diff --git a/.github/workflows/code-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/code-checks.yml
index 280b6ed601f08..c4fc3575fdfa8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/code-checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/code-checks.yml
@@ -133,33 +133,6 @@ jobs:
         asv machine --yes
         asv run --quick --dry-run --strict --durations=30 --python=same
 
-  build_docker_dev_environment:
-    name: Build Docker Dev Environment
-    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
-    defaults:
-      run:
-        shell: bash -el {0}
-
-    concurrency:
-      # https://github.community/t/concurrecy-not-work-for-push/183068/7
-      group: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' && github.run_number || github.ref }}-build_docker_dev_environment
-      cancel-in-progress: true
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Clean up dangling images
-        run: docker image prune -f
-
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
-
-      - name: Build image
-        run: docker build --pull --no-cache --tag pandas-dev-env .
-
-      - name: Show environment
-        run: docker run --rm pandas-dev-env python -c "import pandas as pd; print(pd.show_versions())"
-
   requirements-dev-text-installable:
     name: Test install requirements-dev.txt
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
diff --git a/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.alpine b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.alpine
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..17c08a1589b20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.alpine
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+FROM python:3.10.8-alpine
+
+RUN apk update & apk upgrade
+RUN apk add gcc g++ libc-dev
+
+COPY requirements-minimal.txt /tmp
+RUN python -m pip install -r /tmp/requirements-minimal.txt
+
+WORKDIR /home/pandas
+CMD ["/bin/sh"]
diff --git a/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.mamba-all b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.mamba-all
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..dda31596d2a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.mamba-all
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+FROM quay.io/condaforge/mambaforge
+
+RUN apt update && apt upgrade -y
+RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt install -y tzdata
+
+RUN mamba env create -f \
+  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pandas-dev/pandas/main/environment.yml
+
+RUN mamba init
+RUN echo "\nmamba activate pandas-dev" >> ~/.bashrc
+RUN mamba clean --all -qy
+
+WORKDIR /home/pandas
diff --git a/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.mamba-minimal b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.mamba-minimal
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..0e49053f536b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.mamba-minimal
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+FROM quay.io/condaforge/mambaforge
+
+RUN apt update && apt upgrade -y
+RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt install -y tzdata
+
+RUN mamba create -n pandas-dev \
+  cython \
+  hypothesis \
+  numpy \
+  pytest \
+  pytest-asyncio \
+  python=3.10.8 \
+  pytz \
+  python-dateutil \
+  versioneer
+
+RUN mamba init
+RUN echo "\nmamba activate pandas-dev" >> ~/.bashrc
+RUN mamba clean --all -qy
+
+WORKDIR /home/pandas
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.pip-all
similarity index 59%
rename from Dockerfile
rename to ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.pip-all
index 7230dcab20f6e..d22a02593e4e0 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.pip-all
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 FROM python:3.10.8
-WORKDIR /home/pandas
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y upgrade
-RUN apt-get install -y build-essential
+RUN apt update && apt -y upgrade
 
