Most of us have experienced disappointment when a new roasting pan buckles after just one session in the oven. To avoid this, it's wise to invest in one or two good quality pans, heavy and solid enough to survive the cooking and caramelisation that produces a great roast.

Materials

Pans made in heavy-gauge stainless steel, enamelled steel or anodized aluminium are the ones to go for.

If you are tempted by the beauty of stainless steel, choose a pan with a thick heavy base to promote an even spread of heat.

Non-stick surfaces are useful if you want to limit the amount of fat. However, if you enjoy scraping up those delicious crusty bits to make gravy, then non-stick is not for you.

Pan size

It's vital to use the right size pan. If it's too big, the meat juices will spread out and dry up, so you'll miss out on gravy-making. Too small a pan doesn't allow enough air to waft over the meat, so your roast might not be as brown and crisp as you'd like.

As a rule of thumb, a 29 x 23cm pan is handy for an average weekend roast for four to six people. A small 22 x 16cm pan comes should suffice for more intimate meals or solo suppers.

For Christmas catering, you'll need a larger turkey-sized pan, about 40 x 30cm, with handles or a generous rim to help with lifting. Check the size of your oven before buying - there should be about 5cm around the pan for air circulation.

Vegetable pans

Roasting pans for vegetables usually have very shallow sides, as this exposes the most surface area to the heat of the oven and encourages browning. Use a pan roomy enough for your vegetables to sit in a single layer with a bit of space all round. That way they'll crisp nicely rather than steaming.

Care

Be careful when using metal utensils for stirring and scraping. They're almost certain to damage the surface even if it is non-stick. Far gentler is a wooden spoon or spatula, or a heat-resistant plastic spatula.