Which Material for Baking Pans?

**Phog Allen** · 06-09-2009, 10:26 AM

Good afternoon chaps. My recent brag thread concerning the wife seemed to be fairly popular. Thanks for the input though I still haven't gotten any suggestions about what dish to make in it first.

This post goes more toward baking pans. As our own Ouch has pointed out, the plain "French" black steel frying pans are really solid performers, cheap, and dead simple to use. Well how about bake ware? I will tell you I have a hodge podge of the stuff now. Some of it non stick(most of it is worthless, chipped), some not. Others are of dubious quality and origin. They rust too easily, etc. Now I remember seeing many times plain steel pans in bakeries that were essentially seasoned black from years of use. Though they didn't seem to over brown the way the darker nonstick stuff does. Where should I start in my search for this stuff? I mean, do I need to decide on a material first and then brands or is there a brand that you start with first and pick a model from there? I have no problem mixing and matching brands since rarely do you get exactly what you want or need from one brand.

I guess it goes mostly to materials. I really do want to stay away from non stick pans but I guess I could be convinced...maybe. Steel? Aluminum? Air bake type stuff? My needs run to normal pans. Round and square cake tins(sandwich tins in the UK), loaf pans for pound cake and bread, and the odd cookie sheet though our baking stones from Pampered Chef fill that need. And no I am NOT ashamed to say we bought from PC. They are awesome. Sizes? 8" square tins for sure but what about rounds? 8 or 9 inch and do certain things call for the different sizes? Loaf pans. These are all over the place. 4" square, 4.5, 5.0 inch square. What is considered standard? I don't do many specialty cakes that need certain mould shaped pans though I would listen to suggestion on that as well. Thanks guys. BTW, the one thing I don't really have and interest in is the silicone stuff. Just don't like it.

Regards, Todd

**tsmba** · 06-09-2009, 10:29 AM

My preference is the Chicago Metallic "Commercial" line. They're extremely well-made, no frills pans and I believe they come in plain and non-stick. They're widely-available, too!

**stobes21** · 06-09-2009, 10:31 AM

Most of my stuff is regular aluminum. It seems to be a good, inexpensive all purpose performer. I plan on getting a baking stone soon for things like breads.

Edited to add:
I don't like non stick coatings. I do, however, like parchment paper. I put it down whenever I'm concerned something will stick. A nice side bonus is that it makes for super easy cleanup.

**Dennis** · 06-09-2009, 10:36 AM

For 9x13 and 8x8, nothing beats Pyrex. For baking sheets, nothing beats commercial food service half sheet pans. I got mine at Sam's Club in the two in a package thing. You have a rimmed sheet pan that can do almost anything including flipping it over to use as a cookie sheet. Other than that, I have some old crockware/Fiestaware type pots that are nice for those casserole type of dishes as well.

**Dennis** · 06-09-2009, 10:51 AM

Curious, I just went to Cooks Illustrated and checked their Equipment section for bakeware. These are the best buys according to them:

Bakings Pans - Pyrex
Baking Sheets - Lincoln Foodservice Half-Size Heavy Duty Sheet
Broil Safe Gratin - Emile Henry
Cookie Sheets - Vollrath
Lasagna Pans - Pyrex
Loaf Pans - Williams Sonoma Gold Touch Nonstick
Muffin Tin - Wilton Ultra-Bake
Round Cake Pan - Chicago Metallic Professional Lifetime Nonstick 9"

They have many other baking items listed but these are the probably the main ones you would find on most home kitchens that do baking.

**biomesh** · 06-09-2009, 11:00 AM

I use my baking stones most often. They are well seasoned after using them for quite a few years. I also have some of the half sheet pans from sams, but I normally use them as a base or tray for another item in the oven.

**krissy** · 06-09-2009, 11:01 AM

When it comes to cookie sheets, I have some cheaper ones but I line them with Reynolds Non-Stick Foil to make clean up easier and without fuss. Or just spray regular foil with a quick spray of PAM. So that saves me a ton of time and things like cookies slide right off. With 3 kids I'd rather be doing other things than spending time at the sink scrubbing up bakeware. And I don't like to put metal bakeware into my dishwasher.

