7 Best Sheet Pans for Baking

Looking for new sheet pans for baking? Look no further! I’m sharing seven of my favorite options to elevate your baking and guarantee success with all your recipes.

top image image of sheet pan quesadillas cut into twelve squares.

Pin this recipe now to save it for later

It’s just a sheet pan, right? WRONG!! Selecting the right sheet pan for your baking may be what’s standing in the way of creating those perfect brownies or Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies! The size, design, and especially the material of a sheet pan can make a huge difference in the outcome of your baked treats.

Today, I’m going to share some of the leading sheet pans on the market as well as the different factors that you should consider before investing your hard-earned cash into sheet pans. Let’s dive in!

top image image of sheet pan breakfast bake.

The Top 7 Sheet Pans For Baking

Below is a list of some of my favorite sheet pans to elevate your baking. While these pans are top-voted this isn’t an exhaustive list by any means. Let me know if I missed any of your favorites in the comments below!

1. Chicago Metallic Commercial II

This is a great uncoated aluminum sheet pan that can withstand some serious use in the kitchen! It’s warp-resistant, lightweight, and does a great job of heating evenly which is so important for baking with! It’s also fairly inexpensive.

2. Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet Pan

This is another fantastic aluminum sheet pan with a lifetime warranty. It features an encapsulated galvanized steel rim. This means it will brown your cookies, brownies, and bread, creating beautiful golden bottoms with zero burning.

3. Textured Performance Series 9″ x 13″ Nonstick Sheet Pan

This beauty is a non-stick, carbon-steel sheet pan with a textured bottom surface. This allows for ample airflow, adding a crispy finish to all your baked treats.

4. Chicago Metallic Professional Non-Stick Sheet Pan

This sheet pan has a silicone-based coating which is ideal for sticky, messy treats like Haystack Cookies or No-Bake Cookies to slide right out. It can be washed in the dishwasher and is also reasonably priced.

5. Caraway Sheet Pans

The Caraway brand of sheet pans provides a signature ceramic-coated interior. This not only provides a slick and easy-to-clean surface but ensures perfect browning. I have to admit that this option isn’t the best for getting crispy edges and bottoms on your baked goods, but is great for delicate treats.

6. Heavy Duty Carbon Steel Baking Pan

Unlike other options, these sheet pans are specifically designed for baking cookies. They’re sturdy yet lightweight and are made with high-quality carbon steel. In addition, they’re resistant to warping, making them ideal for high-temp cooking.

Even better, they’re large enough to hold all your cookies! Pull them out to make family-sized batches of all your favorite recipes from Macadamia Nut Cookies to Monster Cookies.

This is another reliable cookie sheet made from aluminum. A longtime favorite, it’s lightweight, easy to clean, and comes in a convenient pack of two. It has an angled lip that’s easy to grip and will create evenly baked cookies. Be aware that this particular cookie sheet is not dishwasher safe!

top down image of coconut cake served in a 9x13 baking dish.

Other Factors To Consider for the Perfect Sheet Pans

Sheet Pan Sizes

Apart from the material used in these different sheet pans, you should also consider the appropriate size for your baking purposes.

The size of a sheet pan can vary depending on the brand. However, the most common sizes include:

Full-size sheet pans: These are a massive 18 x 26 inches and are used mostly by commercial kitchens. They are too large for the average home oven.
Half sheet pans: These are 18 x 13 inches and offer ample space to spread out your cookies and pastries, preventing them from touching.
Quarter sheet pans: These are 13 x 9 inches and are the most common size. This is the size you’ll see with most recipes online. They comfortably fit in a regular home oven as well as small toaster ovens!
Cookie sheet pans: The sizes of cookie sheets are not as regulated as conventional sheet pans. Some are 10 x 14 inches or 14 x 17 inches, being more square than a sheet pan. Experiment with what you like best, depending on the size and number of your cookies.

