Bacon Bonanza Review and Buyer’s Guide in 2022

Bacon is notoriously fatty and that fat is about as bad as it gets for our health. The problem is, bacon is also delicious with practically everything. It’s a breakfast staple alongside eggs and who doesn’t love a classic BLT with crispy fried bacon. How about bacon-wrapped stuffed chicken cutlets or crispy bacon bits sprinkled over a salad. Let’s not forget the classic bacon burger either.

There are simply too many reasons not to want to give this up, and that creates a real tug of war between the need to eat healthier while still enjoying the things we love. But it doesn’t have to be a battle. What if you could have all that’s good about bacon without the dripping fat.

That is what this remarkable pan from Gotham Steel is designed to do. It effectively separates the fat, leaving only crispy delicious bacon behind so you can continue loving this remarkable food without the guilt. We’ve made a Gotham Steel Bacon Bonanza Review.

Bacon Bonanza Review 2022

Image	Product
Best Choice	Bacon Bonanza Easily cook up to 12 strips of bacon The rack keeps bacon lifted away from grease Dishwasher safe
When You Need More	Bacon Bonanza XL Easily cook up to 18 strips of bacon The rack keeps your bacon lifted away from grease Custom fitted pan catches all that fat

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Grill your bacon on this specially designed oven rack and pan and you’ll enjoy crispy bacon every time while all of the harmful fat rendered off and left behind in the bottom of the pan.

How Does The Bacon Bonanza Work? How To Use It?

First, this is a two-piece pan, with a rack that sits in a collection pan. They are designed for the oven so you’ll no longer need to worry and frying these strips in a pan where you have to deal with the popping, spitting, and splashing.

Four things happen as a result of this configuration:

1. Each strip heats and cooks evenly since it’s not being covered and protected from the heat by the other strips.
2. The heat reaches the entire strip – top, bottom, and side – evenly. You never need to worry about flipping these strips to cook them evenly.
3. As they cook, the fat drips into the collection pan, away from the actual meat. However, as that fat heats the heated surface of the pan it creates a flavorful steam the rises and infuses your bacon with all of the flavors that you love so much.
4. Finally, since the bacon strips are not soaking in bacon fat, they have the opportunity to get nice and crispy faster, and much more evenly.

Nutritionists have been arguing that we all need to eat less fat and that has led to the rise of what is commonly known as air frying and air fryers. The problem with air fryers, especially for things like bacon, is they are not built to allow you to spread out your food so it can cook evenly. Everything is tossed together as the heated air circulates around the collection of food. That simply doesn’t work for bacon.

Gotham Steel Bacon Bonanza Review

The Bacon Bonanza from Gotham Steel was designed to deliver all of the benefits of air frying without its drawback, and that is where you’ll uncover the magic of the rack system. Now you can air fry without missing any of what you love about these thin strips of deliciousness.

First Impressions

When you first set eyes on this, you’re likely going to be impressed by the rich ceramic copper finish, and maybe a bit confused by the channeled structure of the rack. It looks very different from what you’re used to and most everyone says that while the quality is obvious, how you’ll set your bacon on the rack looks a bit odd.

Until now, you’ve always just stretched out your strips of bacon on the surface of a heated frying pan or griddle. It’s obvious right out of the box that you won’t be doing that with this pan.

But it doesn’t take very long for the lightbulb to come on with this one. As soon as you place the rack in the pan you sense how the rack helps you organize your bacon.

Quality

The finish on this rack and pan are impressive to the eye. The rich copper tone is unlike most any other pot or pan you are used to and the rack portion almost makes it look like some odd electrical contraption but it is all part of the plan.

The pan and rack are constructed from high-quality aluminum, making both the rack and pan very sturdy. There are two extended handles on the rack that makes removing it safe and secure, even when hot. The pan has a wide overhang that serves the same purpose.

How to Use It

Place the rack into the pan and begin laying out 12 strips of bacon in the channels formed by the rack. If you are preparing less than 12 strips, start from the middle so all of the strips remain in the center of the heated oven.

To help keep the uncooked strip from flopping into the pan, you can curl the edges of each bacon strip around the rack at each end. Once they start cooking, they will stiffen and come out almost perfectly flat.

