Published: November 22, 2017
Updated: August 20, 2022
Hi! I have gotten this question enough that it seems like a good time to finally answer it on my blog!
We keep a vegan/ vegetarian home here a the Rubin HQ, so I won’t be personally cooking a turkey any time soon (I made a promise to my husband when we got married more than 16 years ago that I would never cook meat in the house.) We do cook a Tofurkey (or two or three) every Thanksgiving (it’s gotten to the point where my bigger boys can eat a whole Tofurkey all by themselves!), so I will share a few options here in terms of sizes of pans I use for the things I do cook as well.
I also have to share a funny story… I have #TurkeyPanTrauma in my personal history… lol! When I married my ex-husband in 1994, and then got divorced several months later… he withheld half of my (meager) divorce settlement (amounting to $10,000) because I refused to give him the turkey pan that had been given to us as a wedding present by my family! So, in the end, he got the turkey pan and I got the $10,000 (which I used to pay off my college loans so I could buy my first house!) I just don’t get what people will do for stuff! As a result, I don’t really care much for turkey pans!
Coincidentally my current husband had the very same pan when we got married (not sure why, since he is / has been primarily vegan, perhaps for cooking lots of squash? or tempe?) I will also post a link to that pan below (although it’s not something I use on a regular basis!)
TURKEY PAN TIPS: AVOID anything nonstick. AVOID anything enamel coated (solid colors or those flecks). AVOID glazed ceramic cookware. AVOID cooking in aluminum. I generally stick with stainless steel (confirming there are no brass components), uncoated cast iron, and clear glass for ALL of my cooking needs.
Thanks for reading!
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Click the images to see the products on Amazon (via my affiliate links!)*
Glass cookware options (these work well for a Tofurky, but you might need to get a pretty small turkey to make these work!):
Hello Tamara,
Have you tested ceramic coated pans namely Scan Pans, Greenpans, Greenlife?
Your work is so important . . . thank you!!
I have tested some, but I don’t yet have an opinion as to whether or not I would recommend them. I need to test more (with the brand and year of manufacture known) in order to be comfortable making a recommendation for any coated pans.
Hello Tamara! Thank you for your work! Have you tested vintage clear pyrex baking dishes for lead/heavy metals? I would love the results and other safe clear baking dishes from other companies that you recommend. Thank you!
Hi Joann,
Vintage clear baking dishes can test positive for low levels of lead. Click the “clear glass” tab at the top of any of the related posts to see of of the posts that have additional information on that.
Tamara
Can you check your links? They are not showing up here. Thanks!
Thank you for all the wonderful information! Have you tested the above stainless steel rack? Just concerned about how the rods on the rack are attached to the rim. Thanks!
Gardien roast > Tofurkey