 # hdf5 needed for pytables installation
 RUN apt-get install -y libhdf5-dev
 
-RUN python -m pip install --upgrade pip
-RUN python -m pip install \
+RUN python -m pip install --use-deprecated=legacy-resolver \
     -r https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pandas-dev/pandas/main/requirements-dev.txt
+
+WORKDIR /home/pandas
 CMD ["/bin/bash"]
diff --git a/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.pip-minimal b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.pip-minimal
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b88ab50b89136
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/dockerfiles/Dockerfile.pip-minimal
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+FROM python:3.10.8-slim
+
+RUN apt update && apt upgrade -y
+RUN apt install -y gcc g++
+
+COPY requirements-minimal.txt /tmp
+RUN python -m pip install -r /tmp/requirements-minimal.txt
+
+WORKDIR /home/pandas
+CMD ["/bin/bash"]
diff --git a/ci/dockerfiles/requirements-minimal.txt b/ci/dockerfiles/requirements-minimal.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..7de6f10d2824f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/dockerfiles/requirements-minimal.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+cython
+hypothesis
+numpy
+pytest
+pytest-asyncio
+pytz
+python-dateutil
+versioneer
diff --git a/doc/source/development/contributing_environment.rst b/doc/source/development/contributing_environment.rst
index 942edd863a19a..815a161557f48 100644
--- a/doc/source/development/contributing_environment.rst
+++ b/doc/source/development/contributing_environment.rst
@@ -157,56 +157,42 @@ should already exist.
 Option 3: using Docker
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-pandas provides a ``DockerFile`` in the root directory to build a Docker image
-with a full pandas development environment.
+Instead of manually setting up a development environment, you can use `Docker
+<https://docs.docker.com/get-docker/>`_. pandas provides pre-built images that serve a
+variety of users. These images include:
 
-**Docker Commands**
+  * alpine - a lightweight image for the absolute minimalist (note: this is experimental)
+  * pip-minimal - a pip-based installation with the minimum set of packages for building / testing
+  * mamba-minimal - a mamba-based installation with the minimum set of packages for building / testing
+  * pip-all - a pip-based installation with all testing dependencies
+  * mamba-all - a mamba-based installation with all testing dependencies
 
-Build the Docker image::
+If you are a new user and the image size is no concern to you, we suggest opting for either image
+that includes all of the dependencies, as this will ensure you can run the test suite without any
+caveats.
 
-    # Build the image
-    docker build -t pandas-dev .
+To use any of the images, you should first start with ``docker pull pandas/pandas:<tag>``,
+where tag is one of *alpine*, *pip-minimal*, *mamba-minimal*, *pip-all* or *mamba-all*. You can then run
+the image without any extra configuration.
 
-Run Container::
+To illustrate, if you wanted to use the *pip-all* image, from the root of your local pandas project
+you would run:
 
-    # Run a container and bind your local repo to the container
-    # This command assumes you are running from your local repo
-    # but if not alter ${PWD} to match your local repo path
-    docker run -it --rm -v ${PWD}:/home/pandas pandas-dev
-
-*Even easier, you can integrate Docker with the following IDEs:*
-
-**Visual Studio Code**
-
-You can use the DockerFile to launch a remote session with Visual Studio Code,
-a popular free IDE, using the ``.devcontainer.json`` file.
-See https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/containers for details.
-
-**PyCharm (Professional)**
-
-Enable Docker support and use the Services tool window to build and manage images as well as
-run and interact with containers.
-See https://www.jetbrains.com/help/pycharm/docker.html for details.
-
-Step 3: build and install pandas
---------------------------------
+.. code-block:: bash
 
-You can now run::
+   docker pull pandas/pandas:pip-all
+   docker run --rm -it -v ${PWD}:/home/pandas pandas/pandas:pip-all
 
-   # Build and install pandas
-   python setup.py build_ext -j 4
-   python -m pip install -e . --no-build-isolation --no-use-pep517
+Similarly for *mamba-all*
 
-At this point you should be able to import pandas from your locally built version::
+.. code-block:: bash
 
-   $ python
-   >>> import pandas
-   >>> print(pandas.__version__)  # note: the exact output may differ
-   2.0.0.dev0+880.g2b9e661fbb.dirty
+   docker pull pandas/pandas:mamba-all
+   docker run --rm -it -v ${PWD}:/home/pandas pandas/pandas:mamba-all
 
-This will create the new environment, and not touch any of your existing environments,
-nor any existing Python installation.
+The *mamba-* images will automatically activate the appropriate virtual environment for you on entry.
 
 .. note::
-   You will need to repeat this step each time the C extensions change, for example
-   if you modified any file in ``pandas/_libs`` or if you did a fetch and merge from ``upstream/main``.
+
+   You may run the images from a directory besides the root of the pandas project - just be
+   sure to substitute ${PWD} in the commands above to point to your local pandas repository