Enamel Roasting Pans
Buy the best enamel roasting pans selected and recommended by interior designers. By Tara Gosselin.
A high-quality enamel roasting pan is an essential part of any kitchen. These versatile pans can help you cook, bake, or roast delicious meals with less work. Enamel roasting pans are designed to last for decades, only improving with time and use. Our editors have tested many of the best enameled roasting pans on the market and have chosen some of the best for your kitchen.
Ceramic Porcelain Roasting Pan
$35.94 $70
What We Like: Dishwasher safe
What We Don’t Like: Can’t be used on the stovetop
Not So Good For: Slow roasting
Perfect For: Baked goods, roasted veggies, casseroles
With its strong, durable aluminum core, this ceramic porcelain pan will last for decades and make a stunning family heirloom. It is PFOA-free, so you can rest assured that you’re cooking non-toxic, healthy meals for your family. The pan’s interior is lined with an innovative, ultra-smooth coating that provides a healthy cleaning surface that won’t leach any harmful chemicals. The pan material is designed to be lightweight and provides an even heating surface in both gas and electric ovens.
The pan’s exterior is coated in cream-colored ceramic enamel that won’t discolor with use. Add this pan to your kitchen for a great all-around oven dish that can cook all your favorite dishes with hassle-free cleaning afterward.
Ceramic Porcelain Roasting Pan
Tramontina
$35.94 $70
Description
What We Like: Dishwasher safe
What We Don’t Like: Can’t be used on the stovetop
Not So Good For: Slow roasting
Perfect For: Baked goods, roasted veggies, casseroles
With its strong, durable aluminum core, this ceramic porcelain pan will last for decades and make a stunning family heirloom. It is PFOA-free, so you can rest assured that you’re cooking non-toxic, healthy meals for your family. The pan’s interior is lined with an innovative, ultra-smooth coating that provides a healthy cleaning surface that won’t leach any harmful chemicals. The pan material is designed to be lightweight and provides an even heating surface in both gas and electric ovens.
The pan’s exterior is coated in cream-colored ceramic enamel that won’t discolor with use. Add this pan to your kitchen for a great all-around oven dish that can cook all your favorite dishes with hassle-free cleaning afterward.
Cast Iron Enamelware Roasting Pan
$269.95 $386
What We Like: Durable, long-lasting cast iron
What We Don’t Like: No heat-resistant handles
Not So Good For: Baking
Perfect For: Roasting, braising, and browning
Cast iron has been the roasting pan material of choice for centuries. This unique material stores and distributes heat evenly, making it perfect for pans, pots, and skillets. With its cast iron interior and enamel exterior, this pan is a worthwhile investment in your kitchen.
Unlike other cast iron pans that require complicated seasoning before use and difficult cleaning afterwards, this pan comes pre-seasoned and is dishwasher safe and chip-proof. It can be used up to 500℉ and works with gas, electric, and induction ovens. Use this to make the perfect tender, crispy roast or for browning vegetables until they are perfectly cooked.
Cast Iron Enamelware Roasting Pan
Staub
$269.95 $386
Description
What We Like: Durable, long-lasting cast iron
What We Don’t Like: No heat-resistant handles
Not So Good For: Baking
Perfect For: Roasting, braising, and browning
Cast iron has been the roasting pan material of choice for centuries. This unique material stores and distributes heat evenly, making it perfect for pans, pots, and skillets. With its cast iron interior and enamel exterior, this pan is a worthwhile investment in your kitchen.
Unlike other cast iron pans that require complicated seasoning before use and difficult cleaning afterwards, this pan comes pre-seasoned and is dishwasher safe and chip-proof. It can be used up to 500℉ and works with gas, electric, and induction ovens. Use this to make the perfect tender, crispy roast or for browning vegetables until they are perfectly cooked.
Non Stick Enamel Roasting Pan With Service Stand
$79.99 $149.99
What We Like: Includes beechwood stand
What We Don’t Like: Does not have a rack or cover
Not So Good For: Steaming or keeping food warm outside the oven
Perfect For: Cooking and serving all in one dish
The handsome, practical hardwood stand that accompanies this cast iron and enamel roasting pan makes the set perfect for cooking and as a statement centerpiece at your next dinner party. The natural tones of the enamel exterior pair well with the authentic wood grain of the stand.
Many home chefs ask, “Can you use an enamel roasting pan on the stove?” And while most can’t, this enamel cast iron pan works just as well on the stove as in the oven, offering the same excellent heating profile for long cooking or quick roasting.
Non Stick Enamel Roasting Pan With Service Stand
LAVA CAST IRON
$79.99 $149.99
Description
What We Like: Includes beechwood stand
What We Don’t Like: Does not have a rack or cover
Not So Good For: Steaming or keeping food warm outside the oven
Perfect For: Cooking and serving all in one dish
The handsome, practical hardwood stand that accompanies this cast iron and enamel roasting pan makes the set perfect for cooking and as a statement centerpiece at your next dinner party. The natural tones of the enamel exterior pair well with the authentic wood grain of the stand.
