The 9 Best Baking Pans

Best Overall

Calphalon Simply Nonstick Bakeware 6-Piece Set

4.7

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Everybody’s heard of Calphalon, but what, exactly, is it? It’s actually both a brand name and an invention. In 1963, Ronald M. Kasperzak started a company called Commercial Aluminum Cookware in Perrysburg, Ohio, and by 1968, had developed a process to create hard-anodized aluminum cookware using techniques borrowed from the aerospace industry, which make cookware more durable and resistant to corrosion and warping.

The name has represented a quality product ever since, from first being sold in specialty stores and cooking schools to now being widely available. This set is composed of two 8-inch round cake pans, one medium loaf pan, one 9 x 13-inch cake pan, one 12-cup muffin pan, and one 10 x 15-inch baking sheet. These are nonstick, dishwasher safe, and supremely practical. Customers highlight how well-built and sturdy these pans are, as well as their stackability.

Price at time of publish: $44

Material: Heavy-gauge steel, nonstick coating | Oven Max Temperature: 450 degrees | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Pieces Included: [2] 8-inch round cake pans, [1] medium loaf pan, [1] 9 x 13-inch cake pan, [1] 12-cup muffin pan, [1] 10 x 15-inch baking sheet

Best Cake Pans

Fat Daddio's Anodized Aluminum Round Cake Pan Celebration Set

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Round cake pans are a requirement in any baker’s collection because of their flexibility. They can be used to create birthday layer cakes, Italian ricotta cheesecakes, clafoutis, and more. This set is exceptionally well-made of commercial-grade anodized aluminum that weigh less than steel pans. The aluminum pans heat quickly and evenly, allowing cakes to cook faster without drying out in the oven. The pans also cool faster, making them easier to handle when it's time to flip out your cake rounds to cool completely.

This three-piece set features a 3, 5, and 7-inch diameter pan, each with a height of 2 inches. Fat Daddio's claims that this set is perfectly-sized to accommodate one boxs' worth of cake batter. These pans should be hand-washed and are easy to clean, even if food sticks to the bottom or sides of the pan during the baking process. If you do run the pans through the dishwasher, the anodized finish will oxidize from the extreme heat and chemicals of the machine wash, although the pans will still be useable.

Price at time of publish: $20

Material: Anodized aluminum | Oven Max Temperature: 550 degrees | Dishwasher Safe: No | Pieces Included: [3] 2-inch deep round pans in 3, 5, and 7-inch diameters

Best High-End Set

Wilton Diamond-Infused Non-Stick Navy Blue Baking Set, 7-Piece

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If you’re looking for a high-quality set that covers most of your bakeware needs—and one that also looks good—several customers recommend this one by Wilton. Not only are the pans coated with a non-stick finish that helps everything you cook cleanly release from the surface of the pans, but the coating is "diamond-infused" — making the surfaces scratch resistant, even when using metal tools. The added bonus is that all seven pieces have a great-looking, slightly glossy navy blue finish.

The set is composed of a 12-cup muffin pan; large, medium, and small rectangular baking pans; a loaf pan; and two round baking pans. All feature a diamond-infused nonstick coating and large, curved handles that make handling the pans easier. They are dishwasher safe, and sturdy enough to use daily.

Price at time of publish: $70

Material: Heavy-gauge steel, nonstick coating | Oven Max Temperature: 450 degrees | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Pieces Included: [2] 9-inch round cake pans, [1] 9.25 x 5.25-inch loaf pan, [1] 9 x 13-inch cake pan, [1] 12-cup muffin pan, [1] 11.5 x 17.2-inch baking sheet, [1] 13 x 9-inch baking sheet

Best Loaf Pan

Chicago Metallic Commercial II Traditional Uncoated 1-Pound Loaf Pan

5

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There's a wide variety of loaf pans available these days, but if you're looking to outfit your bakeware collection from scratch, or are ready to get serious about baking, the Chicago Metallic Commercial II Traditional Uncoated 1-Pound loaf pan is absolutely essential. Unlike other pans, this one's made out of uncoated stainless steel, which is going to provide you with years, if not decades, worth of use.

