The Best Roasting Pans for 2026: For Turkey, Prime Rib and Sunday Chicken
By Claire Whitmore. Last updated October 2026.
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Disposable foil trays buckle under a heavy turkey and can’t go on a burner to make gravy. A real roasting pan, ideally heavy clad stainless steel with a sturdy rack and big handles, handles holiday birds, prime rib, leg of lamb and sheet-pan-style vegetables, then moves straight to the stovetop to turn the fond into a sauce. Buy a good one once and it will last decades.
This guide combines two independent tests. Serious Eats roasted chickens, turkeys and potatoes, seared on the stovetop and whisked pan sauces, evaluating racks, handles and sides. The Spruce Eats roasted chicken with potatoes and tested gravy in a broad lineup including nonstick and enameled pans. Both chose the same winner. We haven’t tested these pans ourselves.
Quick answer: buy the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 16-inch Roasting Pan with Rack, the best overall pick of both Serious Eats and The Spruce Eats. Choose the All-Clad Flared Roasting Pan for the best caramelized vegetables, or the Hestan Provisions roaster as a luxury nonstick option.
Our picks at a glance
| Pan | Material | Capacity / weight | Source | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 16-inch | Clad stainless, aluminum core | 9 qt; 7.7 lb (Serious Eats) | Both: best overall | Most cooks |
| All-Clad Stainless Flared | Stainless steel | 6 qt; 5.25 lb | Serious Eats: best flared | Vegetables, pan sauces |
| Misen Roasting Pan | Stainless steel | 2.5 qt; 6.9 lb | Serious Eats: best shallow | Air circulation |
| Viking Culinary 3-Ply | Clad stainless, nonstick rack | 8 qt; 10.25 lb | Serious Eats winner | Big turkeys |
| Hestan Provisions Nonstick Roaster | Stainless with nonstick | ~10 lb | The Spruce Eats: best luxury | Easy cleanup |
| Le Creuset Signature Roaster | Enameled cast iron | 8.8 lb | The Spruce Eats: best oven-to-table | Serving |
| Tramontina Stainless | Stainless steel | 7 qt | Serious Eats budget | Occasional use |
The best roasting pans
1. Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 16-Inch Roasting Pan with Rack: best overall
Best for: anyone hosting holidays or roasting weekly.
Serious Eats found it produced top-notch roasting and searing; fond lifted easily for pan sauce, and the slightly flared rim pours without drips. Its nine-quart capacity handles big roasts, its flat bottom roasted vegetables evenly, and its angled rack cradles turkeys and chickens securely. Serious Eats lists it as aluminum-core clad stainless, 7.7 pounds and 20.75 by 13.25 inches. Cuisinart discourages metal utensils to protect the finish, though testers saw no damage from whisking.
The Spruce Eats also named it best overall, praising its U-shaped rack, securely riveted handles and dishwasher-safe, 500 °F oven-safe build; potatoes came out crisp and brown, and chicken juicy, with room to spare.
Pros
- Both sources’ top pick
- Excellent browning and fond
- Secure angled rack
- Stovetop-safe
Cons
- Heavy
- Finish shows metal-utensil marks over time
2. All-Clad Stainless Steel Flared Roasting Pan: best for vegetables
Best for: cooks who roast vegetables and make pan sauces often.
It produced supremely caramelized potatoes and a golden chicken that Serious Eats said rivaled any rotisserie bird. Its rounded corners make whisking easy. Its flat rack let raw poultry slide around when moving the pan, and at six quarts, it’s smaller than the Cuisinart, so it’s not ideal for very large turkeys.
Pros
- Superb browning
- Easy to whisk in
- Lighter at 5.25 lb
Cons
- Flat rack
- Smaller capacity
3. Hestan Provisions Stainless-Steel Nonstick Roaster: best luxury nonstick
Best for: hosts who want effortless cleanup.
