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Meatloaf is a comfort food classic. Of course, if you’re into cooking, you need great tools to make your favorite recipes. We recommend grabbing one of the best meatloaf pans, if you’re into making this hearty dish.
Of course, there are thousands of products on the market, so we aggregated millions of customer reviews, and tested the top picks. Whether you want a budget option, or a pan that can withstand the test of time, we’ve got you covered.
Our Top Pick
Rachael Ray Meatloaf Pan
This non-stick pan is a great choice for anyone who wants to cook meatloaf. Of course, Rachael Ray is a household name, and the quality of this pan lives up to that distinction.
This pan is dishwasher safe, and can also withstand head up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The price point is also very low for this pan, which is one of the many reasons why it’s our top pick.
Other Great Picks
Silivo Silicone Meatloaf Pan
If you prefer silicone for your cooking, this meatloaf pan is a great choice. With a budget price, but premium performance, it held up very well during our testing.
We weren’t as familiar with Silivo as a brand when we started our testing, but we were pleasantly surprised with the results. With thousands of great customer reviews, we’re hardly alone in our glowing opinion. A truly great (and easy) way to cook meatloaf.
USA Pan Meatloaf Baking Pan
With thousands of great customer reviews, this pan is another solid choice for cooking meatloaf. It’s BPA free, and made with (very effective) nonstick coating.
In our testing, it helped our meatloaf turn out perfectly, and we were even able to make the loaf a little bit thicker than we usually are able to. Since it’s made from aluminized steel, this pan is also extremely durable. A definite recommendation.
Wilton Perfect Results Mini Loaf Pan
Wilton is another well-known manufacturer of kitchen products, and this mini loaf pan is extremely well-made. With thousands of 5-star customer reviews, it’s one of the most popular pans on the market.
While you are limited to making mini loaves, we found this size to actually be fairly charming. Each mini loaf is comparable to a small meal, or a large appetizer, and we found this pan was also very easy to clean. Highly recommended.
Instant Pot Official Mini Loaf Pans
Instant Pot is well-known for their multi-cookers, but they also make these excellent mini loaf pans. Not only do they have thousands of great customer reviews, these pans cost almost nothing.
We were able to make meatloaf very easily in these mini loaf pans, and we also tried baking some banana bread. To our surprise, it came out absolutely flawlessly. Another great product.
Evelots Meatloaf Pan
This Evelots pan literally drains the fat as you cook, which is a feature we absolutely loved. With tons of great customer reviews, and a very low price point, this is a pan that will be truly great for any kitchen.
While you can spend a little bit more and get a pan that is even more indestructible, this choice held up very well during our own testing. Unless you have very specific needs, we think this is a perfect fit for almost anyone. Highly recommended.
Pyrex Glass Loaf Dish
Pyrex is a well-known kitchen product manufacturer, and we’ve never tried a product from them that we didn’t absolutely love. This glass loaf dish is yet another winner, and it can withstand even the toughest of treatments.
Of course, being glass, you won’t be able to drop this dish by accident, so you’ll definitely want to avoid that. With tons of great reviews, and stellar performance in all of our testing – this is another pan we highly recommend.
Norpro Meat Loaf Pan Set
This budget pick not only costs little – it performs flawlessly. With a plethora of great reviews, it was high on our list to test.
And once we prepped our meatloaf and cooked it, this set caught all the fat draining out of our food, and delivered a finished product that was absolutely delectable. While you can spend more, we don’t think you’ll need to – this pan set has everything you’ll need to make the best meatloaf on the planet.
Volar Meatloaf Pan
This stylish meatloaf pan set not only looks great, it catches all the fat that comes off during the cooking process. With a plethora of great customer reviews, it’s also backed with tons of testing.
In our own testing, this pan set held up extremely well, easily handling anything we cooked. While you can go with a celebrity brand name product, or choose to save even more money with a budget pick – for most people, this is one of the best meatloaf pans to choose.
Chicago Metallic Meatloaf Set
This 2-piece set from Chicago Metallic is perfect for cooking any type of meatloaf you like, and it’s also backed by thousands of 5-star customer reviews. We loved the pan at the bottom, which allowed us to catch a ton of grease that drained off during the cooking process.
Not only did this make us feel healthier, it made for a much better tasting meatloaf. If you want a healthier way to make meatloaf, this is definitely the pan for you.
What Is A Meatloaf Pan?
Meatloaf is a comfort food classic. However, cooking it can be a little bit difficult.
This is especially true if you don’t have the right tools. A meatloaf pan is specially designed to make this cooking process easier, and usually pans will also be able to catch drippings and also make it easy to quickly remove your meatloaf (while also keeping it completely intact).
There are multiple variations of meatloaf pans. Most popular are non-stick variations, as well as silicone-based pans.
Should Meatloaf Be Cooked In A Loaf Pan?
While you can cook meatloaf without a loaf pan, we recommend that you do not do so. It will be messier, more difficult, and ultimately not come out as well.
A pan will not only provide shape for your food, it will help the edges of the loaf caramelize. You want to be sure that the meatloaf isn’t packed in too tight though, as this can cause the food to steam – instead of cooking properly.
What Can I Use If I Don’t Have A Meatloaf Pan?
We strongly recommend using a meatloaf pan if at all possible, but if you’re stuck in a pinch, you can wrap a cooling rack in aluminum foil, and poke a few holes in the top layer of the foil. This will act as a pan, with a solid bottom layer of aluminum foil acting as the leak-free base.
Once the cooling rack is wrapped in foil, place the meatloaf on top, and cook as you normally would. While this method isn’t perfect, it will get you through in a pinch – though we still highly recommend utilizing a meatloaf pan, if at all possible.
Should You Drain Meatloaf While Cooking?
This one comes down to personal preference. If you prefer a crispy top to your meatloaf, you’ll want to drain the fat from the pan about 10 minutes before the end of cook time.
If you prefer a moist meatloaf (especially on top), you won’t need to worry about draining the fat. If you’re unsure, try cooking your meatloaf both ways, and seeing which texture you prefer.
What Causes My Meatloaf To Fall Apart?
Most meatloaf falls apart simply due to not having enough ingredients keeping it together. Most meatloaf recipes will call for breadcrumbs and eggs, both of which act as binding agents.
You can try adding slightly more of these binding agents, if you’re having trouble keeping your meatloaf together. If this still doesn’t fix your meatloaf, you may be overcooking it.
Try reducing the cook time by five or ten minutes, and see if that helps. Ultimately, there is a specific ratio of binding ingredients and cook time, that will result in the most tightly packed finished product.
Why Is My Meatloaf Mushy?
While there is not just one answer to this question, usually the answer lies in the amount of meat (or lack thereof). A meatloaf with lots of other ingredients (like milk), and not enough meat itself – will almost always be mushy.
Try upping the amount of meat included in your recipe, to fix a mushy meatloaf. Additionally, you can try removing some milk or bread, and seeing if the final texture is more to your liking.
What Temperature Should Meatloaf Be Cooked At?
While there is not one set temperature for cooking meatloaf, most experts recommend a cooking temperature between 350 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Try cooking at 350 degrees first, and then upping the temperature for the final 10 minutes of cooking.
This will give you a nice, crispy top, while still preserving a juicy center. The internal temperature of the meat should reach at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit, before serving.
What Is The Best Filler For Meatloaf?
There are a number of great fillers for meatloaf, and our favorite is definitely breadcrumbs. Oatmeal, cooked rice, dried veggies, and many other foods will work equally as well, for fillings in meatloaf.
What Does Milk Do In Meatloaf?
Milk is used as a sort of binding agent, as well as acting as an absorbing agent for the breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs will help your meatloaf stick together, but if they’re not soaked, they would make each bite of the loaf hard and crunchy.
If you’d prefer to use something else besides milk, you can opt for water, chicken broth, beef broth, or even nut milks. As long as something is added to help soften the breadcrumbs, your loaf should turn out great.
How Do You Make Meatloaf More Firm?
Usually firmness is a problem not of taste, but of transport. Meaning, you meatloaf is likely falling apart, if you are asking this question.
To fix this, add slightly more in terms of ingredients that will bind the loaf together. This is usually eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs.
Of course, be careful not to overdo it, or your meatloaf will end up mushy. You definitely don’t want a meatloaf that falls apart – and you also don’t want a meatloaf that is mushy – trust us.
What Can I Put On Top Of Meatloaf Instead Of Ketchup?
While ketchup is definitely the most common topping for meatloaf, there are a number of different alternatives that can really take your dish to the next level. Next time, try making a glaze with hot sauce, brown sugar, and any other interesting ingredients that you enjoy.
If this doesn’t strike your fancy, make a glaze with ketchup (instead of just plain ketchup), or try adding some cooked strips of bacon. These are just a few ideas – the possibilities are really limitless, so let your imagination run wild here.
How Do You Know When Meatloaf Is Ready?
When you’re cooking any meat, it’s crucially important to make sure it’s done cooking, before you serve it. For meatloaf, the cooking time is usually about 1 hour (assuming you’re cooking a standard two pound loaf).
One way to check, without having to time it, is to measure the internal temperature of the meat. Once it hits about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, your loaf should be ready.
Be careful not to under-cook or over-cook your meatloaf. Under-cooked meat will be dangerous to eat, and over-cooked meat will be too hard to eat (think the texture of a shoe, that’s how bad it can get).
The Best Meatloaf Pans
There you have it – our top picks for the best meatloaf pans on the market. If you’re an amateur chef, having a great meatloaf pan is a nice luxury, since it will make the cooking process that much easier.
There are hardly any better comfort foods than meatloaf – and we personally love digging into some on cold winter days. If you liked this list, be sure to check out some of our related kitchen product reviews. Bon appétit!