How We Test
We aggregate millions of product reviews, scour other websites for their professional opinions - then we test the products ourselves. We do not accept free products from manufacturers, and our only goal is to give you the best recommendations possible. However, if you buy from the links on this page, we may earn a small commission.
- Best Probiotics - September 1, 2024
- Best Keto Snacks - September 1, 2024
- Instant Pot® Keto Birthday Cake - September 1, 2024
If you’re relatively new to cooking, you may not know why you need the best broiler pans in your kitchen – but we can fill you in. Broiler pans not only help save you money, they help make your oven cleaner, and can even make the cooking process require less oil.
Instead of the typical broiling process, which can leave lots of residue and debris in your oven, using a broiler pan keeps thing nice and neat. Since even the best pans cost hardly anything, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a great broiler pan in your kitchen.
We aggregated millions of customer reviews, tested the top models, and can easily tell you the best broiler pans on the market today. Without further ado, here are our top picks (steak not included).
Our Top Pick
Whirlpool 4396923 Porcelain Broiler Pan
Our top choice is a wonderful broiler pan from Whirlpool. With tons of great customer reviews, sturdy, well-crafted construction, and a price that won’t break the bank – it’s impossible to find a flaw with this product. Our highest recommendation.
Other Great Picks
Range Kleen BP106X
This heavy duty broiler pan from Range Kleen is another flawless entry. We loved how reliable and sturdy it was, and it’s almost our top pick. It is a slightly smaller size, so if you want to do a lot of broiling, you’ll either want to opt for two of these, or go with a larger broiling pan. Two thumbs way up.
Norpro Broil/Roast Pan Set
This stainless steel broil and roast set from Norpro is a fine choice. We weren’t as familiar with this brand when we began our testing, but we were pleasantly surprised by the flawless results. Definitely a great addition to your kitchen.
Reynolds Bakeware Pan
Reynolds is a well-known brand in kitchens throughout the world, and this set of three broiler pans is another great product from their catalog. Of course, these broiler pans are disposable, so if you’re looking for something permanent, you’ll want to choose another product on our list.
SmartChoice Basic Broiler Pan
This nonstick broiler pan from SmartChoice is another great addition to your kitchen. We loved the look of this pan, as well as the performance it gave us throughout our extensive testing. A fine choice, for any discerning chef.
Wilton Non-Stick Broiler Pan Set
This broiler pan set is a great budget pick, and yet still offers top of the line performance. This is perfect for 2-3 people, and the myriad of perfect 5-star reviews agree that this set is a great buy. Definitely recommended.
Frigidaire Broiler Pan
This broiler pan is slightly more expensive, but its performance is unmatched. With a plethora of fantastic user reviews, and great results from our testing, we definitely give it a recommendation. Not a budget pick, but well worth the investment, if you don’t mind spending a little more.
Chicago Metallic Professional Roast Pan
This professional roast pan offers tremendous performance – at a bargain basement price. We loved the toughness of the pan, as well as its ability to withstand anything we threw at it during testing. If you want a pro quality broiler pan – but don’t want to pay a lot – this is the model for you.
Farberware Bakeware Nonstick Steel Roaster
Farberware is a well-known manufacturer in the kitchen appliance world, and this broiler pan is another great addition to their catalog. With tons of stellar customer reviews, a low price point, and good performance in our tests, we give it our highest recommendation. Two thumbs up.
General Electric Large Broiler Pan
General Electric has a sterling reputation when it comes to kitchen appliances, and this broiler pan is no different. With thousands of great ratings, a killer price point, and excellent performance in all of our testing – we highly recommend it.
What Is A Broiler Pan?
A broiler pan is a thick and sturdy pan used specifically for broiling food in your oven (or broiler). While there are disposable solutions, as well as other alternatives, we recommend buying a porcelain broiling pan.
These pans are specifically designed for broiling food in a mega-warm environment (broilers are often set at 550 degrees Fahrenheit), and they will catch any drippings that would otherwise force you to clean your oven. Broiler pans are also highly affordable, with even the best models costing $30 (or less).
Who Needs A Broiler Pan?
To be blunt – we think every home chef needs a broiler pan. They’re cheap, necessary, and will save you loads of time.
You’ll rarely have to clean your oven, which is one of the main appeals of buying a broiling pan. The pan will catch any and all drippings, which leaves your oven looking sparkling clean.
While there are other alternative to broiling pans, they don’t work as well, and they’re not specifically designed for broiling. Unless you have a very good reason not to get one, we think every home in America needs a high-quality broiler pan in their arsenal.
How Do I Use A Broiler Pan?
Using a broiler pan is very easy. You simply put your food in the pan, and then set your oven to broil mode.
Once it warms up, and using oven mitts, very carefully place your broiling pan as close to the broiling element as possible. Be sure not to touch any of the heating pieces, as they will likely be extremely hot.
Once your food is sufficiently browned and crispy, turn the broiler off, and carefully remove your cooked food. If you have a gas oven, make sure the oven door is closed during the process, but if you have an electric oven, you can leave the door slightly ajar while the food is being broiled.
