Bottom: If you plan to use your roasting pan on the stovetop for making gravy other pan sauces, or to sear meat, make sure the bottom is flat. Some pans have a hump in the middle to guide liquids to the edges of the pan, making it difficult to reduce on the stove. This also leaves the middle of the pan dry and susceptible to scorching. Additional features: A couple of design elements can mean the difference between a gloriously smooth oven-to-tabletop transition and one with spilled gravy or (worst-case scenario) a dropped bird. Bent lip: A slightly bent or rolled lip at the top edge of a roasting pan lets you cleanly pour off pan juices. A straight-cut edge can cause dribbles.

Lids: Some home cooks like to steam the turkey by using a roasting pan with a lid and then uncovering it at the end to brown the skin. Our pros tend to steer away from lidded roasters. “It limits the size of the turkey you can fit,” says Papantoniou. “And it doesn't let the skin get nice and crispy.” A proper turkey roasting pan with straight sides can give you the best of both worlds by retaining moisture on the bottom while exposing the top to that critical heat circulation. Handles: Large, easy-to-grip handles that angle upwards make a big difference in maneuverability, especially when the pan is hot and/or filled with a heavy load. Whether you’re cooking for two or a crowd, we’ve got you covered. In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've tested thousands of kitchen appliances and more than 150 sets of cookware over the years. We’re also trained cooks who have roasted countless turkeys and know what to look for in a good roasting pan. All the roasting pans in this roundup are by brands we've personally used.

Material: Turkey roasting pans are made from materials ranging from aluminum and copper to enamel-coated steel, stainless steel, carbon steel and a tri-ply construction of stainless steel sandwiching a core of aluminum. In this roundup, we focused on the three most common types on the market, but our top recommendation is tri-ply for its performance, ease of use and durability.

Sides: Straight sides encourage steam to stay inside the cooking vessel, whereas flared sides result in evaporation and browning all the way down. “Shorter walls will mean better browning,” says Papantoniou. “Higher ones encourage more steaming, which is a safe bet for the normal consumer because the turkey’s less likely to get dry.”

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