The 1-pound description doesn't refer to how heavy the pan is. Instead, it's a rough indication of how much dough the pan comfortably bakes — an especially great reference point when baking yeasted loaves, and just as helpful when working with quick breads and batters. The pan itself weighs a little over 12 ounces, so it's not as light as some other pans, but that extra weight has several benefits. The heavy-gauge stainless steel construction, with sharp 90° folded corners (not rounded, as you'll see with other pans) and a rolled top edge prevent the loaf pan from warping under high heat. The thicker steel walls will also help move heat more evenly around your loaf while it bakes, and provide a beautiful, even browning to your loaf in the process.

During testing, our baker used the pan to make both vanilla pound cake and banana bread, noting that the browning was perfectly consistent on each. Because the pans are uncoated, our tester found that the pan needed a substantial coating of baking spray to ensure that the loaves don't stick. Clémence Gossett, the owner of The Gourmandise cooking school in Santa Monica, California, also recommends lining the pan with parchment paper to easily prevent sticking, and make lifting the baked loaf out of the pan while it's still warm.

This loaf pan can be cleaned in the dishwasher but can just as easily be washed by hand, which will extend the lifespan of the pan. The pans are also available in a 1.5-pound size.

Price at time of publish: $16

Material: Alloy steel | Oven Max Temperature: 700 degrees | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Pieces Included: [1] 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75-inch loaf pan

Best Bundt Pan

Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Anniversary Bundt Pan

5

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In the early 1950s, the owner of Nordic Ware, a Minneapolis-based company, designed the pan now known as the Bundt specifically for the Hadassah Society, a group of women who were looking for a way to replicate the Kugelhopfs known in Europe. After grabbing attention at a national baking competition, the pan became a regular fixture in home kitchens across the US. This anniversary edition Bundt pan takes the original Bundt pan design that made Nordic Ware famous and presents it to a new generation, with a few upgrades.

This pan is made still made in the US with cast aluminum, which in testing, makes for cakes that are baked evenly with perfect browning all the way around. The material is a little heavier than others, but seemed like a worthy trade-off for such pristine baking. The pan is also finished with a proprietary platinum non-stick finish. While baking at home, our tester noted that cakes released effortlessly from the pan without needing additional greasing. Additionally, the handles on this pan make it easy to move in and out of the oven, as well as flip the cake out of the pan to finish cooling.

Nordic Ware claims the pan can fit from 10 to 15 cups of batter, but we noticed that the pan can easily fit up to 14 cups of batter and bake up nicely, depending on the type of cake batter you're using. The pan should be hand-washed with a soft sponge and warm soapy water. Avoid abrasive tools, sponges, and soaps to keep the integrity of the pan's finish intact.

This was the first style of anniversary Bundt pan released by Nordic Ware. Since it hit the market in 2000, Nordic Ware has released several impressive new Bundt pan shapes for subsequent anniversaries, including a crown design, as well as magnolia, "Brilliance", cut crystal, chiffon, heritage swirl, blossom, and braided designs. There is also a 6-cup capacity of the classic anniversary Bundt pan for smaller gatherings.

Price at time of publish: $58

Material: Cast aluminum with nonstick coating | Oven Max Temperature: 400 degrees | Dishwasher Safe: No | Pieces Included: 10-15 cup capacity Bundt pan

Best Ceramic

Made In Square Baking Dish

4.6

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While some of the other pans on this list are really only useful for cakes, loaves, tarts, or pies, the Made In porcelain baking dish covers a much wider range of baked foods. Our tester baked everything from dessert and casseroles to vegetables and biscuits in this baking dish, with fantastic results every time. The restaurant-quality ceramic construction heats slowly and evenly, making it perfect for baked dishes that spend a little more time in the oven, like brownies and baked pasta dishes. The handles make the pan easy to get a grip on, and the dish itself cools slowly, keeping your foods warmer for longer while you're enjoying dinner.

