The 9 Essential Baking Pans Your Kitchen Needs

My Top Pick

Farberware 10-Piece Nonstick Steel Bakeware Set

$70 $56 at Amazon $56 at Target $12 at Walmart

Convenience is key when baking—because no baker wants to use the wrong pan for their treat. I especially like that this comes with both two round cake pans and two square ones. This means you can bake a layer cake or a big batch of brownies at once. 

The set's nonstick-coated steel means your baked goods will slide right out, evenly browned and thoroughly cooked. And grabbing them out of a hot oven will be super easy with the large grips on the trays and sheet pans. Oven-safe to 450°F, these will work in most recipes, but definitely don’t put them under the broiler to quickly melt some cheese or brown a crust. 

There are some reports of issues with rusting, so I suggest only hand-washing the bakeware and being sure to dry thoroughly. Otherwise, this is a great high-quality set for anyone looking to fully equip their kitchen.

The Details: Nonstick steel; oven safe to 450°F; dishwasher safe

Best Budget

Farberware Nonstick Bakeware Rectangle Baking Pan

$12 at Amazon View on Potsandpans.com

If you’re only in need of one pan for multiple baking projects, this one is not too big, not too small, but just right. Its 9 x 13 x 2-inch nonstick interior means you can bake a cake or bars, if need be, without spraying before cooking. Since the interior metal is alloy steel, rest assured that it will conduct heat evenly throughout the pan. The wide grip handles also make it easy to grab with oven mitts on.

One downside I’ve found is that this pan is a little too shallow for lasagnas and casseroles. You can still make one in it, just shorten the recipe or have a second small pan, like one of these ceramic dishes, for overflow. The light-gray coating can chip if sharp knives or forks are used to cut, stir, or serve, so keep that in mind. 

The main reason this popular baking pan gets my vote is the price. For less than the price of a sandwich, this Farberware option is hard to beat! Even if you want to spend a few extra dollars on its accompanying plastic lid, it still is my budget pick.

The Details: Alloy steel; oven safe to 450°F; dishwasher safe

Best Sheet Pan

Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet

$30 at Amazon $40 at Sur La Table $28 at Wayfair

Nordic Ware's sheet pan rivals more expensive options in almost every aspect. It’s resistant to warping, thanks to a reinforced rim. And the formed aluminum pan heats evenly and thoroughly, so you can roast and bake to your heart’s content without having to worry about a ruined dinner.

These sheet pans are mostly easy to take care of. You just need to hand wash, and avoid acidic foods and metal utensils. The former can react with the aluminum and cause pitting or otherwise damage the pan’s surface. Metal utensils can also damage the surface by scratching. You can buy these as a single pan, though I suggest getting two. That way you can cook more at once, or have a dedicated savory one and one for just sweet treats.

The Details: Aluminum; oven safe to 450°F; hand wash only

Best Cake Pan

Chicago Metallic Professional 9-inch Nonstick Round Cake Pan

$15 $12 at Amazon $19 at Walmart $18 at Wayfair

Szewczyk likes baking pans, like this 9-inch cake pan from Chicago Metallic, because “they heat more evenly so the bottom of your baked goods doesn't turn out burnt along the edges of the pan.” This is, of course, ideal, as the pan has an steel interior, which means cakes won’t be unevenly cooked, and neither will brownies, tarts, cinnamon rolls, and more. It also has a reinforced wire rim to prevent warping.

It does have a nonstick coating so your cakes should all come out in one piece, but you might want the additional reassurance from a parchment round or a little grease and flour before baking. This is also only available as a single pan. If you want to bake layer cakes, you'll want to pick up a second pan. It also comes in an 8-inch diameter, if you’re looking to make a slightly smaller cake.

The Details: Alloy steel; oven safe to 450°F; dishwasher safe

Best Loaf Pan

Great Jones Breadwinner

View on Greatjonesgoods.com

For baked goods as thick as loaves, bakers need a pan that stands up to a potentially sticky challenge. The Breadwinner pan from Great Jones was made for this, with wave designs in the bottom of the pan to help glide out any type of loaf. The interior here is also aluminized steel—it really is the best interior for evenly baked goods. 

Great Jones bakeware comes with a ceramic nonstick coating that can go right in the dishwasher (but hand washing is the optimal option). Being ceramic also allows this to come in bright fun colors for a non-boring bake. I recommend this loaf pan as it is an investment—but Great Jones offers a 60-day free trial, so if you aren’t as satisfied as I am, you can send it back, no questions asked.

The Details: Aluminized steel; oven safe to 450°F; dishwasher safe but hand wash recommended

Best Muffin Pan

USA Pan Nonstick Muffin Pan

$32 $30 at Amazon $27 at Walmart $32 at Macys

Muffins are not the only baked good that doesn’t stick to this pan, anything mini you want to make using it slides right out, thanks to USA Pan’s patented Americoat silicone-based nonstick coating. Hot or cold, this is truly a nonstick pan. 

Each of the 12 wells is about a third of a cup and the sturdy alloy steel keeps the pan from bending in hot temperatures. It is not dishwasher safe to keep its glide intact, which means a little bit more effort to clean, but as I said—everything comes right off, even baked-on bits.

The Details: Aluminized steel; oven safe to 450°F; hand wash only

Best Square Pan

Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick 9-Inch Bakeware Square Cake Pan

$12 at Amazon $12 at Target $20 at Walmart

This square pan from Cuisinart is another lightly colored baking pan option that also stands out among competitors. Lomas says she stays away from dark colors in favor of cream, white, silver, or gray because the lighter colors bake more evenly. This option will also give you a uniform bake since it’s made from thicker steel under the high-performance nonstick coating. 

This is great for things like mac and cheese, casserole, and brownies. But if you’re making a big batch, you may need to spring for two or more of these pans, and the cost can add up.

The Details: Aluminized steel; oven safe to 450°F; dishwasher safe

Best Springform Pan

Nordic Ware Springform Pan

$21 $13 at Amazon $24 at Walmart $19 at Wayfair

Lomas recommends the brand Nordic Ware, and I know this springform pan is a great choice. The seal is tight, ensuring that even if filled to the max with 10 cups, nothing will spill out in the baking process in the oven, or in the setting process in the refrigerator or freezer.

One of the many things you can do with a springform pan is a cheesecake, of course, but be careful with baking—darker pans may not heat evenly, leaving some parts of the cake more cooked than others—though that’s rarely a problem with this option. It does have a nonstick coating so nothing should stick, but that does mean being careful when slicing since you don’t want to damage it.

The Details: Carbon steel; oven safe to 400°F; hand wash only

Best Pie Plate

Nordic Ware Naturals High Dome Covered Pie Pan

$27 $24 at Amazon $27 $24 at Walmart $53 at Williams Sonoma

Szewczyk is also a fan of Nordic Ware baking pans as “they heat more evenly so the bottom of your baked goods don't turn out burnt along the edges of the pan.” I like this rustproof aluminum lightweight pie plate more than others thanks to its plastic dome lid that leaves room for tall pies without crushing any toppings or whipped cream. 

Keep in mind that the lid could damage any intricate crimping you do around the edges. The well is also a bit larger than the standard so you might need to roll out your dough a bit more to make it fit. But it will brown your crust evenly and you don’t need to mess around with plastic wrap when reaching for your middle-of-the-night slice.

The Details: Aluminum; oven safe to 400°F; hand wash only