How To Select Baking Pans

The right tools make baking a breeze.

Let’s go shopping! It’s time to outfit your kitchen with bake-ware essentials: cookie sheets, sheet pans, deep baking pans, and maybe a specialty pan or two. In all cases, go for sturdy thick steel or aluminum. Be sure to purchase two identical copies of each pan. Baking some dishes double-panned prevents the bottom from over-cooking.

Before you buy any pan, make sure it fits in BOTH your oven and your fridge.

1Make sure your cookie sheet doesn’t bend too easily. A non-stick surface is not necessary, but non-stick is a serious “nice-to-have” with cookie sheets. Make sure your cookie sheets don’t bend too easily.

2A sheet pan has a one-inch rim to prevent baked goods from slipping off into oven oblivion. Get a thick sheet pan. Thick bake-ware spreads the heat more evenly.

3You’ll need a deep baking pan for baking brownies and dishes like lasagna. Don’t forget to pick up two identical copies of this pan. You don’t want those brownie bottoms overcooked.

Invest in parchment paper. Use this silicon-treated paper to line your pans when baking. Using parchment paper extends the life of your bake-ware.

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