Food News and Trends Product Reviews and Buying Guides The 10 Best Baking Sheets, Tested and Reviewed by Allrecipes Our tester picked the Made In Sheet Pan as the best overall. By Sarah Zorn and Melanie Fincher Updated on June 17, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Photo: Allrecipes Illustration/Amazon Baking sheets, cookie sheets, sheet pans—whatever you want to call them—are some of the most overworked and underappreciated items in any kitchen. They can bake your favorite cookies, roast your vegetables, cook your entire dinner, and much more. To help you find the right one for your kitchen, we asked Allrecipes product tester, Sarah Zorn, to put the top options on the market to the ultimate test. She considered each baking sheet's sturdiness, versatility, ease of use, reliability, conductivity, and overall value. With these features in mind, she chose the Made In Sheet Pan as the clear winner. Read on to discover the best baking sheets, according to our testing. Our Favorites Best Overall: Made In Sheet Pan Best Value: Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet Best for Baking: Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Cookie Sheet Best for Sheet Pan Suppers: Great Jones Holy Sheet Best Textured: Farberware Ceramic Nonstick Cookie Sheet What To Consider When Buying a Baking Sheet Material Aluminum: Bare aluminum is industry standard when it comes to baking sheets. It's an excellent conductor, meaning it heats up and cools down quickly. Plus, its light color helps to prevent the over browning that you often get from darker pans. On the downside, bare aluminum is prone to corrosion, so we definitely recommend hand washing, or better yet, line it with parchment paper before each use. Aluminized Steel: You'll see "aluminized steel" pop up often when looking for sheet pans. This popular material refers to steel that is coated in an aluminum-silicon alloy. These tend to be more durable, and the silicone helps to prevent corrosion. However, aluminized steel is more prone to uneven heating than bare aluminum. Stainless Steel: Although it's far more resistant to corrosion and rust than aluminum, stainless steel is a poor conductor, which is why we don't recommend it for baking sheets. Gauge As backward as it might sound, a lower gauge indicates a thicker pan. A pan that's too heavy will be too difficult to wield, but a pan that's too thin may be prone to warping and scorching. We found the 18-gauge thickness to be just right. Coated vs. Uncoated Traditionally, baking sheets are sold without any coating. If you're trying to avoid sticking, we'd recommend lining your sheet with parchment paper; not only does this prevent sticking, it also provides further insulation to avoid burnt bottoms. But if the idea of cooking on bare metal is uncomfortable, there are plenty of nonstick options out there. These finishes aren't the most durable, as they're prone to scratch and degrade with time, especially when used at high temperatures. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference. It's hard to beat the convenience of nonstick, but bare metal is going to be far longer lasting. Rimmed vs. Rimless Rimmed baking sheets are the most versatile because they can be used for baking cookies as well as roasting vegetables or meats; their spill-proof sides keep everything inside the pan. But rimless baking sheets have their merits, too. They're made for easily sliding cookies onto a cooling rack. Serious bakers may want to invest in a rimless sheet for convenience sake, but for most, a rimmed baking sheet is a more well-rounded choice. Look for rimmed baking sheets with reinforced rolled edges as opposed to flat-rimmed baking sheets. This helps to prevent the warping and buckling that can occur with drastic temperature changes. Textured vs. Untextured Your standard sheet pan is going to have a smooth surface that lends itself to a variety of kitchen tasks. But a textured surface can help promote airflow, a definite plus if you're going to be baking delicate baked goods like pastries or cookies. Size For the sake of our testing, we decided to focus on half sheets (about 13 x 18 inches), which is the standard size for most home ovens. Full-size sheet pans are typically only used in commercial settings. If you're going to buy just one sheet pan, we'd recommend a half sheet. But having a few quarter sheets on hand is never a bad idea for reheating leftovers, toasting nuts, or roasting a potato or two for lunch. If You're Not Using Quarter Sheet Pans, You Are Seriously Missing Out The Best Baking Sheets of 2022 Best Overall: Made In Sheet Pan Made In Cookware Buy Now We love this Made In Sheet Pan because it's durable, easy to use, and versatile. Molded from commercial grade 3004 aluminum into an 18-gauge thickness, it's lightweight enough to maneuver with one hand, even when piled with food. Yet it