According to Veronica Amaya, owner of Calgary’s popular Canela Vegan Bakery and Café, “great bakes are achieved by mixing quality ingredients, and properly handling the dough or batter.” However, there is an often-overlooked tool that can make a difference: the pan itself.
“A flat tray is best,” says Amaya. This might sound obvious – except that, too often and too easily, pans warp in the oven, becoming more like sad bowls than effective baking implements. This raises the question: Which ones can take the heat?
To find something wobble-free, Claire Livia Lassam, co-owner of Vancouver’s Livia Forno e Vino, says, “the main thing you’re looking for is a nice, thick-bottomed pan.”
Such thickness is measured by gauge, with a lower gauge number indicating heftier construction. Pans with an 18-gauge thickness or lower tend to be sturdier, with the added benefit that they heat more evenly.
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Some baking pans have a lip, and others do not. “Because space is at a premium in my house and my bakery, I usually go for pans with a nice lip on all sides,” says Lassam. The lip is important, she explains, for versatility. “That way I can use the pan for cookies, jelly roll cakes or sheet pan dinners.”
Lipless pans, which cannot hold cake or other loose batters, are specifically designed for cookies. “In a dream world, when you bake cookies, you take them off the pan to cool on a rack,” says Lassam. “With no lip, you can just slide them off the tray onto the rack. With a lip, you have to pick up melty cookies, and they can crack.”
Sherin Fernandes bakes 200 to 300 cookies a day at Victoria’s popular Crust Bakery. She uses pans with a lip because she also produces a wide range of other treats, including croissants and a newer creation called a Banoffee Danish – a pastry topped with banana, pastry cream and salted caramel.
“Having uniform pans is just simpler,” she says, adding that she lets her cookies cool slightly on the pan before gently lifting them by hand to keep them from breaking.
Her pans are also all made from the same material. “Aluminum is the best for heat distribution,” explains Fernandes, a graduate of the famed Cordon Bleu cooking school. “A thin aluminum pan might get too hot and burn, but a heavier aluminum pan provides a nice, even bake. They also cool down quickly, which helps with turnover.”
There are, of course, an array of other materials. Stainless steel is one of the most durable, and less prone to discoloration than aluminum. The downside, Lassam points out, is a higher price point. “Aluminum tends to be more cost-effective than stainless steel,” she says.
Non-stick options are also plentiful, though some raise concerns about potentially harmful chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Navigating the array of choices can be tricky. Kevin Golovin, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Toronto, notes that nothing is foolproof. “The best thing consumers can do is buy pans from a brand they trust and use them according to the manufacturers’ recommendations in terms of maximum temperature and washing instructions.”
To prevent sticking, silicone inserts are an option, though they come with potential drawbacks. They can cause dough to sweat, preventing crispy edges. “I hate cleaning silicone mats,” says Lassam. “I find they get greasy.”
At Crust Bakery, Fernandes simply uses parchment paper. “I never grease my pans with butter,” she says. “Butter is expensive. We save that for the baking.”
Six buys to try
When choosing a baking pan, prioritize thick, durable options that heat evenly.
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet Baking Pan
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet Baking Pan is one of the most consistently lauded pans on the market, appearing on best-of lists in Food & Wine, The New York Times and many other outlets. Although it has a relatively thin 20 gauge, it is often praised for holding its shape even after years of baking.
Vollrath Wear-Ever Aluminum Cookie Sheet
For those with the storage space to have multiple specialty pans, the Vollrath Wear-Ever Aluminum Cookie Sheet with Natural Finish is an excellent option. The superthick 10-gauge construction helps prevent burned bottoms on your biscuits.
Crown Cookware Cookie Sheet
Crown Cookware is a family-owned, Toronto-based company. Its lipless, 16-gauge aluminum cookie sheet is made in Canada and features two tapered raised edges to make it easier to take out of the oven.
Hestan Provisions OvenBond Stainless Steel Half Sheet Pan
Meyer Canada, a cookware company based in Prince Edward Island, layers stainless steel over aluminum for the Hestan Provisions OvenBond Stainless Steel Half Sheet Pan. The combination delivers the supreme durability of stainless steel with the heat conductivity of aluminum.
Paderno Professional Uncoated Aluminum Half Baking Sheet
Canadian brand Paderno reinforces the Professional Uncoated Aluminum Half Baking Sheet with a six-millimetre wire to prevent the heavy aluminum base from warping. The one-inch lip makes it ideal for jelly roll cakes.
All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Bakeware Half Sheet Pan
All-Clad’s Tri-Ply Stainless Steel Bakeware Half Sheet Pan is made from a blend of stainless steel and aluminum. It is rated for temperatures up to 600 F, making it suitable for everything from cookies and croissants to heavier dishes such as pot roasts.
