They say baking is a science. Aside from preparing accurate measurements for the ingredients, you also need to have the right tools for the job to get the desired results. Using the correct baking pan will not only help your dish look right, but it also will help it cook evenly. Some of the things to consider when getting a new baking pan are the size, the material, and the kind of baking pan the recipe requires.
In this article, we discuss the things you need to consider when buying a baking pan. We also curated a list of the best products that we recommend. We hope that this helps you in your hunt for the perfect baking pan. Don’t get overwhelmed by the number of options out there. Once you know what to look for, deciding which baking pan to get will be a breeze.
There are hundreds of confectioneries that you can make in your kitchen, and the tools needed for the job also change depending on what you make. This is especially true when it comes to baking pans. Here are some of the things to consider when getting a baking pan.
When it comes to baking, different types of baked goods require different kinds of baking pans. These baking pans are essential for your cakes and pastries to cook evenly and to look the way you want them.
Straight-sided pans are the usual cake molds that we see that have the sides going perpendicularly upwards. These are what you'd want to use for your cakes and brownies. These usually come in round, square, rectangular, or other unique shapes.
These come in different sizes, too, and what you use depends on the recipe. When it comes to the size, it is advised to follow the size indicated in the recipe, so your cake rises and cooks evenly.
If you want to skip greasing or lining your cakes, look for pans with a non-stick coating. This will help prevent the cakes from sticking to the surface of the pan, and it will also make the clean up a breeze.
Sheet pans are the most versatile pan that you can own. These are shallow, rectangular pans, perfect for baking cookies, rolls, or just about anything that you would need to simply heat in the oven.
Look for sheet pans with durable materials like aluminum, and for an added touch of convenience, look for sheet pans that are freezer and dishwasher safe to make your prep and clean up stress-free.
When getting a sheet pan, keep in mind that darker pans tend to brown baked goods faster, so remember to lower the oven temperature and reduce your cooking time accordingly.
Springform pans are straight-sided pans that are composed of two separate pieces – a flat base and a sprig collar that latches to close tightly around the base. Once done baking, you just unlock the latch, lift the collar away, and the cake is ready to cool and serve.
These pans come in diameters that range from 4 inches to more than 12 inches. Springform pans are perfect when used with baked goods like cheesecake, tarts, and other baked goods that are hard to remove by simply turning the pan upside down.
When buying a springform pan, look for features such as a non-stick surface, so you won't need to grease the pan, leak-proof so that no liquids will leak out of the mold, and waterproof, so water doesn't go into the pan when immersing your baked goods in a water bath.
If you want to delve into the wondrous world of bread making, you'll definitely need a loaf pan. These kinds of pans are not only for making bread, but you can also make other baked goods, such as coffee cakes and banana bread.
Most loaf pans are in the shape of a loaf, but they will come in different sizes – again, the size will depend on the recipe you're following. With loaf pans, you'd want to look for one with decent height, this will prevent overflowing and making a mess in your oven.
Again, a non-stick option will help you skip greasing and lining your pan, but doing this extra step will ensure that you can take your bread out easily and quickly.
Muffin tins or cupcake pans are molds that have a cup-like opening. These hold 3 to 4 ounces of batter each. The use of cupcake molds isn't limited to making cupcakes or muffins. You can also use these to create miniature or single-serving versions of desserts like cheesecakes, tarts, or brownies.
These are best used with paper cupcake liners that can be easily removed from the pan and served directly. Metal cupcake tins are the most common, but recently, silicone molds have become increasingly popular for convenience and easy cleanup, as it removes the need to grease the pan or use paper liners.
Depending on the size you need, cupcake tins come in trays of 6 to 24 cups. 6-cup trays are perfect for smaller ovens and smaller batches. If you want to make bigger batches, go for the 12-cup or 24-cup trays.
Pie pans are dishes that come with sloped or angled sides to help the pie hold its shape and filling. You can get pie pans in different materials like metal, glass, or silicone. These also sometimes come with fluted edges to get that scalloped effect.
Bundt pans or tube pans are cake pans with a circular opening in the middle. Some denser or lighter cakes need to have a hole in the middle for them to cook and rise evenly.
More delicate cakes such as angel cake or chiffon cake benefit greatly from bundt pans as the hole in the middle acts as a support structure by giving the cakes something to cling on to as they arise.
