Buying Sheet Pans

[Fat Guy]

The advice I've seen a few times in similar language is "For best results, allow 1-1/2 to 2 inches (4-5 cm.) of space around each pan and between pans and oven walls." (Example). I imagine, however, that the full story is more complex than that and depends on your oven and what you're cooking.

[paulraphael]

What's the optimal relationship between pan size and oven size?

Seems to depend on the oven. Commercial convection ovens work fine with very little space around the pans; my home oven (conventional) needs a lot of space or heat is uneven and hard to predict. Some of this is because of impaired air circulation, and some is about keeping food away from hot spots near the oven walls

[Fat Guy]

Certainly when you see those glass-door commercial convection ovens that a lot of pastry departments use, they run the sheet pans almost all the way to the edges and they fill them with like eight pans at once. I think some of them are even built without racks -- you just slide a sheet pan into grooves on the side, and the sheet pan acts as its own rack. My home oven does have convection but I wouldn't have the confidence to fill it that way.

[IndyRob]

I'm considering buying three half sheet pans and dumping all my larger rectangular teflon coated baking sheets. They seem to have a very limited life and the various sizes cause a storage problem. But would I regret not keeping something teflon?

[DanM]

I'm considering buying three half sheet pans and dumping all my larger rectangular teflon coated baking sheets. They seem to have a very limited life and the various sizes cause a storage problem. But would I regret not keeping something teflon?

I doubt it. A good quality aluminum pan can be scrubbed really hard with no damage. If you plan on doing something potentially messy, you can use parchment paper or possibly aluminum foil.

Dan

[IndyRob]

I doubt it. A good quality aluminum pan can be scrubbed really hard with no damage. If you plan on doing something potentially messy, you can use parchment paper or possibly aluminum foil.

Thanks, I also have a Silpat and silicone mat available for deployment.

[Shamanjoe]

I bought a couple of half sheet pans at Sam's Club--very heavy, plain old aluminum, cheap.

I bought these as well. They're awesome for baking, using as trays for resting meats from the grill, etc. I think I paid $12 for the two of them.

[AmbrosiaFood]

I have purchased many [about 30] great heavy Lincolnwear half sheet pans at the restaurant supply store near me. I bought them used for about $2 each.

My girlfriend and I put in a few hours of elbow grease into cleaning them, kept some, and gave some to family, church kitchens, and friends.

[xxchef]

The general consensus here seems to be that the standard Sam's Club or restaurant supply house sheet pans "plain old cheap aluminum" are sufficient for most uses but there are a couple of distinctions between them and higher quality/more expensive pans worth pointing out.

Normal home/commercial quality pans are usually made of fairly light 16-18 gauge material, sometimes even 19 gauge for super-economy pans. These are quite prone to warping at high temperatures or with quick changes in temperature. Heavy-gauge sheet pans from 13 to as high as 10 gauge (usually for full sheet pans) are much more stable and will remain flat under most rigorous kitchen uses. I find them indispensable for slabbing toffee and caramel to help ensure the sheets come out flat and even.

Better sheet pans also have "open bead edges" as opposed to the more common "rolled edges" on thinner gauge pans. This allows for much easier and thorough cleaning of the pans (no voids that trap moisture, bacteria etc).

[andiesenji]

I bought a couple of half sheet pans at Sam's Club--very heavy, plain old aluminum, cheap.

I bought these as well. They're awesome for baking, using as trays for resting meats from the grill, etc. I think I paid $12 for the two of them.

I agree completely. I have a stack of these that have been used heavily and for all kinds of tasks.

I've used them in my barbecue/smoker that can get extremely hot and in my bread oven that gets even hotter.

The ones used in the barbecue do get a bit "crusty" after many uses and are retired to the garden shed for non-food use but they are so inexpensive that I feel I have certainly gotten my money's worth.

I have a few stainless steel sheet pans (half-size) and while they look pretty when new, they sometimes warp if a cold pan is put into a hot oven, i.e., things that have to be chilled in the freezer and then transferred to the oven. I have not had this problem with the aluminum pans from Sam's.

I bought mine when Sam's had a special and they were cheaper than at the restaurant supply store.

Edited September 5, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[Badiane]

This will probably bring groans all the way around - I know I groaned when I opened my Christmas gift and it was two heavy duty sheet pans with matching silicon sheets, sold under the Paula Deen brand name. But I tell you, they are fantastic pans. Okay, yeah, they have the Paula Deen logo in the middle of the pan, and when you flip a cake, there it is but otherwise, fantastic pans, good gauge, never warp in the oven. I'm not a fan of Ms Paula, but I do love her pans.

[Will]

The coating on the aluminized steel pans (vs. non-stick) should be relatively safe, correct? It's just aluminum with a coating of a steel / silicone mixture?

Also, the manufacturer of the new convection range we're getting (Capital) recommends using sheets with only one lip for convection baking - do folks think that matters for baking cookies etc. whether the pan has a (short) lip / rim all the way around?

Wondering if anyone knows a source for three-quarter sheet sized aluminized steel sheets, or anything smaller than a full sheet, that will fit in the oven of this 30" range (24"W x 21"D). Something like the Chicago Metallic ones, however they only seem to make the aluminzed steel ones in full sheet and maybe half sheet.

[Shel_B]

I'm now looking for a quarter and possibly a 1/8 sheet pan.  I want something heavy for both - ideally around 12 - 14 gauge like my half sheet pans.  I'm having the Dickens of a time finding a heavy pan in those sizes - even the nearest restaurant supply store doesn't have one. 