feels sturdy enough to support that food, and high walls help contain drippings and grease. It also has a smooth, untextured surface, which speaks to its versatility. An aluminum rod placed under the rolled rim increases durability, keeps the pan from warping or buckling, and prevents food from sticking underneath. Since aluminum is a superior conductor (and heat safe up to 450 degrees F), we found our vegetables roasted quickly and evenly. And while that concentration of white-hot heat isn't always ideal when it comes to baking, our cookies were perfectly golden throughout; no burned bottoms. Made in America and designed in concert with pitmaster Matt Horn for use at his restaurant, this pan clearly has what it takes to hold heaping amounts of barbecue. It comes in half-sheet and quarter-sheet sizes, and you can choose between having a non-stick coating or not. And the best part is, it's a breeze to clean, which means it can be swiftly scrubbed free of caked-on meat detritus and sauce. Buy It: $25; madeincookware.com Best Value: Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet Walmart Buy Now Nordic Ware's sheet pan rivals Made In's in practically every area. Crafted from rust-free aluminum with reinforced and encapsulated rims, it's highly durable and resistant to warping, as well as substantial in feel, without being obtrusively heavy. Whether roasting veggies and proteins or baking sweets, food reliably cooks through evenly without scorching. And cleaning is blessedly easy; we were able to wipe away all manner of messes without the pan scratching, spotting, or remaining greasy. Nordic Ware even does Made In one better when it comes to value. Each pan retails for about $10, so you can buy multiple and dedicate one to savory, high-heat applications, and another to making cookies. Buy It: $10; walmart.com, target.com, or amazon.com Best for Baking: Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Cookie Sheet Williams Sonoma Buy Now There's no denying that this is one pretty pan. Finished with a lustrous, golden, nonstick coating, it provides a striking backdrop for all manner of baked goods. But its beauty isn't only skin deep. Crafted from aluminized steel, with a diamond-textured surface, it's especially strong and sturdy (no warping), and promotes better airflow for even baking. We successfully used it for savory applications as well, and it did a perfectly good job, but baking is clearly this pan's forte. Especially when you consider the design, which has three flat sides for allowing cookies and pastries to slide off easily (not ideal for containing oil and sauce), and a raised, angled front for secure gripping. Astoundingly, the pan is even dishwasher safe. Although since it comes clean easily with a simple hand scrub, we'd suggest you go that route, to best preserve the integrity of the snazzy golden surface. Buy It: $33; williams-sonoma.com Best for Sheet Pan Suppers: Great Jones Holy Sheet Great Jones Buy Now This boutique brand clearly prizes style, with a line of thoughtfully crafted cookware boasting vibrant colors. Take their blueberry- and broccoli-shaded baking pans, which ensures you won't need to bother with platters for serving sheet pan suppers. And it's very much built to carry that weight, made from aluminum-sandwiched steel with reinforced rolled rims and one-inch high sides. Even empty, the pan itself is hefty at a sizable two pounds, which can also be a detriment, because it's harder to hoist one-handed. The nonstick ceramic coating absorbs less heat than bare aluminum. So while everything cooks/bakes a bit more slowly, it also does so more evenly and deliberately. Meaning, it would take a lot of doing to burn the bottoms of a batch of cookies. That said, our overall endorsement comes with a big caveat. We were left with multiple small scorches and spots of discoloration — definitely an issue for a pan praised for both durability and looks. This is a seemingly rare occurrence judging from customer reviews, so we're inclined to give Great Jones the benefit of the doubt. Although we'd also elect to line our pans with parchment or foil going forward. Buy It: $35; greatjonesgoods.com Best Textured: Farberware Ceramic Nonstick Cookie Sheet Amazon Buy Now Texture is very much a thing when it comes to sheet pans. In addition to improving durability and making pans more resistant to warping, the protrusions and channels allow for better airflow, which lends itself to even baking. Farberware's model definitely benefits from a textured design, transitioning admirably between baking and cooking. Oven safe to 500 degrees F, with rolled rims that increase stability, the ceramic coating was effectively nonstick and surprisingly simple to clean, despite the bumps and grooves. Available in Aqua Blue or Lavender, these also have a flashier aesthetic than your basic metal pans, meaning they have what