When using bundt pans, make sure to grease your pan evenly even when using a non-stick pan, to ensure that the cake comes out easily and in one piece.
Baking pans also come in different material compositions. They can come in metal, glass, silicone, or ceramic versions, each having different pros and cons.
A lot of people have loved the convenience of silicone baking pans because not only are they easy to clean, but they also make the baked goods easy to take out of the mold. This also gives you the ability to cook microwave recipes and bake your cakes in the microwave.
However, silicone molds are poor heat conductors, so they give your pastries little to no browning. Silicone molds are perfect for cupcakes, muffins, and light-colored cakes.
Glass tends to heat up slower, but since it is a good heat conductor, once heated up, it will keep the heat for a long time. If you use a lot of sugar in your recipe, using a glass pan might not be ideal as the edges might start to brown before being cooked all the way through.
Also, glass is perfect for cooking wet foods like lasagna and bread pudding, where browning is less critical. It also cooks pies really well. Glass is a non-reactive material, so when you cook with acidic ingredients like tomatoes or citrus, you won't have to worry about the end product having a metallic taste.
Ceramic pans, in many ways, acts the same as glass pans. They conduct heat very well but also have issues with over-browning in sweet dishes. And like glass pans, ceramic pans are best for cooking savory dishes and pies.
Metal pans can withstand higher temperatures than glass, ceramic, or silicone baking pans. These are great for baking at higher temperatures for a shorter period like cookies, biscuits, cakes, bread, and muffins.
Metal cake pans are also ideal when browning foods or roasting as it tends to heat up quickly and cools down faster. Light-colored or shiny metal pans are best for even browning, while darker-colored metals are great at getting deep, golden-brown crusts.
Aluminum pans will react to acids in the food and will produce a metallic taste, but they are better at conducting heat and evenly baking than stainless steel. Metal pans are best for making bread, cakes, cookies, muffins, and tarts.
If you don't know which size to get, always refer to the recipe you're following. This will also save you from complicated recipe alterations. For cakes, recipes usually call for an 8-inch or 9-inch round pan, while for square pans, the usual size is also 8x8 inches and 9x9 inches.
For loaf pans, the most common size is 9x5 inches. Sheet pans are usually 18x13 inches, but if you have a smaller oven, consider getting a smaller size. For cupcake tins, the cups typically come in the same size, but a 6-cup or a 12-cup pan would suffice. You can follow most recipes when you have these pan sizes.
Based on the guide above we curated a list of the top 10 products that we recommend. We hope this narrows down your options and helps you find the perfect pan for you.
₱149.75
Material | Carbon Steel |
---|---|
Perfect for | Cookies, Rolls, Pastries, Roasting |
Size | 35cmx25cm |
Type of Pan | Sheet Pan |
₱300
Material | Metal, Silicone Non-stick Coating |
---|---|
Perfect for | Cakes |
Size | Diameter 20.3cm x (H) 3cm |
Type of Pan | Round Straight-Sided Pan |
₱1,495
Material | Silicone Body, Steel Rims |
---|---|
Perfect for | Cupcakes, Muffins, Mini Desserts |
Size | (L)14.4in x (W)10in x(H) 1.8in |
Type of Pan | Cupcake Mold |
₱215.8
Material | Carbon Steel |
---|---|
Perfect for | Bread, Banana Bread, Coffee Cake, Meat Loaf |
Size | (L)25cmx(W)13cmx(H)6.5cm |
Type of Pan | Loaf Pan |
₱300
Material | Carbon Steel |
---|---|
Perfect for | Cakes, Brownies, Roasts |
Size | (L)18inx(W)10inx(H)2in |
Type of Pan | Rectangular Straight-Sided Pan/Roast Pan |
₱640
Material | Stainless Steel |
---|---|
Perfect for | Cheesecakes, Pies, Tarts, Cakes |