Many home chefs ask, “Can you use an enamel roasting pan on the stove?” And while most can’t, this enamel cast iron pan works just as well on the stove as in the oven, offering the same excellent heating profile for long cooking or quick roasting.
Vintage Style Roasting Pan
What We Like: Classic design includes a roasting rack
What We Don’t Like: Not non-stick
Not So Good For: Searing or browning
Perfect For: Roasting or baking
The enamel-on-steel design of this pan makes it ideal for use in the oven and low-maintenance to clean. The surface distributes the heat evenly, allowing for uniform cooking, and the wide, 21.5’’ rectangular design is suitable for many different dishes, from whole roast chicken to scalloped vegetables. It has wide handles for easy grip and features a removable metal rack perfect for collecting the juices that drip from a roast to make your own gravy.
The attractive mint-green color makes this an excellent serving dish, so you can use it for one-pot meals like casseroles. This pan is also built for years of use and comes with a lifetime warranty, ensuring that you can cook with it for decades.
Vintage Style Roasting Pan
Martha Stewart
Description
What We Like: Classic design includes a roasting rack
What We Don’t Like: Not non-stick
Not So Good For: Searing or browning
Perfect For: Roasting or baking
The enamel-on-steel design of this pan makes it ideal for use in the oven and low-maintenance to clean. The surface distributes the heat evenly, allowing for uniform cooking, and the wide, 21.5’’ rectangular design is suitable for many different dishes, from whole roast chicken to scalloped vegetables. It has wide handles for easy grip and features a removable metal rack perfect for collecting the juices that drip from a roast to make your own gravy.
The attractive mint-green color makes this an excellent serving dish, so you can use it for one-pot meals like casseroles. This pan is also built for years of use and comes with a lifetime warranty, ensuring that you can cook with it for decades.
Enamel Roasting Pan With a Lid
What We Like: Lid can be used as a second pan
What We Don’t Like: Side, not end handles
Not So Good For: Small ovens
Perfect For: Large or multi-pan meals
This roasting pan is perfect for whipping up a feast or cooking everyday meals. This oval-style pan is made from high-quality, easy-to-clean enamel cast iron with a steel core for excellent heat retention. It has a black coating that transfers oven heat faster, reducing cooking times and helping brown meats or veggies evenly.
The pan has a 14L interior volume that can hold a 14-lb. turkey or an 18-lb. roast and the top of the pan can be removed and used as a second, smaller pan for cooking side dishes. The pan is heavy at 4.35 lbs., but the weight is crucial for proper heat distribution and long-lasting use.
Enamel Roasting Pan With a Lid
Description
What We Like: Lid can be used as a second pan
What We Don’t Like: Side, not end handles
Not So Good For: Small ovens
Perfect For: Large or multi-pan meals
This roasting pan is perfect for whipping up a feast or cooking everyday meals. This oval-style pan is made from high-quality, easy-to-clean enamel cast iron with a steel core for excellent heat retention. It has a black coating that transfers oven heat faster, reducing cooking times and helping brown meats or veggies evenly.
The pan has a 14L interior volume that can hold a 14-lb. turkey or an 18-lb. roast and the top of the pan can be removed and used as a second, smaller pan for cooking side dishes. The pan is heavy at 4.35 lbs., but the weight is crucial for proper heat distribution and long-lasting use.
Enamel Roasting Pans
Buying Guide
Tara Gosselin
Interior Design Expert
Tara is a San Antonio-based award-winning landscape architect, writer and educator, passionate about eco-friendly solutions and growing her own food. She knows all it takes to help you create a sustainable backyard retreat that combines blissful charm with a modern take on landscaping.
Yes, you can put an enamel roasting pan on the stove. The enamel coating it comes with is very hardy, and is dishwasher-resistant as well as ready for use on electric and gas stovetops. The chemicals that are used in those coatings don’t break down when you heat them to high temperatures. All things considered, they’re safe for regular cooking.
Enamel roasting pans are extremely durable as long as you take proper care of them. The enamel refers to a powdered and melted coating covering a metallic or ceramic base structure for strength.
Hard enamel roasting pans are essentially cookware coated with porcelain enamel. The enamel is created by melting porcelain over steel, stainless steel, iron, or aluminum. This coating adds an additional element to the pan, making it strong, less porous, and scratch-resistant.
With this enamel coating, the pans normally are typically non-stick, can withstand high temperatures easily, and clean up fast. Rusting is not a concern, nor trapping odors. The one downside to enamel, however, is that it can crack or chip. This makes it irreparable and it will need to be replaced.
Hard enamel cookware typically lasts a long time. Always hand wash your enamel roasting pans with gentle soap and warm water. Avoid using abrasive cleaning products or metal utensils so as not to create scratches.
A good roasting pan is an essential item in every kitchen. From cooking Thanksgiving turkey to searing chicken thighs for a quick midweek dinner, investing in a good model will ensure hassle-free home dining and easy family get-togethers. Here's how to choose roasting pans that are the best for your home.
Your choice of roasting pan material requires some serious thought. Let's take a look at the main types and their advantages.