Broiler Pan Substitutes
Broiler pans can be substituted with other items, but we still recommend a broiler pan for any and all broiling needs. The performance is better, and the likelihood of any dripping is also far less.
If you’re gung ho about broiler pan substitutes, however, here are some of the most common. Try substituting with: a roasting pan, a cast iron pot, an aluminum foil tray, a baking tray, or even a cast iron skillet.
How To Clean A Broiler Pan
This is a fairly straightforward process. You’ll want to start by washing the pan with your favorite dish soap.
This will remove grime and dirt, but stains will likely remain. To get rid of these, use a scouring powder, and if any stains still remain, opt for Magic Eraser (a very well-known cleaning sponge).
This should remove anything left on your broiling pan, so simply rinse it off with water, and let it air dry. And voilà – your broiler pan is ready for its next adventure.
How To Broil Food
Broiling food is a quick and tasty way to make your next meal extra crispy. We love broiling leftover french fries, as well as lots of other flavor-packed foods.
To start the broiling process, make sure your oven is empty. Next, turn on the broiler (on many ovens, this is as simple as pressing the ‘broil’ button, and setting the temperature).
Once your broiler has reached the desired temperature, and after placing your food in your desired broiling pan – carefully place the pan next to the broiling element, while wearing oven mitts. Be extra careful not to touch any heating elements, as they are likely 500 degrees (or even warmer).
Keep a close eye on your food, and remove it once it has reached its desired level of crispiness. If you have a gas oven, make sure it stays closed during the broiling process – but if you have an electric oven, you can leave the oven door slightly ajar, if desired.
Do I Need A Broiler Pan To Broil Food?
There are other methods and tools that can be used to broil food, but we recommend a broiler pan for this task for a few specific reasons. Firstly, broiler pans are very affordable, so any household can afford one.
Secondly, they keep your food from dripping all over the oven – much better than any other solutions do. This means you won’t have to clean your oven as often – which is a huge task to avoid.
If you still want to go with a different method, some of the most commonly recommend include baking sheets, a skillet, or even simple aluminum foil (folded edges will stop drips of food and/or oil). We still highly recommend a broiler pan, as they do the best job of catching any potential drippings.
Do Broiler Pans Come With Ovens?
In the old days, many ovens came with broiler pans. While some ovens still do, not every model is packaged with a broiler pan nowadays.
The other caveat to note here, is that even if an oven comes with a broiler pan, they are often on the smaller side. This makes it necessary to purchase a separate broiler pan, as in the world of broiling food – bigger is always better.
Do You Leave The Oven Door Open When Broiling?
There are a few schools of thought on this subject. The traditional advice is to leave the oven door slightly open, when broiling food.
Of course, if you’ve ever done this, you know just how much this can heat up your kitchen. As the heat escapes, the broiler is forced to stay on, which cooks your food very quickly.
Of course, this is ideal when browning or searing meat. However, if you have a gas oven, you’ll likely want to keep the oven door closed.
Electric ovens can be kept open, as they won’t produce as much smoke. A gas oven, however, can produce a lot of smoke while broiling, and you don’t want that filling up your kitchen.
In practice, we’ve broiled foods with the oven door both open and closed – and have seen very little difference in our cooked food. The choice is really yours, when it comes down to it.
What Dimensions Do I Need For A Broiler Pan?
This is an important question to ask, and there are a few factors that determine the answer. For starters, what size oven do you have?
If you have a small oven, a large broiler pan may not fit. You will want to measure (or consult your oven’s manual) to find out the exact dimensions, before purchasing an extra large broiling pan.
Most pans will fit in almost any oven though, so chances are you will be okay. A small broiling pan is another way to go, but we don’t recommend it, for a few different reasons.
One, a small pan won’t hold nearly as much food. Secondly, a small pan will cost almost the same as a large pan – even though large pans will have 3-4x the capacity.
Lastly, a small broiling pan may mean you have to make multiple passes to heat up even a moderate amount of food. This wastes your own time, and makes the broiling process far more drawn out.
Some Important Features To Look For
Broiler pans often can be used for other cooking processes. This includes baking, as well as grilling.
We recommend opting for a product that allows for these other cooking processes, as it will only increase the value of your purchase. We rarely use our broiling pans for these other activities, but it’s nice to know that we could do this, if desired.
Another important feature to look for, is choosing a pan that has a truly non-stick surface. You don’t want your pan to have food sticking to it, as that makes for a painful and messy process.
The most important feature for a broiler pan though, is a drip tray – as well as holes that allow for dripping. These holes should also not be too wide – as you don’t want food to fall through the cracks.
The Best Broiler Pans
There you have it, our top picks for the best broiler pans. Whether you want a disposable pan, a small pan, or a large and sturdy model – we’ve got you covered.
There’s nothing better than food fresh out of the broiler, and we love the crispy texture that comes from this unique cooking process. If you liked this review, be sure to check out some of our other great home and kitchen product reviews. Bon appétit!