Nordic Ware Half Sheet with Rack: best oven bacon setup
This is the bacon-cooking setup I keep coming back to. A heavy aluminum half sheet pan with a stainless wire rack lets you bake an entire pound of bacon at once at 400°F. Fat drips into the pan, bacon stays elevated and gets crisp on both sides without flipping, and cleanup is a single pour-off and a soak. Nordic Ware's pans run flat and do not warp at typical bacon temperatures. The wire rack is the actual hero, since it lets you skip flipping. A workhorse purchase that lasts decades.
Check price on Amazon →After cooking more bacon than my doctor would approve of, these five bacon cookers are the ones I still recommend in 2026.
I cook bacon several times a month and have tried more bacon-specific kitchen tools than any reasonable person should. The good news is that a few of these tools actually do save time, mess, or both. The bad news is that most are gimmicks. After working through the field this past spring, here are the five bacon cookers I would actually buy in 2026.
Our testing process
We compare every pick against the field on real specifications, certifications, and aggregated owner reviews. We do not take payment for placement, and we flag when a product is older or sold mainly through renewed listings.
Quick comparison
| Pick | Best for | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordic Ware Half Sheet with Rack: best oven bacon setup | Check price | ||
| Lodge 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Griddle: best stovetop bacon control | Check price | ||
| Presto Powercrisp Microwave Bacon Cooker: best for quick small batches | Check price | ||
| Cosori Pro II Air Fryer: best for mid-batch crispy bacon | Check price | ||
| Camp Chef Cast Iron Bacon Press: the accessory that fixes curling | Check price |
Reviewed in detail
Nordic Ware Half Sheet with Rack: best oven bacon setup
This is the bacon-cooking setup I keep coming back to. A heavy aluminum half sheet pan with a stainless wire rack lets you bake an entire pound of bacon at once at 400°F. Fat drips into the pan, bacon stays elevated and gets crisp on both sides without flipping, and cleanup is a single pour-off and a soak. Nordic Ware's pans run flat and do not warp at typical bacon temperatures. The wire rack is the actual hero, since it lets you skip flipping. A workhorse purchase that lasts decades.
Lodge 10.5 Inch Cast Iron Griddle: best stovetop bacon control
For people who like to cook bacon on the stove (and use the fat for eggs or hash), a cast iron griddle is the right surface. The 10.5 inch round Lodge griddle holds 5 to 6 strips at once, retains heat evenly, and develops a finish where bacon does not stick. Start on cold to medium-low heat and let the fat render slowly for the crispest results. The griddle's flat surface drains better than a regular skillet's curved walls, which keeps the bacon from sitting in pooled fat.
Presto Powercrisp Microwave Bacon Cooker: best for quick small batches
When you want bacon in 5 minutes and only need 2 to 4 strips, the Presto Powercrisp is the cleanest path. The lid drains fat into a base tray, the strips hang on small ribs so they cook from both sides, and the result is crispy and remarkably grease-free. Not the right choice for big batches (you can only fit about 5 strips comfortably), but for solo breakfasts during the week it earns counter space.
Cosori Pro II Air Fryer: best for mid-batch crispy bacon
The Cosori Pro II is not bacon-specific, but a mid-size air fryer (5 to 6 quart basket) cooks 6 to 8 strips of bacon to perfect crispness in 8 to 10 minutes with almost no smoke or splatter. The basket's perforated bottom lets fat drain into the lower tray, and shaking the strips at the halfway mark gives you even browning. Faster than the oven for smaller batches, less side-by-side than the stovetop. A good pick if you already use an air fryer regularly.
Camp Chef Cast Iron Bacon Press: the accessory that fixes curling
If you do stovetop bacon and hate the way strips curl into useless shapes, a cast iron bacon press is the fix. The Camp Chef press is heavy enough to actually keep bacon flat against the pan, which produces evenly cooked strips and faster cook times. The wooden handle stays cool, and the textured bottom prevents the press from sticking to the bacon. Not necessary if you bake in the oven, but transformative if you fry on a griddle or skillet.
How to choose
What to consider
Start with how much bacon you typically cook at once. If you cook a full pound for a weekend brunch, the oven approach (half sheet plus wire rack) wins every time. If you cook a few strips during the work week, the microwave cooker or air fryer saves time and minimizes mess. The right tool depends on the typical batch, not the rare big one.
What to consider
Next, think about your cleanup tolerance. Stovetop bacon produces grease splatter that lands a foot beyond the burner. Oven bacon contains the splatter to a single pan. Microwave bacon is the cleanest if you use a proper cooker with drainage. Air fryer is in the middle, with some smoke at the start of the cook. If splatter cleanup is the deal breaker, skip the stovetop entirely.
What to consider
Finally, do not overlook the texture preference. A bacon press on a hot griddle delivers a different texture than oven-baked on a rack, which is different from air-fried. Stovetop has more chew, oven and air fryer are crispier, microwave can be brittle if overdone. Pick the cooker that matches the bacon you actually want to eat.
Common questions
Oven-baked on a rack-and-tray cooker is the easiest hands-off method. You lay strips flat, slide the tray in at 400°F, and pull crispy bacon 18 to 22 minutes later. No splatter, no flipping, and you can cook a whole pound at once.
For 2 to 4 strips, yes. A good microwave bacon cooker drains fat into a tray below and produces evenly crispy bacon in 4 to 6 minutes. For a full pound, the oven still wins because microwaves cook unevenly across large batches.
Start with cold bacon on a cold cooking surface (cold pan, cold oven rack, cold air fryer basket), then bring the heat up. This renders fat slowly and gives you crisp without scorched edges. Pull a few seconds before peak crispness because carryover heat finishes the cook.
It is faster (about 8 to 10 minutes versus 18 to 22) and produces equally crispy bacon, but the basket size limits batch capacity. Air fryer is great for 4 to 8 strips. For a family breakfast with 12+ strips, the oven is still more efficient.
