# Roastin Pan



## petitgourmet (Nov 12, 2006)

I'm doing my first ever turkey for Thanksgiving this year. I need to buy a roasting pan. My questions are:

Does it need to have a lid? 

Is any particular brand "the best"? 

I'm trying not to spend a fortune. Maybe 60-100 bucks. Unless I have to to get a good pan.


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## idaku (Sep 11, 2007)

It do not have to be branded and expensive. I bought mine from IKEA long time ago and it worth every penny.


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## mannlicher (Jan 8, 2006)

you can cook a perfect turkey in a grocery store throw away aluminum roasting pan. Cheap and efficient.


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## jock (Dec 4, 2001)

If you go this route it is better to buy two and double up. One disposable roasting pan is too flimsy for a heavy turkey and can be difficult to handle. Also, the second pan will help reduce hot spots on the thin aluminum. 

You do not need to spend a fortune and you will find a good roasting pan in your price range. The brand is less important than the construction: thick aluminum for even cooking, non stick or not as a matter of preference (non stick for easy clean up and uncoated for good fond development), handles for obvious reasons and no lid for roasting. A lid will steam whatever is being cooked and you don't want that for your turkey.

Somewhere like Bed & Bath, Target or (heaven forbid) IKEA (I hate that store!!) will have what you want.

You may want to invest a few $$$ in a "V" rack to fit in the pan. That will keep your bird elevated to allow heat all around and save it from swimming in its own juices as it cooks.

Jock


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

The rack is important so the turkey roasts,not stews in its juices (good in its ow right, but not traditional).

You should be able to find one within your price range. 

If you purchase a keeper, i.e. not a disposable, the main thing to consider is what kind of handles it has.

Handles that stick out to the sides can be hard to reach in a hot oven if they're too close to the oven walls, or might mean a smaller pan than you want. There are some fancy versions that have handles that fold down which solves the space problem, but are usually hard to flip up in the oven to remove the roast and pan. Handles that stick straight up are probably the easiest solution and are my recommendation.


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## petitgourmet (Nov 12, 2006)

Thanks all for the great advice!


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I love my All-Clad, but I got along for years without such an expensive pan (it was purchased with a gift card). It has a v-shaped rack.

But what I like most about it is that it's heavy enough that I can put in on a low heat and deglaze the pan. However, my mom never used a roaster with high sides and a lid. She used a baking rack in a large baking pan (with 2" sides) and loosely tented the turkey with foil. She covered wing tips and the top of the breast if they browned too much before the cooking time was over.

There is an ocean of advice here about cooking turkeys! Try using the search tool here on this site to locate those discussions. The consensus is to brine the turkey for about 12 hours in a brine of your choice (that's a whole other discussion) and use a thermometer to confirm doneness. I have a Taylor with a probe you put in the meat and a control unit that you can set for target temperature and leave on the counter outside the oven.


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## canadiangirl (Jul 16, 2007)

I LOVE mine! Absolutely invaluable when making prime rib!


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## marye (Sep 20, 2007)

I love the idea of probe thermometers. But, I always seem to have some trouble with accuracy if I use the same probe more than a time or two. I've bought several of them and the same thing... I find myself buying a new one each thanksgiving.

Has anyone else had this problem? 

How do you clean the probe?

I've heard that you shouldn't use the probe in liquid, but I like to check the accuracy in boiling water before using it. I just stick the tip in, it's not like I'm dunking the whole unit. But, could this be my problem?

Any thoughts?

Thanks-

-Mary


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

On some of the instant-read thermometers the actual sensor is not at the tip of the probe; it's back about an inch or a bit more from the tip. I have a Taylor digital instant-read that works that way.

I clean the probe with a damp dishcloth- the metal part only, never the electronic-filled head. The probe on the one pictured on this thread I clean the same way.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

For roasting I love my plain ol' heavy gauge roasting pan made by Chicago Metallic and sold both at Sur La Table and Williams-Sonoma for less than $12. Otherwise I can always use my stainless steel lined copper-clad Mauviel braising pans available at fine cooking shops. 

I'm fluent in French, degreed in foreign languages from the Sorbonne and UC Berkeley and therefore a snob <;^P 

And so I get Mauviel delivered directly to me from E. Dehillerin of Paris at around 1/2 the retail price here in the USA. That's because I order from Dehillerin - the order along with my signature faxed directly to the distrubuter in Paris, France.

But once at ebay I picked up a 12 quart hand hammered tinned lined Mauviel stockpot for $50 (fifty smackaroos) delivered to my door and had it retinned for another $50. WOW!

Therefore, keep your eyes peeled all over the place for a good deal.


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