But when it comes to bakeware, I'm all for silicone bakeware products. I absolutely love it. Then because silicone is flexible I just put it onto a regular cookie sheet and toss it into the oven. Clean up is easy for silicone, it's either dishwasher safe but for things like the mini-muffin pan I prefer to use a small scrub brush and a dot of dish soap and give it quick whirl.

**ouch** · 06-09-2009, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by krissy

When it comes to cookie sheets, I have some cheaper ones but I line them with Reynolds Non-Stick Foil to make clean up easier and without fuss. Or just spray regular foil with a quick spray of PAM.

One word-

Silpat.

**ouch** · 06-09-2009, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by tsmba

My preference is the Chicago Metallic "Commercial" line.

Very hard to beat.

**Confuzius** · 06-09-2009, 11:41 AM

I'm going to second parchment paper. My dad got hooked on it a few years ago when he started getting heavy into pizza making and I've got to say, it's the greatest non-stick device ever, greased, floured or bare depending on the situation, I love it.

I've got el-cheapo bakers secret "non-stick" (totally not true) pans that do tend to over-brown, but parchment paper makes a huge difference.

**PhoR** · 06-09-2009, 11:50 AM

Foods absorb more heat and bake faster in glass or dark metal containers than shiny lighter-colored metal ones.

Foods brown more in glass and dark metal baking pans than in shiny lighter-colored metal ones.

So it really depends on what you're baking.
For pies and breads, dark metal or glass is the easy winner.
For cookies or cakes, lighter colored metals are the way to go.

**Phog Allen** · 06-09-2009, 03:40 PM

Thanks for all the replies chaps...and chapette. Really good suggestions. I had heard of Chicago Metallic but had forgotten about them. Who said parchment paper? I will readily agree to that. I think it is silicone treated as well so that may be a good compromise for me regarding the silicone pans.

I cannot say enough about the bake stones. They work fabulously. A small plastic scraper does the trick. NO soap at all. So I guess I can concentrate on the cake tins and loaf pans. Agree about the 1/2 sheet cake pans as well. We have a well seasoned beasty my mother in law gave us years ago. It was from a commercial kitchen so it is really heavy. Alas, it has finally warped so a new one is in order. If nothing else they make great chilling lids for a batch of home made pop tarts. Freeze them good and cold and when you cut your pop tarts, lay the pan upside down over them and the chill makes the shortening pastry in the tart dough set nicely. Plus they are great for bacon. Yep, bacon. We line ours with heavy tin foil and bake the bacon at 350F for about 20-25 minutes. Turning the pieces after the first 10 minutes. They come out looking like the pictures on restaurant menus. Golden/red/brown. Plus they don't shrivel up as much as fried bacon.

Well, it looks as if I have some research and searching to do. I do think my instincts were right about one brand not being able to fit every thing. The Williams Sonoma stuff looks well made. I have seen it at their store. But good old Chicago Metallic has been doing this for over 100 years. Those will likely be some of my first stops. Pyrex? I think glass when I think Pyrex. My wife swears by their pie baking dishes so maybe that is another option. I have never had good luck using them for pastry/cake baking. Probably my fumble fingers. Thanks again.

Regards, Todd

**blantyre** · 06-09-2009, 03:45 PM

I bought several fairly decent gauge stainless steel pans in a local Indian market - about $10 a piece and as good as anything I've seen in the high end stores perhaps not quite as fancy frills.

**MPruett** · 06-09-2009, 07:48 PM

You can't really beat a commercial-grade cookie sheet/baking pan with a Silpat silicone sheet in the bottom.

That's what my wife, the baking fiend swears by. That, and her Kitchen-Aid Artisan mixer.

**Brodirt** · 06-09-2009, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by ouch

One word-

Silpat.

One of the greatest inventions in the kitchen.

**tsmba** · 06-10-2009, 07:58 AM

I've actually never owned a Silpat or silicone baking pans. I have a large baking stone that lives in the oven and love parchment paper, too.
I looked up the Chicago Metallic line and they are described as "aluminized steel". That almost sounds like a coating. Mine have darkened with age, something I like cuz they brown better. I also like Pyrex, but as different materials behave differently, I like to have some consistency.
This is very difficult as my cookware collection is a hodge podge! Along with the commercial bakeware and La Creuset, I have All-Clad and Demeyere pans. Years ago, I discovered an All-Clad outlet that sells seconds that are chosen to have perfect cooking surfaces. For the most part, I never can find the defects and I saved a bundle!