Learn the Essentials of Choosing a Stainless Roasting Pan, from Construction and Shape to Indispensable Extras
Monday, 02 November 2009 08:45 | 
Written by Bethany Boylan |
Picture your jovial, smiling family sitting down to a delicious holiday meal. All of your hours of planning and preparation have been worth it. Now imagine your panic as you take a burnt turkey out of the oven. Choosing the best stainless roasting pan goes a long way to helping you to create a perfect holiday meal. A bad pan could result in unevenly cooked meat, a pan so heavy that the roast is dropped, and scorched gravy.
Picture your jovial, smiling family sitting down to a delicious holiday meal. All of your hours of planning and preparation have been worth it. Now imagine your panic as you take a burnt turkey out of the oven. Choosing the best stainless roasting pan goes a long way to helping you to create a perfect holiday meal. A bad pan could result in unevenly cooked meat, a pan so heavy that the roast is dropped, and scorched gravy.
First, the size of the roasting pan matters. Ideally, your pan should fit in your oven and still leave 2 inches for air to circulate between it and the sides of the oven. In addition, you don't want a pan so large that the juices from your average roast will have too much room to spread and will burn.
Secondly, the kind of metal in your pan matters. Two factors are the weight of the pan and how evenly is conducts heat. A good heat conductor is aluminum. However, ingredients with strong acids such as tomatoes and lemons can react badly with aluminum. This can add a sour taste to your recipes. Stoneware may not be your best choice because it can be fragile or heavy. Stainless steel is a great choice because it is relatively light, non-reactive, and sturdy. However, it is not the best conductor of heat. The best choice is a a roasting pan made up of different layers of stainless steel and aluminum and possibly copper.
A pan that warps and buckles is not helpful when you are making a heavy roast. Yet bad roasting pans may do this when you are using them on the burner to brown your meat or create your gravy. In addition, some pans cannot stand up to the broiling heat of the oven. Therefore, make certain that your roasting pan can handle very high heat.
Another factor to consider is how your pan is made. A rectangular shape with sides that are rounded is best. The round corners make for easier cleaning. In addition, the height of the pan matters. You want sides that allow good air circulation but also have enough height so that juices don't spill when you are taking your roast out of the oven. A great height for the sides of the pan is between 2.5 and 3 inches. Also, know that the kind of handles on your roaster are important. More inexpensive pans have handles that fold down and are very hard to hold with potholders. Some handles stick straight out from the sides of the pan and waste space in your oven. Therefore, you should look for strong, riveted handles that come straight up from the pan.
Look for extras to go with your pan such as a rack. Heavy meat forks are also indispensable at the moment you must transfer that large, heavy bird or roast to your serving platter.
Picture your jovial, smiling family sitting down to a delicious holiday meal. All of your hours of planning and preparation have been worth it. Now imagine your panic as you take a burnt turkey out of the oven. Choosing the best stainless roasting pan goes a long way to helping you to create a perfect holiday meal. A bad pan could result in unevenly cooked meat, a pan so heavy that the roast is dropped, and scorched gravy.
First, the size of the roasting pan matters. Ideally, your pan should fit in your oven and still leave 2 inches for air to circulate between it and the sides of the oven. In addition, you don't want a pan so large that the juices from your average roast will have too much room to spread and will burn.
Secondly, the kind of metal in your pan matters. Two factors are the weight of the pan and how evenly is conducts heat. A good heat conductor is aluminum. However, ingredients with strong acids such as tomatoes and lemons can react badly with aluminum. This can add a sour taste to your recipes. Stoneware may not be your best choice because it can be fragile or heavy. Stainless steel is a great choice because it is relatively light, non-reactive, and sturdy. However, it is not the best conductor of heat. The best choice is a a roasting pan made up of different layers of stainless steel and aluminum and possibly copper.
A pan that warps and buckles is not helpful when you are making a heavy roast. Yet bad roasting pans may do this when you are using them on the burner to brown your meat or create your gravy. In addition, some pans cannot stand up to the broiling heat of the oven. Therefore, make certain that your roasting pan can handle very high heat.
Another factor to consider is how your pan is made. A rectangular shape with sides that are rounded is best. The round corners make for easier cleaning. In addition, the height of the pan matters. You want sides that allow good air circulation but also have enough height so that juices don't spill when you are taking your roast out of the oven. A great height for the sides of the pan is between 2.5 and 3 inches. Also, know that the kind of handles on your roaster are important. More inexpensive pans have handles that fold down and are very hard to hold with potholders. Some handles stick straight out from the sides of the pan and waste space in your oven. Therefore, you should look for strong, riveted handles that come straight up from the pan.
Look for extras to go with your pan such as a rack. Heavy meat forks are also indispensable at the moment you must transfer that large, heavy bird or roast to your serving platter.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about stainless roasting pans, then visit Bethany Payne's page on how to choose the best turkey roasting pan for your needs.
