Types of Roasting Racks

There are various types of racks available and they are generally made from stainless steel or a non-stick coated metal, which makes cleaning up a lot easier. You may want to have a couple of different types because some racks work better for different uses. Be sure it is big enough and sturdy enough to hold the piece of meat you will be cooking and that it fits into your roasting pan. When placed in the oven, there should be at least a 2-inch space between the meat and the top of the oven. A brief description of the most common type of racks is shown below:

Flat Roasting Racks

This is a simple rack that lays flat in the bottom of the roasting pan. It is available in a rectangular or oval shape and is made of thin wires running parallel to each other through the length of the rack. It will have a couple of wires running at a right angle to help support the parallel wires. It does not work well for poultry because the legs and wings have a tendency to fall through the wires.

Non Adjustable V-Roasting Racks

Made of v-shaped pieces of metal that are attached to a frame that has handles on it. This rack works well to cradle the roast or bird and hold it in place, but because the metal bars are generally so far apart, the wings and legs of a bird fall through. This makes it difficult to turn the bird if necessary or to remove it from the rack without tearing the wings and legs.

Adjustable V-Roasting Racks

This V-rack has two sides made of thin wires attached to a base. The sides can be adjusted to change the width of the V shape that they form. This allows you to better fit the rack to the meat you are placing on it. A problem may occur if you have to turn the roast or bird on the rack because the rack has a tendency to collapse.

Vertical Roasting Racks

This type of rack has vertical prongs that are attached to a round base. The prongs are inserted in the cavity of the bird and it is cooked looking as if it is standing up. The wire prongs inserted into the bird help to speed up the cooking time by conducting heat into the bird. Roasting the bird in this manner also provides a crispier skin but it also makes more of a mess in the oven because you have fat splattering in all directions. The other problem with this rack is that it can only be used for chickens or other birds of that size.

Basket Roasting Racks

A U-shaped piece of perforated metal that has a handle on each end. The rack resembles a basket. The U-shaped rack cradles the meat and when used for a chicken, it holds the wings and legs next to the body. It produces the crispiest skin on a chicken due to its ability to conduct heat. It is sometimes referred to as a cradle roasting rack. This rack only works for small birds and roasts that are 5 pounds or smaller.