Size | Round: 124mm Diameter x (H) 45mm Heart: (L)115mmx(W) 115mmx(H)45mm Square: (L) 245mmx(W) 135mmx(H)48mm |
Type of Pan | Springform Pan |
₱673
Material | Carbon Steel |
---|---|
Perfect For | Angel Food Cakes, Chiffon Cakes, Bundt Cake |
Size | Diameter 97mm x (H) 45mm |
Type of Pan | Tube Pan |
₱390
Material | Carbon Steel |
---|---|
Perfect For | Brownies, Dessert Bars, Cakes |
Size | (L)8inx(W)8inx(H)2in |
Type of Pan | Square Straight-Sided Pan |
₱189
Material | Carbon Steel |
---|---|
Perfect For | Cakes, Brownies |
Size | (L)28cmx(W)26.5cmx(H)5cm |
Type of Pan | Heart Straight-Sided Pan |
Material | Borosilicate Glass |
---|---|
Perfect For | Cakes, Roasts, Lasagna, Brownies, Dessert Bars |
Size | (L)39.3cm x (W)23.6cm x (H)5.2cm |
Type of Pan | Rectangular Glass Straight-Sided Pan |
Image | 1 Masflex Bakeware | 2 Baker's Secret | 3 ![]() Trudeau | 4 Royal King | 5 Slique | 6 ![]() Fityle | 7 ![]() Chefmade | 8 ![]() Kitchen Pro | 9 Slique | 10 ![]() Masflex |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Baking Sheet | 8-inch Round Cake Pan | Structure Silicone White Confetti 12 Count Muffin Pan | 25cm Non-Stick Carbon Steel Loaf Pan | Roast Pan | 3-Piece Non-Stick Springform Pans | Mini Non-Stick Tube Cake Pan | Square Cake Pan | Non-Stick Heart Shape Pan | Rectangular Glass Bakeware |
Features | A Premium Non-Stick Sheet Pan Without the Premium Price | Make All Kinds of Cakes with This 8-inch Cake Pan | Silicone Cupcake Mold with a Cute Design | Bake the Perfect Bread with This Loaf Pan | A Multi-Use Pan for Roasts, Brownies, Cakes, and More | A Set to Cater to All Your Baking Needs | This Tube Pan Makes the Fluffiest of Cakes | Make the Perfect Bars With This Square Cake Pan | A Baking Pan Perfect for All Themes and Occasions | Make Your Dishes Feel Homemade With This Glass Baking Pan |
Price | ₱149.75 | ₱300 | ₱1,495 | ₱215.8 | ₱300 | ₱640 | ₱673 | ₱390 | ₱189 | |
Material | Carbon Steel | Metal, Silicone Non-stick Coating | Silicone Body, Steel Rims | Carbon Steel | Carbon Steel | Stainless Steel | Carbon Steel | Carbon Steel | Carbon Steel | Borosilicate Glass |
Perfect for | Cookies, Rolls, Pastries, Roasting | Cakes | Cupcakes, Muffins, Mini Desserts | Bread, Banana Bread, Coffee Cake, Meat Loaf | Cakes, Brownies, Roasts | Cheesecakes, Pies, Tarts, Cakes | Angel Food Cakes, Chiffon Cakes, Bundt Cake | Brownies, Dessert Bars, Cakes | Cakes, Brownies | Cakes, Roasts, Lasagna, Brownies, Dessert Bars |
Size | 35cmx25cm | Diameter 20.3cm x (H) 3cm | (L)14.4in x (W)10in x(H) 1.8in | (L)25cmx(W)13cmx(H)6.5cm | (L)18inx(W)10inx(H)2in | Round: 124mm Diameter x (H) 45mm Heart: (L)115mmx(W) 115mmx(H)45mm Square: (L) 245mmx(W) 135mmx(H)48mm | Diameter 97mm x (H) 45mm | (L)8inx(W)8inx(H)2in | (L)28cmx(W)26.5cmx(H)5cm | (L)39.3cm x (W)23.6cm x (H)5.2cm |
Type of Pan | Sheet Pan | Round Straight-Sided Pan | Cupcake Mold | Loaf Pan | Rectangular Straight-Sided Pan/Roast Pan | Springform Pan | Tube Pan | Square Straight-Sided Pan | Heart Straight-Sided Pan | Rectangular Glass Straight-Sided Pan |
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Sheet pans are versatile and can cook sweet or savory dishes. They are probably the most used baking pans in any kitchen. These can sometimes get stained from regular usage. Here is a video from the Youtube channel Well Done showing you how to clean your sheet pans properly.
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Whether you want to upgrade your kitchen tools or you want to elevate your baking game, here are some more kitchen items to check out.
Now that you know what to look for when buying a baking pan, your search has just become easier. We hope that our buying guide and recommendations helped you find the right baking pan to add to your kitchen collection. We hope that with these baking pans, you'll be able to make more yummy delicacies. Happy Baking!
Author: Rie N.
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