The Spruce Eats’ luxury pick has a heavy-duty rack that fits snugly and won’t shift, and doubles for party-size lasagna or roasted vegetables for a crowd. It’s dishwasher-safe and oven-safe to 500 °F. Keep in mind Serious Eats’ caution about nonstick roasters: slick surfaces prevent proteins from browning into a true fond, so gravy can be less rich. The Spruce Eats also liked All-Clad’s polished stainless nonstick roaster.
Pros
- Snug, sturdy rack
- Easy to clean
- Versatile
Cons
- Less fond for gravy
- Expensive
4. Viking Culinary 3-Ply Roasting Pan: best for big turkeys
Best for: Thanksgiving hosts.
Serious Eats found its nonstick rack easy to lift and clean, and it could fit a much larger turkey than the 11-pound bird tested, holding it firmly. It holds eight quarts. The center is slightly domed, which made whisking harder and left middle potatoes paler, its inward handles got in the way, and it weighs a hefty 10.25 pounds.
Pros
- Holds big birds
- Easy-clean rack
Cons
- Domed center
- Heavy
5. Misen Roasting Pan: best shallow pan
Best for: vegetables and crisp-skinned roasts.
A hybrid between a sheet pan and roasting pan, its low sides maximize air circulation, and its wide riveted handles are easy to grip in bulky mitts. It’s a favorite of Serious Eats’ editorial director. It has no rack, high handles you can graze, and only 2.5 quarts capacity, so it won’t hold much liquid.
Pros
- Great air circulation
- Wide handles
Cons
- No rack
- Low capacity
6. Le Creuset Signature Roaster: best oven-to-table
Best for: entertaining and serving straight from the pan.
The Spruce Eats’ oven-to-table pick is enameled cast iron in Le Creuset’s colors, durable, easy to clean and handsome enough to serve from. It weighs 8.8 pounds, is oven-safe to 500 °F and has no rack. Pair it with the brand’s other pieces; see Le Creuset vs. Staub.
Pros
- Beautiful at the table
- Durable enamel
Cons
- No rack
- Heavy
Budget and compact options
Serious Eats’ affordable Tramontina has a removable rack, big handles and low flared sides, but thin metal scorched on the stovetop. The Spruce Eats’ budget pick, the Rachael Ray 16 by 13-inch nonstick roaster, holds a 20-pound turkey and browned evenly, though straight sides made pouring tricky. For small households, Serious Eats liked the 9 by 13-inch HexClad hybrid roaster, which fits about an 11-pound turkey at most, and The Spruce Eats liked the compact Farberware nonstick roaster.
What to look for
- Material: Serious Eats found clad stainless superior for browning and deglazing; carbon steel was more trouble than it’s worth.
- Rack: angled or curved racks hold birds securely; flat racks let them slide.
- Sides: straight sides hold about two quarts more liquid; flared sides improve air flow and access.
- Handles: at least four inches wide and two to three inches deep for secure mitt grip.
- Size: a 16-inch pan fits most turkeys; check that it fits your oven with handles.
- Avoid perimeter channels: Serious Eats found they made whisking gravy harder.
Roasting tips
Use a leave-in meat thermometer rather than guessing, rest large roasts before carving, and deglaze the pan over two burners with stock or wine for a gravy that tastes of the roast. A good chef’s knife or sharp chef’s knife makes the presentation.
FAQ
Do I need a rack?
For poultry and roasts, yes; it lifts meat for even browning and keeps it out of the drippings.
Nonstick or stainless?
Stainless browns better and builds fond for gravy; nonstick cleans more easily.
What size roasting pan do I need?
About 16 by 13 inches handles most turkeys up to about 20 pounds.
Can I put a roasting pan on the stove?
Stainless and enameled cast iron can; check nonstick models, as some aren’t stovetop-safe.
The bottom line
The Cuisinart MultiClad Pro is the roasting pan to buy, chosen by both Serious Eats and The Spruce Eats. Choose All-Clad’s flared pan for vegetables, Hestan for nonstick convenience, and Le Creuset to roast and serve in style.
