We Tested 18 Roasting Pans—These Are Our 5 Top Picks

Best Overall Roasting Pan

Cooks Standard 14" by 12" Stainless Steel Roaster

$70 $45 at Amazon $60 at Wayfair $56 at Walmart

We couldn’t get over the sturdy feel and stylish design of the Cooks Standard stainless steel pan. During testing, we appreciated the hefty handles and the fact that the pan and rack were easy to move around. We got deep browning of our potatoes and chicken drippings, but nothing burned or stuck to the bottom, a common pitfall with other roasting pans. It was easy to stir together a delicious gravy on the stovetop without worrying about staining or damage.

The Cooks Standard is dishwasher-safe, but it was so easy to hand-wash with a soapy sponge that we didn't find it necessary to use the machine. The price of this pan is fantastic — significantly less than the average in our tests, with no decrease in quality. It gets our biggest seal of approval.

Our main complaint about this pan is that it's fairly small. Many roasters are a couple inches longer and wider, and can accommodate an sizeable whole turkey or Easter ham for a crowd. But if you do plan to roast extra-large items, you can simply upgrade to the larger Cooks Standard roasting pan, with the same design and more space for a higher (but still below-average) price.

The pan is stovetop-safe, though it isn't compatible with induction cooktops. (Steel is usually compatible with induction, but certain kinds of stainless steel — including this pan's — incorporate non-magnetic metals that interfere with induction heating.)

Dimensions: 14 x 12 x 3 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Rack Style: V-shaped | Stovetop-Safe: Yes | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Large-Capacity Roasting Pan

Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Roasting Pan

$220 at Amazon $250 $101 at Walmart

We love pretty much everything about this Cuisinart pan, especially the rack's unique U-shape. It offers stability to large cuts of meat like turkey or standing rib roast, and the gentle slope makes it easy to pack in veggies around the meat. We loved the extra-wide surface and ample under-rack space.

The thickness of the steel and the construction of the handles and rack are top-notch, and this feels like a professional-level roasting pan. In testing, it held up to our high expectations, cooking perfect chicken and potatoes, making gravy on the stove, and hand-washing as easily as if it had a nonstick coating.

Cuisinart's MultiClad Pro line has inner and outer layers of steel surrounding an aluminum core, making the pan heat more evenly than pure steel. It's much more expensive than the brand's thinner, all-steel Chef's Classic pan, but it did much better in our tests. This pan can go on the stove or in the dishwasher, but to keep the steel pristine, we recommend sticking wooden or silicone tools to prevent scratching from metal utensils.

Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.1 x 5.2 inches | Materials: Stainless steel, aluminum | Rack Style: U-shaped | Stovetop-Safe: Yes | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Value Roasting Pan

Farberware Nonstick Steel Roaster

$30 at Amazon $25 at Target $41 at Walmart

This was the single cheapest pan in our tests, but it finished near the top of the rankings in almost every category. The traditional flat rack gave us enough room to keep our veggies and protein separate during testing. The chicken came out tender, and the potatoes were browned and crispy in all the right places.

The nonstick coating is quite effective for preventing big, stuck-on messes. However, when it came time to make gravy, there were fewer browned bits in the bottom of the pan to create flavor. Nonstick also doesn't transmit heat as effectively as bare steel, so we suggest increasing your roasting time by a few minutes.

Thanks to the nonstick coating, hand-washing this pan is easy, though it is somewhat delicate. It can't go in the dishwasher, on the stovetop, or in an oven over 450°F, but that's to be expected from any kind of nonstick cookware. At this price point, though, the Farberware pan's basic abilities outweigh the shortcomings. It’s large enough to cook a holiday bird or party-sized roast and could be perfect for someone taking on hosting a fancy dinner.

Dimensions: 16 x 11.25 x 2.5 inches | Material: Nonstick-coated steel | Rack Style: Flat | Stovetop-Safe: No | Dishwasher-Safe: No

Best Dual-Height Roasting Pan

Rachael Ray 16 x 13 Inch Roaster

$50 at Amazon $40 at Target $40 at Wayfair

The most versatile roasting pan we tested was this Rachel Ray option, thanks to the reversible rack. It can sit low to the bottom and only allow a little airflow under food for even browning, or it can flip over to sit higher and make room for whole veggies to cook in the drippings beneath a bird or a roast. During testing, our chicken was incredibly juicy and moist, and we think the super-elevated rack is to thank. It's such a simple design feature, but it makes a big difference in versatility. Plus, the rack's feet on one side act as handles on the other, so we had no trouble grabbing and removing it, even when hot.

Not only does the Rachael Ray pan have this rack innovation, but it's also just generally an excellent roaster at an excellent price. It's huge, at 16.5 by 13.5 inches, and the nonstick coating was quite effective in avoiding sticking and burning in testing. Potatoes cooked impressively evenly, if not browning quite as intensely as they would have in a bare steel pan.

The downside is that the pan is fairly thin and relatively fragile. It's not safe on the stove and is hand-wash-only, and you should probably steer clear of metal tools to avoid scratching the nonstick coating. It's lightweight, and the construction feels in line with the low price.

Dimensions: 16.5 x 13.5 x 3.5 inches | Material: Nonstick-coated steel | Rack Style: Flat, dual-height | Stovetop-Safe: No | Dishwasher-Safe: No

Best Splurge Roasting Pan

Nordic Ware Copper Turkey Roaster with Rack

$104 $73 at Amazon

You'll need an extra-large roasting pan if you're throwing a fancy dinner party with a dramatic crown roast at its center. Or maybe you want to roast off every root vegetable from your farmer’s market haul before pureeing them into a comforting soup. Regardless, surface area is the name of the game, and Nordic Ware's turkey roaster was the biggest in our tests at more than 18 inches wide on the inside, perfect for even the biggest holiday meals or dinner parties. The handles on the pan and on the rack are large and were easy to grip.

During roasting, the potatoes took on a bronzed color quickly, and the chicken skin was crisp on the top, though it was softer than we'd like on the bottom, where the U-shaped rack is closest to the bottom of the pan. The doneness of the potatoes was a bit inconsistent at high temperature, though this matters less with the longer, lower-temperature cooking the pan is designed for. When we made gravy, it was actually one of the most consistent pans, likely due to the lower heat.

This pan's nonstick coating makes washing up simple, but like most nonstick coatings, it's delicate. You can't use metal utensils or pop it in the dishwasher. Heating above 400°F can also damage the coating; you'll have to keep both stovetop and oven temperatures moderate. This Nordic Ware pan is probably not the only bakeware you need, but if you want to roast large foods and are willing to spend a little extra, it's an excellent addition to your kitchen.

Dimensions: 18.1 x 13.1 x 3.5 inches | Material: Nonstick-coated aluminized steel | Rack Style: U-shaped | Stovetop-Safe: Yes (up to 400°F) | Dishwasher-Safe: No