These Roasting Pans For Vegetables Bake & Brown To Perfection
byIleana Morales Valentine
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A roasting pan can be an investment, both in terms of cost and space in your kitchen, so it’s helpful to find one worth its weight. Roasting pans are kitchen workhorses that are useful for far more than just roasting a turkey, and the best roasting pan for vegetables can bake up everything from sweet potatoes to Brussel sprouts perfectly.
Here are some details to keep in mind when shopping for a veggie-friendly roasting pan.
Materials
Pans come in a variety of materials, each with some pros and cons.
Stainless steel: Stainless steel lasts a long time, is generally dishwasher safe, and is particularly suited to browning foods, making it ideal for roasting your favorite root vegetables. These pans can be tougher to clean.
Ceramic/stoneware: A true oven-to-table pan, ceramic bakeware is easy to clean and looks good on the table, too. Ceramic dishes also won’t react with ingredients, though the dishes themselves can chip. Since veggies need to be roasted at pretty high temperatures, many ceramic options won't be able to handle the heat, so look for ones capable of withstanding the temperatures you need (like the ceramic pick below, which comes with non-porous enamel finish).
Cast iron: Cast iron withstands high heat and is built to last, though it's heavy and can react with certain ingredients. While cast iron doesn't have the best heat distribution, and it can take longer to heat up, it makes up for those traits with its non-stick surface (from seasoning) and its ability to hold heat better and for longer periods of time. If you're concerned about the upkeep of this option, an enamel coating simplifies the maintenance of cast iron and makes it dishwasher safe.
Carbon steel: Carbon steel is similar to cast iron, but noticeably more lightweight and affordable. Acidic ingredients, like tomato, can strip its patina, so look for a coated pan if you want to avoid this.
Size & Accessories
A 9-by-13-inch roasting pan is a good all-purpose size. Look for a roasting pan with walls about 2-inches high so it’s easier to toss vegetables for even roasting. A pan with handles will make for easy tossing of vegetables and then later easy serving, and a lid traps heat and prevents veggies from overbrowning.
Since this list focuses on roasting pans for vegetables, most of my picks forego traditional U-shaped or V-shaped racks intended for large cuts of meat. Flat racks with smaller openings between slats are more useful for vegetables because they keep veggies from falling through.
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