The design of the Made In ceramic baking dish is timeless, with a nod to the white vintage enamel-coated sheet trays with a blue pinstripe around the edge of the pan. The dishes are also available with a red rim, as well as a slate blue or olive green finish to fit your tastes. Our tester tried the 8 x 8-inch square baking dish and noted that even without greasing the dish, there was very little sticking from anything that was baked in it. Additionally, they noted that the dish was easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher. The ceramic is of course oven-safe up to 650°F, but can also be used in the refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, and microwave.

Price at time of publish: $99

Material: Porcelain ceramic | Oven Max Temperature: 650 degrees | Dishwasher Safe: Yes, but handwashing recommended | Pieces Included: [1] 8 x 8-inch dish

Best Springform Pan

Fat Daddio's Aluminum Springform Cake Pan

4.6

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While springform pans don’t typically see as much baking action as other pans in your baking arsenal, it’s still a good idea to have a few on hand for special baking projects like cheesecakes, flourless chocolate cakes, tarts, and pies—or anything that you’ll need to use extra care removing from the pan. Our favorite multi-purpose springform pan is made by Fat Daddio’s, and is made from professional-grade anodized aluminum.

There are two features that set these springform pans apart from traditional springform pans. The first is the wider base that extends past the round cake form, angling slightly up like the rim of a plate. Additionally, the base of the pan is raised inside the round cake form to create even more protection against leaking, as well as deterring water from entering the form if you’re baking using a water bath. There is still an inner rib on the inside of the plate for the form to grip onto, holding the pieces together, but the updated design helps to keep everything where it’s supposed to be and makes for an easy release when you remove the round form.

The anodized aluminum is lightweight and quickly conducts heat to what’s inside, making for an efficient and even bake. The pans are available in five sizes, and all of them have 3-inch sides. It’s recommended that you hand-wash these pans to prevent the aluminum from oxidizing and extend the life of the pans.

Price at time of publish: $27

Material: Anodized aluminum | Oven Safe Temperature: 550 degrees | Dishwasher Safe: No | Sizes Available: 6-inch, 8-inch, 9-inch, 10-inch, 11-inch

Best Pie Pan

Emile Henry French Ceramic Ruffled Pie Dish

4.8

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Emile Henry is known for its high quality ceramic bakeware, with clean designs, and stylish color choices. The Emile Henry Ruffled Pie Dish might look like it’s all frills, but this dish is built to bake just about any pie you can throw at it. It’s made with Emile Henry’s signature Burgundy ceramic, which retains and disperses heat evenly around what’s inside. The plate itself is then glazed with a hard and glossy glaze. During testing, we noticed that the glazed surface made it easier to remove extra-sticky pies where the filling had bubbled over the crust, and there were no signs of scratch marks even after slicing pies in it with a serrated knife.

The sides of the pie dish are 2.5 inches tall, allowing for an incredibly deep pie, should that be what you’re trying to make. But because of the way the dish is designed, you can just as easily fit it with a regular pie crust with a slightly rolled edge and molded into the fluted side of the pan for a traditional-depth pie. Our tester noticed that there is no differentiation between wall and edge of this pie plate, so your pies can be as shallow or deep as you like, with lovely results either way.

The dish can be used in the oven, of course, but it’s also safe to use in the microwave, store in the refrigerator or freezer, and is safe to clean in the dishwasher. While pies were the intended purpose of this dish, it’s also appropriate for other baking projects, like cinnamon rolls, single-layer cakes, cobblers, gratins, baked pastas, and more.

It’s a more expensive option than several of the other pie dishes on the market, but we think it’s worth it if baking pies is high on your list of favorite cooking projects. It’s also ideal if you’re concerned about making nice-looking pies, as just about anything you bake in it is destined to look good, even if too much juice bubbles over the crust or it’s a little burnt on one side. But be warned, if you bake a pie for someone in this dish, expect that you might not get it back.

Price at time of publish: $55

Material: Ceramic | Oven Max Temperature: 520 degrees | Dishwasher Safe: Yes | Pieces Included: [1] 10.5 x 2.5-inch deep dish ceramic pie dish