Roasting Pan for a 20 lb Turkey: What Size You Need and Which to Buy

The short version

Turkey up to about 18 lb, and you want gravy in the same pan → Cuisinart Chef's Classic 16-inch. Rack included, works on induction.
Turkey around 20 lb, budget matters → Granite Ware 19-inch covered oval. Rated for 20 lb, with a lid.
Turkey over 20 lb → Granite Ware 25 lb rectangular. Measure your oven first.
Hosting once and no storage → a heavy-duty foil pan on a sheet pan. Never carry the foil pan alone.

The size rule

Leave 1 to 3 inches of space on every side of the bird so hot air can move. Good Housekeeping puts it simply: most roasters are about 16 inches long and fit birds around 15–20 lb, and for a bird over 20 lb you want at least 18 inches.

In practice a 20 lb turkey in a 16-inch pan touches the sides. The skin there doesn't brown, and the juices can burn in the corners. That's why our 20 lb pick is 19 inches long.

Before you buy, measure the inside of your oven. A big roaster with handles can run past 20 inches.

Why foil pans fail

The pan is fine. The carry is the problem. A 20 lb bird plus hot juices in a soft foil pan folds when you grab the edges. One home cook on r/thanksgiving said the foil pans "were just so hard to handle with a big turkey, even when doubled," and finally bought a real roaster for about the price of a few foil pans.

If you still go foil: double it, set it on a rimmed sheet pan before it goes in the oven, and lift the sheet, not the foil. Our sheet pan guide covers which sheet is sturdy enough. You also can't make gravy on the stove in foil, a point Serious Eats makes too.

Where they come from

Granite Ware is the speckled black roaster many Americans grew up with. Since 2020 the brand has been made under license by Cinsa, and the 19-inch roaster lists Mexico as its country.
Cinsa is based in Saltillo, Coahuila. It switched to enamel-on-steel ("peltre") in the 1930s and makes tens of millions of enamel pieces a year (Industry Today, GIS 2020 annual report).
The Cuisinart 16-inch lists China as country of origin (Bed Bath & Beyond listing).

Enamel vs stainless

	Cuisinart 16-inch	Granite Ware 19-inch oval	Granite Ware 25 lb
Rated for	About 14–18 lb fits best	Up to 20 lb	Up to 25 lb
Material	Stainless, aluminum base	Enamel on steel	Enamel on steel
Rack	Included	Check the listing	Check the listing
Lid	No	Yes	Yes
Stovetop gravy	Yes, incl. induction	Not on glass cooktops	Not on glass cooktops
Price	Check price at Amazon	Check price at Amazon	Check price at Amazon

Specs from the Cuisinart listing, graniteware.com and McGuckin. Fit range for the Cuisinart from Fryer & Feast.

What owners complain about

Cuisinart feels light. Some buyers expected a heavier pan and say the bottom flexes under a thumb. It still roasts fine; just don't expect All-Clad weight.
Enamel chips. Bang Granite Ware on the sink and the glass coating can chip; bare steel there can rust. Store it with a towel inside.
No rack. Without a rack the bird sits in its juices. A cheap flat rack, or a bed of thick onion slices and celery, fixes it.

Skip it if…

Cuisinart 16-inch

Your bird is over 18 lb.
You want a lid to carry leftovers.

Granite Ware 19-inch

You have a glass cooktop and want gravy in the same pan.
Your turkey is over 20 lb.

Granite Ware 25 lb

Your oven is under about 22 inches wide inside.
You roast small birds most of the year.

Whatever pan you use, pull the turkey by temperature, not by the clock. Here's where to put the thermometer, and our host checklist for the rest of the day.

We may earn a commission.