Stainless Steel
Many a top chef's favorite cookware material, stainless steel is highly durable and can last a whole lifetime. While it is a poor heat conductor, most stainless-steel roasting pans are "clad" meaning they contain layers of other more effective heat conductive materials sandwiched inside.
Stainless steel is reputed for producing that tasty browning, in what is known as the Maillard reaction, making it a great choice for roasts. However, if you opt for an uncoated model to achieve this effect, be aware that cleaning it up afterward can require a fair bit of elbow grease.
Lastly, stainless steel won't rust or react with any acidic foods, making it a great all-rounder that is suitable for almost anything and everything you want to roast in it.
Carbon Steel
Made from 99% iron and 1% carbon, carbon steel roasting pans are fairly similar to cast iron ones. However, they're lighter which makes them easier to get in and out of the oven, especially with a full bird roast and trimmings. The downside is that as they are lighter, they retain heat less well than cast-iron models.
Bear in mind that carbon steel corrodes fairly easily, so you should look for a pan that has been treated - it will have a dark appearance. If yours hasn't been treated, you will need to season it by coating it with oil and heating it. This will help to make it non-stick and prevent rusting.
Cast Iron
Cast iron is very heavy, solid, and highly durable.
Made from 97-98% iron and 2-3% carbon, it conducts heat better than stainless steel and is excellent at retaining heat. This makes a good choice for keeping your roast warm while the family gathers round the table. However, it is prone to rusting and reactive to acids - so you will need to look for a coated version or to season it well.
Enamel coated versions risk becoming chipped over time, and uncoated versions will require re-seasoning regularly. However, despite these issues, cast iron remains a highly popular, traditional choice and is virtually unbreakable.
Anodized Aluminum
Anodized aluminum makes an excellent choice for your roasting pan, as it is non-stick for easy cleaning and an excellent heat conductor, for evenly cooked roasts. It is also lightweight, making it easy to handle, even when you're cooking for a crowd.
Anodized aluminum is resistant to high temperatures, extremely strong and non-toxic. There is, however, the risk that the anodized coating can break down after several years of use. Frequently cooking acidic foods can also accelerate this breakdown, exposing the aluminum which can pose health risks.
So, while it makes a great choice for cooking, don't purchase an anodized aluminum if you're looking for a roasting pan to last a lifetime.
Ceramic
Often reserved for baking, ceramic roasting pans can also double up for your traditional roasts.
They transfer heat evenly and look great for oven-to-table serving. If you're short on cookware or just getting your collection started, you may like to start with a good ceramic roasting pan that you can use for day-to-day oven-baked meals, as well as roasts.
Of course, ceramic is more fragile and susceptible to breaking. However, it is fairly lightweight and easy to clean. If you are cooking for just one or two, you might find several different small ceramic roasting pans more useful than a large metal one, and much cheaper.
They are also available in a range of shapes and colors to brighten up your kitchen and dining table.
Once you've decided on your roasting pan material, you'll need to select the right size model.
Roasting pan depth
Roasting time will be affected by your pan's depth, with deeper models preventing the hot air from effectively circulating under your roast.
The optimal depth is approximately 2.5 - 3 inches for good hot air circulation, as well as giving you plenty of space for your vegetables and gravy.
Roasting pan size
When choosing the dimensions of your roasting pan, bear the following factors in mind to select the correct size.
Number of servings - if you regularly cook for a crowd, then you'll want a large roasting pan that can accommodate a larger number of portions - 16x13" is enough for a 20lb bird for around 12 servings.
Meal types - if you are looking for a roasting pan for Thanksgiving or the holidays, then you'll be looking at a large model. However, for a weeknight, quick roast for two, a 14x10" model will be better.
When roasting meats, your pan should be a minimum of two inches wider than the meat you are roasting. This will reduce the likelihood of the juices all evaporating. In pans that are too small, your gravy may boil over, or your meat may end up stewing in its juices. Hence the importance of choosing the right sized roasting pan for what you regularly cook in it.
Here are some additional features you may want to look out for when choosing your roasting pan.
Dishwasher safe - save time and hassle getting cleaned up with a dishwasher-safe roasting pan. This can help a lot when you have large family get-togethers to clean up after.
Rack - some roasting pans come with a rack or trivet to hold your roast above its juices, ensuring it cooks correctly and making it easy to remove from the pan. For poultry, this can also help you to get crispy skin all over. However, some people prefer to lay their roast on a layer of vegetables and believe that using a rack prevents the meat from forming a fond - a browned residue which when deglazed makes an excellent base for gravy or stock.
Handles - removing a heavy, hot roasting pan from an oven is not the easiest of tasks. However, handles can make storage more tricky. However, if you're roasting a large meal, we say opt for a roasting pan with handles that are solidly riveted on.
Cover - purchasing a roasting pan with a cover allows you to speed up the cooking time of your roast. It is also useful if your meat is browning too quickly, as well as allowing you to use your roasting pan for cooking other liquid-based dishes, such as stews and pot roasts.