Dark Versus Light Sheet Pans

Dark colors absorb heat at a faster rate than light colors. Therefore, it makes sense that darker sheet pans cook and brown baked goods at a faster rate than lighter varieties.

If you opt to use a darker sheet pan for baking, consider reducing the oven temperature and the baking time. Do not place the darker sheet pan in the oven while the oven preheats!

The Material of Sheet Pans

Apart from size, shape, and color, sheet pans can also differ in the material used to make them, including any finishes added.

Aluminum Sheet Pans – Sheet pans made from aluminum are a favorite among many bakers, and for good reason! They’re usually affordable and long-lasting. Plus, they distribute heat evenly (ideal for baking), and clean easily!

The only downside to aluminum sheet pans is the potential for them to impart a slightly metallic taste to some foods. They can also sometimes slightly discolor delicate foods. However, you can use parchment paper or a silicone mat to easily avoid these issues. These pans are great for achieving crispy bottoms and edges!

Ceramic Coated Sheet Pans – These sheet pans have an interior ceramic coating, making them non-stick with easy clean-up.

It can take the insulated ceramic sheet pans a little longer to heat up when compared to other varieties. As a result, you may need to adjust the baking time, adding a few minutes to your recipe.

That said, ceramic-coated sheet pans provide even heating and prevent the bottom of your baked goods from browning too much or too fast. This means they’re especially good for delicate treats!

Non-Stick Sheet Pans – These pans are darker in color due to the non-stick application. As a result, they tend to bake cookies and other baked goods at a faster rate than aluminum sheet pans. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing – your cookies will be crispy, and the non-stick layer makes for easy cleaning.

However, eventually, that nonstick coating will wear off. Non-stick sheet pans can also vary greatly in quality. So, be sure to shop wisely if you want yours to last longer!

Heavy-Duty Metal Sheet Pans – Heavy-duty metal sheet pans, like the French black steel sheet pan heat quickly and evenly. They’re great for puff pastry and palmiers.

Having said that, don’t invest in one of the sheet pans unless you’re willing to provide some extra care. They require regular rubbing of kosher salt into the surface as a way to prevent corrosion. They also must be kept dry since wet steel pans will rust.

Textured Sheet Pans – textured sheet pans provide a slight elevation for cookies and other baked foods to rest on. This allows air flow underneath and promotes a crispy and even golden-brown finish!

FAQs

Do you preheat the oven with the sheet pan inside?

No. Unless the recipe specifically states otherwise, it’s best to place your sheet pan in the oven after it is heated. While preheating, ovens can have unpredictable temperature settings as they blast a higher heat to warm the oven quickly.

In addition, heating a sheet pan before adding your food can cause too much spreading with cookies or foods to brown too quickly without cooking inside.

Why do baking pans warp or bend in the oven?

If you hear a bang coming from the inside of your oven while baking, it’s likely the sheet pan bending or warping as a result of temperature changes. This is likely to happen to sheet pans that are thinner or made with cheaper materials. You’ll notice that the higher-quality sheet pans don’t do this.

Is it important to line sheet pans?

Not always, but sometimes. If you want to reduce cleanup after baking, lining your sheet pan with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a silicone mat is a great way to achieve this.

It can also be easier to remove some baked treats, like Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies when lining a sheet pan, especially if your sheet pan is not non-stick. Lining a sheet pan is another way to prevent any metal flavor from older aluminum sheet pans from transferring onto your baked goods.

Are cookie sheets the same as sheet pans?

No, they aren’t. There are quite a few design differences between cookie sheets and sheet pans (also referred to as baking sheets. For instance, a cookie sheet usually only has a raised edge or lip on one side to grip, while sheet pans have a rolled raised lip all around.

Cookie sheets are essentially specialized sheet pans, used mostly for baking delicious cookies. Meanwhile, sheet pans can be used for all sorts of baked treats from cookies, pastries, sheet pan pancakes, brownies, sweet baked casseroles, and more!

Did you enjoy our recommendations for the Seven Best Sheet Pans for Baking? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!