Most of the time, my bacon is ready in about 20 minutes in my convection oven. It set the temperature to 325 °F and they come out very crispy, just the way we like them. I keep them in for about 5 minutes more if I want to crumble the bacon up.

You can either reduce the temperature or the time in the oven if you like your bacon a bit less crispy and you may have to make adjustments to compensate for your oven. Experiment just a bit and you should find just the right balance.

Maintenance

Maintaining the Gotham Steel bacon bonanza is as simple as it can get. Just be sure to use a pair of tongs with a silicon coating so you don’t create accidental scratches.

Conclusion

I can speak from personal experience and a real love for bacon. The entire family loves it as well so this was a welcome change for all of us. We still get to eat what we love, and it’s no longer a guilty pleasure.

It works exactly as advertised and we are loving every batch we have made so far. It’s holding up very well too with just some basic care. Bottom line – this is happily recommended for every bacon lover out there.

Gotham Steel Bacon Bonanza XL Copper Review – When You Need More

This looks like the Bacon Bonanza on steroids and for big families, this gives you everything you love about the smaller version, with 50% more space. Don’t settle for just 12 slices at a time. Don’t keep everyone waiting for that second batch of bacon. The Bacon Bonanza XL delivers 18 perfectly done bacon strip in one pass.

It has the same combination of rack and pan as well, so your bacon comes out with all of the great bacon taste you love, without all of the unhealthy fat. This rack and pan pair let’s all of the not so good stuff drip away, leaving crispy delicious bacon behind.

Maintenance

The maintenance for this larger version is the same as it is with the smaller version of the Bacon Bonanza. Just pour off the bacon drippings, rinse it and either wipe off the pan and rack with a soft sponge or pop both in the dishwasher.

For all of the same reasons I love my Bacon Bonanza, I am confident you’ll love the larger version. It delivers all of the same performance as its smaller sibling so your work in the kitchen gets done faster.

The materials used to deliver this larger version are also the same as the smaller one, so durability and non-stick performance remain excellent.

Looking at the online review for this pan, you’ll find all of the same overwhelmingly positive feedback as well, so in the end, there is every reason to get you Bacon Bonanza XL with confidence.

Conclusion

For all the same reasons that I love my Bacon Bonanza, I’m certain you’ll love the XL version. In fact, eliminating the need to do multiple batches even has me tempted to switch.
It delivers the same health benefits, the same non-stick performance that makes clean up so easy, and the same sturdy construction that I like some much in the smaller version.
So yes, I do highly recommend the Bacon Bonanza XL.

Directions&Average Cooking Time

This is designed for the over, with temperatures set at between 325°F and 400°F. Depending on how crispy you want your bacon, you will have it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

You do not need the convection setting on your oven either. The standard baking setting will do the job better in some cases as there will be less tendency for your bacon to dry out.

If you are making a smaller batch of bacon than the full 18-slice capacity, start from the center of the rack. This will allow all of the bacon to heat evenly.

Things to Consider Before Choosing a Gotham Bacon Bonanza

When your doctor tells you to cut out the fat, listen, and cut out the fat. Just don’t cut out the bacon in the process. You can still enjoy all of the crispy and smoky goodness. You just need a good way to render off the unhealthy fat your doctor is worried about.

This is the first and possibly the best reason to choose the Bacon Bonanza or Bacon Bonanza XL. It’s rack setup and collection pan allows all of that fat to drip away, leaving just the good bacon behind.

It’s also a great alternative when you’re tired of cleaning up all the splashes and splatter when you fry bacon on the cooktop. Plus, you’ll be doing a lot less jumping and swearing as the bacon spits hot grease on you. In the oven, with the bacon raised off the pan’s surface, there is hardly any spitting and splashing, and the little there is will be contained within the oven.

If all you ever do is a slice or 2 of bacon at a time, you probably won’t get enough benefit out of the Bacon Bonanza. You could use an air fryer instead and get practically the same result, but don’t try that with larger batches or you’ll just wind up with a clumped mess.

Technology and Materials

Frequently Asked Questions