s hand-wash only, you’ll have to ensure you have a sink large enough to clean it. If you entertain often, a dishwasher-safe pick is one less thing to worry about when you clean.

“A roasting pan with non-stick coating will be easy to clean with a simple soak if necessary and a soft scrubber,” Jackson says.

The Five Two Essential Roasting Pan and Rack is oven and broiler safe up to 600°F, and both its rack and roaster can be tossed in the dishwasher for an effortless post-meal cleanup, or gently washed by hand with warm soapy water and a soft sponge. It’s also versatile with induction compatibility, and comes equipped with a 360-degree pouring rim that can tilt and pour from any angle without spilling.

However, the rack sits extremely low in the pan, making it great for roasting proteins but not much else. Anything smaller, like vegetables, sat too close up under the roast, and cooked to crispness (or even overcooked) in exposed areas but hardly at all in the covered areas. Considering the steep price tag, it underperformed and did not earn our recommendation.

The All-Clad Stainless Steel Flared Roasting Pan has flared, low sides, a flat rack that also rests quite low, and a remarkably large surface area. It's ideal for gas and electric cooktops, and is oven and broiler safe, withstanding up to 600°F.

There were a few drawbacks to this model, like its uneven heat distribution (some bits were burnt on the bottom during testing, and the roast didn’t get browned evenly on the exterior), and its surface area requires a range of substantial size in order to fit on the stovetop for gravy making or other cooktop preparations.

We determined there are better choices available for the price as well as the amount of space it takes up in the kitchen. We felt it would be best used for making sheet pan dinners or roasted vegetables—but probably not meat roasts.

The Nordic Ware Copper Roaster XL Large roasting pan has a large U-shaped rack large enough for a 25-pound turkey. It’s oven-safe up to 450°F and has a nonstick, easy-to-clean surface. However, the chicken didn’t cook evenly and the potatoes ended up mostly overcooked. This roasting pan also isn’t dishwasher safe. Because of its poor performance, it earned low scores throughout our testing.

Aluminum is a great heat conductor and is lightweight and relatively inexpensive. However, anodized aluminum has the potential to react with or leach into foods, sometimes making it problematic when used with highly acidic foods or those that must remain heated over a prolonged period of time.

Stainless steel is known for its durability and heat retention, and tends to work well both in the oven and on the stovetop. It also distributes heat evenly and is easy to clean when used properly.

This is mostly a matter of preference and depends on what kind of food you’ll be roasting.

Roasting pans with higher, deeper sides are excellent for larger meat roasts like turkeys, especially when a lot of juices are expected to be drawn from them while cooking. Shallow sides are best for baked vegetables, smaller cuts of meat, and fish that you won’t expect a lot of drippings from.

“Thickness and high sides provide greater insulation and heat retention and room for thick lasagna, casseroles, and roasted meat and vegetable dishes with gravy,” Jackson says.

Not every roasting pan comes with a rack, though it’s definitely a key detail to consider. Most chefs do tend to prefer one when available.

“Roasting pans don’t always need a rack, but it’s a good accessory to have if you’re preparing meat or vegetable roasts that you would like to have roasting above pan drippings and gravy,” Jackson says. “The rack will allow the roast to be easily removed from the pan and the gravy to be finished in the same pan.”

If your pan doesn’t have a rack, however, Gillett recommends using vegetables on the bottom of your pan as an alternative. This lower layer will help keep whatever you’re roasting off the bottom of the pan.

KJ Callihan is a freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens. To make this list, she organized the results of our roasting pan testers, with an emphasis on dimensions, materials, and features included (like racks or lids). She also sought the expert guidance of Art Jackson, co-founder of Pleasant House Pub, and Matt Gillett, co-owner of Saddleback Barbecue and The Slice, for additional insight.

Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.