Best Roasting Pans for Turkey and Roasts: Stainless vs Nonstick

Most people use a roasting pan a handful of times a year, and one of those times is the biggest meal of the year. A good one holds the bird or roast with room around it for air, browns the drippings without burning them, and goes from the oven to the stovetop so you can make gravy right in the pan. This guide covers how to choose one and the roasters Capital Cookware had in stock on October 20, 2026, with their listed prices.

Roasting pan size

Most home roasters are about 16 inches long and 12 to 14 inches wide, which fits a standard oven with room for air to circulate. Check the pan's outside dimensions, including handles, against your oven, and leave a couple of inches on each side. A pan that is too big for the food lets drippings spread thin and burn; a pan that is too small crowds the roast so the sides steam.

Sizing a pan for one particular bird? What size roasting pan for a turkey has a chart by turkey weight, pan depth and oven-fit steps, plus USDA roasting times, and the turkey mode of our pan size calculator gives a quick answer.

Stainless or nonstick?

If gravy is the point, stainless wins: the browned bits that stick to the pan are the gravy's flavor, and you can set the pan across two burners to deglaze and whisk. Nonstick is easier to clean and fine for vegetables and roasts where you don't need a pan sauce.

Flat rack or V-rack?

A rack lifts the meat so hot air reaches the underside and the bottom doesn't sit in juices. A flat rack works for roasts and vegetables underneath. A V-rack cradles a turkey or chicken breast up and keeps it stable. The All-Clad tri-ply roaster comes with a flat stainless rack; the NS Pro and petite roasters come with V-shaped nonstick racks.

The best roasting pans by need

Best overall: All-Clad tri-ply large flared roasting pan with rack

Tri-ply stainless with an aluminum core, low flared sides for browning, riveted handles and a flat stainless rack. The listing gives the size as 16 3/4 x 13 3/4 x 2 1/2 inches overall and 5 lb 4 oz, holding up to a 20-lb turkey, and says you can roast in the oven and then move it to the stovetop for gravy. Capital sells the tri-ply large flared roasting pan as open stock; the listing notes a small cosmetic mark on the exterior.

Best nonstick roaster: All-Clad NS Pro with V-rack

Hard anodized aluminum with a stainless base, high sides to limit splatter, large handles and a V-shaped nonstick rack. The listing describes the coating as PTFE reinforced with ceramic particles and rates the roaster oven safe to 500°F. The NS Pro nonstick roaster, 16 x 13 inches is the easy-cleanup pick.

Best for big birds: B1 nonstick roaster or petite roaster

The B1 hard anodized nonstick roaster with rack is listed at 16 x 13 inches, oven safe to 500°F, dishwasher safe and for a turkey up to 25 lb; the listing says it is not for induction. The All-Clad stainless petite roaster with nonstick V-rack is also listed at 16 x 13 inches with a rack for up to 25 lb, oven safe to 500°F, and not for induction.

Best for the grill: All-Clad outdoor roaster

If you smoke or grill-roast, the All-Clad nonstick outdoor roaster measures 16 x 12 x 1 1/2 inches and is listed heat resistant to 500°F on a gas or charcoal grill.

Best budget: All-Clad HA1 nonstick roaster (scratched, open box)

The HA1 hard anodized nonstick roaster with rack, 13 x 16 inches was listed at $39.99 on October 20 as an open-box "scratch" item, meaning a cosmetic mark. The listing rates it oven safe to 500°F, does not recommend it under the broiler, says it is not for induction, and includes a stainless V-rack; it does not state a turkey weight. It is the lowest-cost way into an All-Clad roaster if you can live with a mark on the outside.

Side by side

The stainless tri-ply roaster costs the most because it is the one you can set across two burners for gravy, and it has no coating to wear out. If you roast a turkey once a year and buy your gravy, the NS Pro at $99.99 or the scratched HA1 at $39.99 does the oven part for much less.

Making gravy in the roasting pan

1. 1Move the roast to a board to rest, and pour the drippings into a measuring cup to let the fat rise.
2. 2Set the roasting pan over two burners on medium heat (stainless pans that are listed for stovetop use).
3. 3Deglaze with stock or wine, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon or flat whisk.
4. 4Thicken with a little of the skimmed fat cooked with flour, or with a slurry, then whisk in the defatted drippings.
5. 5Simmer and season, then strain into a saucepan to keep warm.

A 2-quart saucepan is the right size for holding gravy; see best saucepans.

Useful roasting extras

• Turkey lifters make moving a hot bird from rack to board safer; Capital stocks All-Clad stainless turkey lifters.
• A probe thermometer takes the guesswork out of doneness; poultry is safe at 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
• Gratin dishes for sides; the All-Clad stainless gratins, set of two go from oven to table.

Which basting, carving and gravy tools are safe on a nonstick roaster is covered in best utensils for stainless steel and nonstick pans. After the meal, how to clean stainless steel pans has steps for a roasting pan with baked-on drippings.

Can you roast without a roasting pan?

Yes, for smaller roasts. A large oven-safe sauté pan or 12-inch stainless skillet handles a chicken; a rimmed sheet pan handles vegetables. A turkey needs the depth and size of a real roaster. See oven-safe cookware temperatures for each line's oven limit.

Verdict

If you make turkey and gravy, buy a tri-ply stainless roaster with a rack, about 16 by 13 inches; the All-Clad large flared roaster is the pick. If cleanup matters more than gravy, a nonstick roaster with a V-rack, like the NS Pro, is easier. Check your oven size and the listed turkey capacity before you buy.

Roasting a turkey for Thanksgiving? Our Thanksgiving cookware checklist goes dish by dish: the roaster, the 8-quart pot for potatoes, the 2- and 3-quart saucepans for cranberry sauce and gravy, bakeware, and a plan for sharing one oven and four burners.

Getting the turkey out of the pan

The roaster you choose also decides how you will lift the bird out. A V-rack with handles lets you lift the rack and turkey together; a flat rack, like the one on the tri-ply flared roaster, is easiest with a pair of turkey lifters slid under the bird. Either way, take the pan out of the oven first, set it next to a board with a juice groove, tilt the bird so the cavity juices run into the pan, and lift it level. USDA recommends resting the turkey about 20 minutes before carving, which is exactly the time it takes to make gravy in the pan.

All-Clad stainless turkey lifters were $24.99 at Capital on October 26, and a set with a carving fork and serving fork was $49.99. Our step-by-step guide, how to lift a turkey out of the roasting pan, covers lifters, rack and towel methods, what not to do, resting and carving.