Broiling is one of the best ways to prepare a healthy, nutritious meal for you and your family. There’s a reason that broiling has had a resurgence in the past few years.
Put simply, broiling is one of the best ways to cook almost anything. You can cook tasty meats, chicken, veggies, fish; even fruit can be broiled!
Broiling uses high, direct heat from above to cook food, and because the heat only comes from the top of the oven, the radiant heat effect makes sure that food is always cooked through, as well as being much healthier, because you have much less fat and grease.
But to broil, you need a specific type of pan. Broiling pans are shallower than roasting tins, and come as a set of two pans, a top pan for the food, with slots that allow fat to drain through to the lower pan.
Broiling pans can come in stainless steel, aluminum, or enamelled metal, with various different sizes and types of slots. Here’s the best broiling pans for your kitchen in 2020.
Contents
- The Best Broiling Pans For Your Kitchen
- Range Kleen Oven Broiler Pan Set
- Amazon Basics Single Broiler Pan
- NordicWare Oven Crisp
- Granite Ware Bake, Broil and Grill Pan
- Aluminum Disposable Broiling Pans
- Norpro Broil and Roast Pan Set
- Wilton Non-Stick Pan
- Extra Large Broiler Pan and Rack
- Frigidaire Blue Broiler Pan
- Hefty Grease Absorbing Broiler Pans
- Broiling Pan Buyer’s Guide
- Broiling Pan FAQs
The Best Broiling Pans For Your Kitchen
Range Kleen Oven Broiler Pan Set
Well priced and coming as a pair, these pans are made from porcelain coated black steel and incredibly durable, so they’re sure to last a long time.
The porcelain coating is designed to be non-stick, and it’s also incredibly heat resistant, meaning it’s safe to 1025F, so you can use it in any oven without worry. They’re also dishwasher safe, so clean up is easy.
At 16 x 13 inches, they are perfectly sized for most ovens, and at only an inch deep with 24 horizontal slots per pan, they’re easy to manipulate and get in and out of the oven without issue.
As a twin pack, they’re extra value, but if you really only want one, you can buy singles. Overall, they’re great value, with impressive quality for the price.
Amazon Basics Single Broiler Pan
The Amazon Basics line is known for solid, dependable, if dull homeware and tools, but when it comes to broiling pans, sometimes dull and reliable is what you need.
Made from aluminum, these pans are very light, and sized for almost all ovens at 17 x 13 inches. Reasonably light despite the size, they weight in at 3.15lbs, so they’re easy to get into and out of the oven, despite the lack of handles.
Non-stick, the surfacing is easy to clean, and dishwasher safe. Plus, you can use the bottom tray for roasting and baking. Cheap and cheerful, if you need a simple tray for broiling, this is it.
NordicWare Oven Crisp
A grill style rack, rather than the pans on the rest of our list, if you’re looking for something more traditional that lets the air flow under your meals, a grill like this is excellent.
The pan itself is aluminum, with a non-stick coated steel rack. Grill racks like this can be irritating to clean, as food can get into all of the nooks, and it’s hand wash only. But hot water and dish soap soon cleans it up.
There are two sizes on offer. A medium 15 x 11.38 inches, and an XL at 21 x 16 inches, so no matter how big your oven, or what you’re planning on cooking, you can find the right size for you.
One major advantage here is pricing. These grill pans are exceptionally cheap. They’re also one of the best choices for bacon, as the hot air circulates under the rashers, ensuring an even, crispy result, and you can use the corners as pouring spouts to wick away fat.
Granite Ware Bake, Broil and Grill Pan
Granite Ware make great home cookware. Tough and hard wearing, this is made from enamelled carbon steel, meaning it’s got a solid, hard wearing core. The porcelain enamelling is fused at 2000 degrees, so it’s basically invincible to oven heat. It’s also inert, non-porous, naturally non-stick, and completely dishwasher safe.
You get a 3 piece set, with broiling pan and grill pan that are both sized to the underneath baking pan. The dark interior absorbs oven energy, reflecting it back for an even, steady heat.
At 9 x 14 inches, it’s a good size, and only weighs 2.9lbs. Made in the USA, Granite Ware cookware is one of our top choices, and once you’ve used them, they’ll be one of yours too.
Aluminum Disposable Broiling Pans
Sometimes, you need more than one broiling pan. Maybe you have an event that needs a lot of preparation, or you simply want to be able to set and forget your meals, and ignore all of the difficult cleaning up that comes with a Christmas Dinner or Thanksgiving. If that’s the case, these 10 aluminum grill foil pans are a fantastic choice.
Each one of the 10 disposable pans is 11.5 x 8.5 inches and comes in 2 parts, a grill pan and separate drip pan.
The grill x pans have a ribbed texture for even cooking, and are genuinely multi-purpose, because you can use them to cover standard grills, as an oven liner, use the bottom baking pan on its own, or even use them on the barbecue.
Even though they’re not designed to be be reused, if you’re careful you could. They are reasonably flimsy, and will break if you’re not careful, but a slow hand wash could clear away a small amount of fat. If you’re new to broiling, or very rarely need a pan, buy disposable and see.
Norpro Broil and Roast Pan Set
A smaller, very budget friendly option, these pans from Norpro are an inexpensive way to get into broiling. Made from stainless steel, they’re non-stick, corrosion proof and easy clean. They come up small, at only 12 x 9 inches, which is the perfect size for one large joint or a meal for two.