it takes to transition from oven to table. Something to note is, that due to their especially wide handles, these are larger than your average sheet pans. Which means, they may prove too big to fit in certain ovens. Nonstick ceramic coating can also wear down over time, and there are customer reviews that call into question these pan's long-term durability. That said, at less than $15, it's hard to quibble over the price. Buy It: $15; amazon.com or walmart.com Other Baking Sheets We Tried: We tested five other baking sheets in addition to our favorites above. Here are our thoughts: OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Half Sheet Pan Amazon Buy Now There's a lot we loved about the OXO sheet pan, including its substantial weight (over two pounds of heavy gauge aluminized steel), high sides (one-inch), textured surface, dishwasher-safe claims, and great looks — like the Williams Sonoma pan, it boasts a golden, nonstick ceramic coating. But what kept it from making it into our list of top picks is the fact it warped under surprisingly low temperatures (375 degrees F), burned the bottoms of our chocolate chip cookies, and proved a bit more difficult to clean, leaving remnants of food stuck between the grooved lines. Buy It: $25; amazon.com, oxo.com, or target.com Chicago Metallic Commercial 11 Jelly-Roll Pan Amazon Buy Now Made from heavy weight aluminized steel, with wire rod reinforced rims to prevent warping, we liked how sturdy this pan felt. And it's super inexpensive to boot, at just over $16 for two. The pan didn't help foods cook especially evenly though, as the highly reflective surface caused our cookies to quickly over brown. And while it claims to be dishwasher safe (which we'd rarely risk doing), the pan is clearly prone to scratching, and there was definite spotting after we gave it a good scrub. Buy It: $16 for 2; amazon.com USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan Williams Sonoma Buy Now This pan also had a nice heft, made (in the USA, of course) from 2.45 pounds of aluminized steel. It's textured and dishwasher safe, with a BPA-free silicone coating to promote easy release. Overall though, it proved a middle-of-the-road performer — our cookies definitely got overbrowned, despite the corrugated surface meant to increase airflow. It had a sticker underneath that was an issue to remove (despite intense scrubbings we still felt residue), and it got the most stained and scorched of all the pans we tested by far. Buy It: $22; amazon.com or williams-sonoma.com Artisan Half Size Aluminum Baking Sheet Amazon Buy Now There's no reason this pan should cost as much as it does. Despite being crafted from 18-gauge aluminum with a reinforced rim, it still felt thin and flimsy, and exhibited definite warping at moderate temperatures. It didn't seem substantial enough to support sheet pan suppers, and our cookies quickly over browned on the bottoms. They also stuck a bit, and left grease rings afterwards, and the pan got scratched from scrubbing. Buy It: $23; amazon.com Winware Commercial Half Size Sheet Pan Amazon Buy Now While you'll get a duo of pans for a low price, there are still superior models to spend money on. Again, the pan sounds reasonably good on paper (being made from 20-gauge aluminum), but felt tin can-thin, and warped when exposed to high heat. The Winware also has an impossible to remove sticker affixed to the bottom, and scorched the bottoms of our cookies in minutes. Food released easily, but the pan was still stained and scratched after moderate use and cleaning. Buy It: $22 for 2; amazon.com How We Tested Each Baking Sheet Of course, baking cookies is the ultimate test of a baking sheet's ability: Cookies are quick to show hot spots and easy to over brown. That is why Allrecipes product tester Sarah Zorn used each sheet pan to bake a dozen cookies at 350 degrees F. Each pan was also used to roast vegetables at 425 degrees F, to evaluate how the pan performs under high heat (Does it warp or buckle?) and whether or not any sticking occurs. Sarah then cleaned each pan according to manufacturer instructions. During testing, special attention was paid to the following factors: Sturdiness: What's the gauge of the metal? At high temperatures, does the pan buckle or warp? If so, does it return to its original shape at room temperature?Versatility: Does it excel at both baking and roasting?Ease of Use: Is it comfortable to hold? Does food release easily? Does it clean easily, or does it stain?Reliability and Conductivity: Does it distribute heat evenly and brown/cook foods evenly? Value: Is the pan affordable? Is it well priced for how well it performed? Related: The 12 Best Mixing Bowls for All Your Cooking and Baking The 10 Essential Baking Pans Your Kitchen Needs The 9 Best Silicone Baking Mats, Tested by Allrecipes Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit