V-Rack, U-Rack or Flat? Choosing the Best Roasting Pan Rack

A roasting rack does a small job that changes the whole roast. It lifts the meat off the floor of the pan so hot air reaches the underside, the bottom browns instead of stewing in its own juices, and the drippings collect below where they can turn into gravy. For a turkey at Thanksgiving, a pierna de puerco for Navidad or a Sunday chicken, the rack is the difference between a crisp bottom and a soggy one.

This guide is about that rack. Some roasting pans come with a good one and some with a rack that slides around; some cooks already own a fine pan and only need the rack. Below are pans sold with racks, chosen for how the rack fits and what it is made of, plus three racks sold on their own. Specs come from the makers and the Amazon listings, and where America’s Test Kitchen has reviewed a pan or rack, we say what it found. For the pans themselves, ranked by size and build, see our main guide to the best roasting pan.

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Quick verdict: which roasting pan rack to buy

The table lines up five picks, one per kind of buyer. Nine are covered in full after it: six pans sold with a rack, then three racks sold alone.

Five roasting racks and pans side by side

One pick per kind of roaster, from a full pan-and-rack set to a rack for the pan you already own.

Product images from Amazon. Oven ratings and stove compatibility are as stated by each maker or listing; check the listing before you buy.

Our picks for the best roasting pan rack

What separates one rack from another is shape, material and fit. A V-rack cradles a bird breast-up. A U-rack is shallower and suits flatter roasts. A flat rack holds pieces or a spatchcocked chicken. Bare steel can take the broiler; a nonstick rack is easier to clean but should stay at moderate heat. And a rack that slides around a pan is a hazard when the pan is full of hot fat, which is the one thing ATK’s reviewers kept coming back to.

Roasting pans sold with a rack

Buying the pan and rack together is the simplest route: the rack is sized for the pan, and you get one surface for gravy afterward. Two of these pans, the MultiClad Pro and the Viking, also appear in our main roasting pan guide. They are here because their racks are the ones ATK commented on most, good and bad.

Racks sold on their own

A good roasting pan without a rack, a deep baking dish or a rimmed sheet pan all become roasters once a rack goes in. These three cover the main shapes: a tall rack for whole birds, an adjustable rack that goes from flat to V, and a flat grid for sheet-pan roasting. For more flat racks, see our guides to the best cooling rack and the best baking pan and rack sets.

How to choose a roasting rack that fits

A roasting rack is simple, but a wrong one is annoying every time you use it. These are the points a kitchen looks at.

1. Fit inside the pan

Measure the inside floor of your pan, not the rim. A rack that is too large will not sit flat; one that is too small slides, which ATK flagged in more than one pan it reviewed. Pans sold with a rack avoid the guesswork, but even there ATK found some racks shifted.

2. Shape: V, U or flat

A V-rack holds a whole turkey or chicken breast-up and steady. A U-rack is shallower and works for both birds and roasts like a pork shoulder. A flat rack is best for pieces, ribs and spatchcocked birds, and doubles as a cooling rack. An adjustable rack like the HIC covers all three in a smaller size.

3. Bare steel or nonstick

Uncoated stainless or chrome-plated steel takes any oven temperature the maker allows and can go under the broiler. Nonstick racks release sticky glazes more easily, but ATK advises against nonstick for broiling because coatings can release fumes above 500°F. Several listings here do not give a separate limit for the rack, so treat coated racks as moderate-heat tools.

4. Handles for lifting

Lifting a hot roast off the rack to rest is the moment things go wrong. Racks with upright handles, like the Norpro, give oven mitts something to hold. ATK noted that the MultiClad’s rack handles line up with the pan’s, which makes them slightly harder to grab.

5. Pan size and your oven

ATK suggests a roasting pan at least 16 inches long and 12 inches wide for most home cooks, and prefers pans under 7 pounds including the rack. Check the length with handles against your oven, especially with the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic at 20.7 inches overall.

6. The gravy question

If you make gravy in the roaster, choose a pan that works on the stovetop, ideally on your type of burner. The Cuisinart, Viking, All-Clad and HexClad pans are listed for stovetop use; the Circulon is an oven roaster. And a rack is not a thermometer: check a turkey or pork leg with an instant-read meat thermometer before it comes out.

How we chose these nine

We started from the rack rather than the pan: what it is made of, its shape, whether it fits its pan, and what the maker says about heat and care. We read America’s Test Kitchen’s review of roasting pans with racks and its review of wire racks, and used the makers’ own descriptions and the Amazon listings for specifications. Every pick was in stock on Amazon when this guide was written. We kept overlap with our main roasting pan guide to two pans and explain why each is here.

We have not cooked with these pans and racks ourselves. Where we say a rack fits snugly or slides, that comes from ATK’s review; where a listing does not state a rack’s temperature limit, we say so.

Roasting rack questions, answered

What is the best roasting pan with rack?

America’s Test Kitchen’s winner is the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 16-inch roasting pan with rack, our top pick here as well. For a bare stainless pan and rack at a lower cost, the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic is the value choice.

Is the best roasting pan and rack always sold as a set?

No. A set guarantees fit, but a good pan with a separate rack works just as well if you measure. A tall rack like the Norpro or an adjustable one like the HIC can turn an existing pan or deep baking dish into a roaster.

Do I need a V-rack, or will a flat rack do?

For a whole turkey or chicken, a V-rack or U-rack holds the bird steady and upright. For pieces, ribs or a spatchcocked chicken, a flat rack set in a rimmed sheet pan works well, which is how ATK uses its wire racks for roasting meat.

Are nonstick roasting racks safe in a hot oven?

Follow the maker’s limit. ATK advises avoiding nonstick racks for broiling because nonstick coatings can release fumes when heated above 500°F. For very hot roasting or the broiler, choose bare stainless or chrome-plated steel.

Can I roast without a rack?

Yes. A bed of thick-cut onions, carrots or potatoes lifts the meat a little and flavors the drippings, though the bottom will not crisp as well. ATK also notes that a flat wire rack in a baking sheet does the same job as a V- or U-shaped roasting rack.

Where to go from here

If you are starting from scratch, the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro gives you a pan and a rack that fits it. If you already own a pan, a separate rack is the cheaper fix. Our guide to the best roasting pan compares the pans themselves, and the best roasting pan for turkey guide focuses on the biggest birds.

Broiling instead? See our guide to the best broiler pans for your oven.

And if the holiday menu is more than one oven can handle, Julia’s Mexican Restaurant in Houston is open seven days a week. See the menu and call to order.