Unlike most pans, these don’t have slots for fat drainage. Instead, there are holes in the bottom of small triangular dents, that work really well, but can be irritating to clean out.
One side has a small ring hangar loop for storage, which also helps removing top pan even when you’re wearing gloves. Finally, you can also use this as a small baking dish or pan in the oven, so it’s multi purpose.
Wilton Non-Stick Pan
The second pan on our list that uses punched holes instead of slots, these heavy duty aluminum pans are strong, tough, and simple to use.
Light, at just 12.3oz, less than a pound, because of the aluminum construction, moving them around the kitchen and in and out of your oven is simplicity itself. At 13.25 x 8 inches, it’s large enough for a 4 person joint, but small enough to fit inside most models.
Dishwasher safe, these pans are easy to clean, and it’s all covered by a limited 5 year warranty.
Extra Large Broiler Pan and Rack
Simple, basic and no nonsense, this pan is a name brand GE product that’s extra large for extra servings. Made attractive blackened porcelain enamelled steel, it’s hard wearing and tough, able to stand up to hard scrubbing.
Fully non-stick, both pans are dishwasher safe and easy to clean, and you can also self clean in the oven, as the coating is actually the same material as the inside of your oven.
Rounded, with no sharp edges, the pan is a large 12.75 x 17 inches, but still only weighs 2.55lbs, which is incredibly impressive. Small hook holes at the edges also really help with storage. One of the largest pan on the list, if that’s what you’re looking for, then this might be right for you.
Frigidaire Blue Broiler Pan
A direct replacement for Frigidaire ovens, these pans are also compatible with other ovens, as long as the sizing is correct. Made from porcelain enamelled steel, each pan is a generously sized 15.8 x 12.6 inches, more than big enough for a whole family.
If you’re buying to replace a Frigidaire pan, there’s a guaranteed way to make sure this fits, by entering your model number. One downside is that these pans are not non-stick, and actually relatively hard to clean. They wash under hot water, but the attractive finish does stain slightly.
Given the choice, we’d pick another option from our list, but if you want a branded replacement pan for your Frigidaire, then this is your best option.
Hefty Grease Absorbing Broiler Pans
The second set of disposable pans on our list, these are made strong, and are perfect for absorbing all of the run off and juices from a fatty joint or other messy meal.
Entirely aluminum, they’re light and easy to move around. Each pan has a grease absorbing liner built in, that soaks up any mess and makes disposal as simple as bagging it up and throwing it in the trash.
At only 11.25 x 8 inches, they’re not the largest, but they’re big enough for lamb chops, fish, steaks, without issues. They’re also very well priced, with a pack of 12 running at a very reasonable cost. While these would never be our first choice, if you know you’re preparing something that needs a lot of clean up, it’s good to be prepared.
Broiling Pan Buyer’s Guide
Most broiling pans seem reasonably similar at first glance, but there’s a few things that you should pay close attention to when buying, as it can drastically affect how you use it. Here’s what to look out for.
Size
First off, ensure that what you’re buying is appropriately sized for your oven. Not all ovens are the same, and broiling pans can come in sizes smaller than a foot across, or almost double that.
Our list also contains some replacement or manufacturer specific broiling pans, designed to compliment specific models and makes of ovens. Check to see if this is something you require before you purchase anything.
Material
Broiling pans come in a wide variety of materials. You’ll find pans made from steel, cast iron or aluminum. It’s also normal to find that a lot of pans have a separate coating, usually enamel, that makes them easier to use, and to clean.
Ease
By their nature, broiling pans aren’t hard to use, but even so, some come with things that make setting up and cleaning even simpler.
Whether that’s padded or anti-heat handles, or non-stick and easy clean coatings so you can just put it in the dishwasher, you’ll appreciate these features when you’ve made a big meal for your family and you’re facing a whole kitchen’s worth of clean up.
Broiling Pan FAQs
I’m from the UK, is broiling the same as grilling?
Yes. US English uses the term broiling, but confusingly, in the UK and Australia, the same process is referred to as oven grilling, or just grilling.
Tips for cleaning your broiling pan
Broiler pans can get very dirty, very fast. The combination of oil used and fat and juices leaking from the food cooked on it can bake into the pan and require a lot of work to get out.
Here’s a few tips for returning your pan to gleaming and fresh.
- A coating of baking soda, then spritzed with water, left for two to three hours, will remove baked in fat.
- Soak your pan using a dryer sheet and a little bit of dish soap.
- If your pan doesn’t have an enamelled coating, you can use powerful cleaning agents to make sure it’s clean. Avoid this if it’s enamelled, as you could damage the surface.
How long will a broiling pan last?
Pans like these are made to last, and as long as you follow the manufacturer’s instructions and don’t expose your pan to harsh chemicals that will strip the coating, a decent pan will last for years.
What are the advantages of a broiling pan?
Broiling pans save time. Because broiler pans have good heat retention, they reflect a lot of heat back upwards into the food, very evenly. So broiling pans take a relatively short amount of time to cook, and can be much faster than boiling, roasting or deep frying.
Broiler pans can also save money. Because they cook fast, you will use less electric, and use almost no oil, as little as 10ml, or a teaspoonful, per pan.
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