Roasters?

[fcrosson]

Does anyone have preferences for one material over another, and reasons for them.
If I'm going to roast a turkey, or a leg of lamb, or a rib roast, does it really matter if the pan is aluminum or stainless or expensive tri-ply?
Thanks,
Fred

 

[Michael in FtW]

For an "open" roaster (no lid) I can't see there is much difference. If you're going to roast something in an "enclosed" roaster (lid on) there will be some differences based on the material - but that's just a matter of compensating (adjusting the temp or time) for the material.

 

[Alix]

Fred, I have never used anything by my old enameled roaster. I have to say though, for ease of use and clean up, nothing beats it.

 

[Psiguyy]

Doesn't make much difference, other than the care you need to give it and how you handle it if it's heavy.

I have had excellent, if not superior, turkeys roasted in disposable foil pans and I've had lousy food roasted in $200 pans. The main thing to remember is when using a flimsy pan, you have to be careful how you handle them if you have something big, such as a 20 lb turkey in them. The pan can collapse if you're careless.

 

[choclatechef]

The conductivity or lack of conductivity of a pan makes little difference in an oven, since food cooks in an oven via hot air, not the burner.

 

[VegasDramaQueen]

I use those dark blue or black enameled roasting pans with the little white specks. They are available everywhere especially around Thanksgiving time. I have 4 sizes and that's ALL I use. A little known fact is that the darker the pan the darker your roast will turn out. I don't know why but it's true. I have roasted in bright shiny aluminum pans and I have to agree that chickens, turkeys, and all roasted meats come out brown and crisp with this cheap enameled roaster. You can have the All Clad, Emeril, or whatever high priced roaster you choose. Give me the old fashioned roaster. Another good one, is cast iron, but then, cast iron is the best no matter you're cooking in it.

 

[pst1can]

Roasters....

I prefer an "open" square roaster....I use a small rack in the bottom, I also cook with the breast side down! This gives you the luxury of never basting the bird through the oven time. Another added benefit is this will be the juiciest white meat you will ever have. One word of warning is if you still carve your bird at the table there will be some rack marks. The rack is very important otherwise the meat that is submerged in the drippings will be "mushy". Final step is to cover the bird with tin foil until the last 10-15 minutes. "Try it you will like it!" Pst 8)