 

Does anyone know of a heavy pan in the sizes mentioned, and also, is it necessary to have such a thick pan in these smaller sizes?

 

Thanks!

[Smithy]

Shel_B, have you looked at Sur La Table? I have their heavy-gauge sheet pans in full and half-size, and like them very much. Their quarter-sheet pan is made by USA Pan out of Pittsburgh, PA: http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-189234/?source=igodigital It wouldn't surprise me to see that they also carry smaller pans.

As for whether you need heavy-duty at that size, it depends on what you're using it for. My cheapo trays left over from my toaster oven days are of course wildly warped. They wouldn't be suitable for trying to get an even layer of jelly-roll batter, but they do fine for quick toasting of nuts.

[Anna N]

You will never regret a pan that doesn't warp. Good luck on the 1/8 th. The only place I've seen them is JB Prince and I have been looking for years. I know Chicago metallic makes one but I do not know where to get it.

[Smithy]

You will never regret a pan that doesn't warp. Good luck on the 1/8 th. The only place I've seen them is JB Prince and I have been looking for years. I know Chicago metallic makes one but I do not know where to get it.

 

Is this it?  Chicago metallic 41800 1/8 Sheet Pan from katom Restaurant Supply was the first thing that popped up when I put "Chicago Metallic 1/8 Sheet Pan" into Google.  The next link, from Amazon, notes (a) that it was only available through third-party sellers and (b) only available in packs of a dozen, which is probably more than Shel wants.

 

I don't know the first thing about katom, by the way, but the photo in the link is a good one.  This was just the first of five links for 1/8 size pans.

[Anna N]

Is this it?  Chicago metallic 41800 1/8 Sheet Pan from katom Restaurant Supply was the first thing that popped up when I put "Chicago Metallic 1/8 Sheet Pan" into Google.  The next link, from Amazon, notes (a) that it was only available through third-party sellers and (b) only available in packs of a dozen, which is probably more than Shel wants.

 

I don't know the first thing about katom, by the way, but the photo in the link is a good one.  This was just the first of five links for 1/8 size pans.

Smithy,

In the past I have followed all of these links and they came to naught. Things may have changed but I doubt it. Originally the Amazon link had me all excited but I too would be hard pressed to use a dozen. But thanks.

[FauxPas]

Amazon has an individual one of the Chicago Metallic 41800 listed, sold by Drill Spot. It's not inexpensive though - $11.88 + $6.77 shipping, US. I don't see the same one on the Canadian Amazon site and not sure about shipping costs to Canada. It's only 16 gauge but that may be the best available? 

 

I wish more of us lived closer together because I think it would be easy to find six of us who each wanted a couple of these pans! 

 

Chicago Metallic 1/8 sheet pan

[rotuts]

oddly the above link offers this:

 

Mini Sheet Pans Set of 2

 

2 for 10 and free shipping if you get other stuff to the 35 buck limit.   these might be the same as above or not.

 

Id get two for the Breville.

[FauxPas]

rotuts, the Chicago Metallic is 16 gauge, made in USA. I did see the ones you linked to and wondered about them, as they seem to get very decent reviews overall. I suspect they are made in China and gauge is a mystery, but might be worth a shot at that price. 

[Anna N]

Amazon has an individual one of the Chicago Metallic 41800 listed, sold by Drill Spot. It's not inexpensive though - $11.88 + $6.77 shipping, US. I don't see the same one on the Canadian Amazon site and not sure about shipping costs to Canada. It's only 16 gauge but that may be the best available? 

 

I wish more of us lived closer together because I think it would be easy to find six of us who each wanted a couple of these pans! 

 

Chicago Metallic 1/8 sheet pan

These are the ones that I would recommend Shel buy. They will last a couple of lifetimes. I have the half sheet and the quarter sheet of this brand and they are practically indestructible. They do not like the dishwasher because they are aluminum. Otherwise they are perfect.

[paulraphael]

I have some of the chicago metalic sheet pans (aluminized steel), some heavy plain aluminum ones (Lincoln and others), and some lighter ones from the restaurant store (myster brands).

 

They are very slightly different from each other in practice. The lightweight generic ones feel flmsiest and are more likely to warp, but cook the same as the heavy aluminum pans. The chicago pans are slightly less conductive than the aluminum pans, which means that all else being equal, they'll brown things on the bottom just a bit less. The difference is small, and whether it's a plus or a minus depends entirely on what you're doing. 90% of the time I use them all completely interchangeably. Which is why I'm hesitant to spend much on sheet pans.

 

If I had to pick just one, it would be the Lincoln Wearevers. I forget the gauge, but it's the heaviest I've seen. You can definitely find them at online restaurant stores.

 

The 1/4 sheet size is one of my favorite inventions. I have a few; they haven't gone in the oven, but are great for prep, chilling things in the fridge or freezer, etc..

Edited May 15, 2014 by paulraphael (log)

[Porthos]

I've had my Sam's Club 1/2 sheet pans for several years. They are very basic aluminum pans. They go into the dishwasher. Most importantly I have never had any warping problems. I bought a S/S pan and it would pop and warp when it went into the oven.

[Shel_B]

I've had my Sam's Club 1/2 sheet pans for several years.

 

I appreciate the suggestion, however, I don't shop at Sam's Club or Wal-Mart.

[Shel_B]

Chicago Metallic 1/8 sheet pan

 

These are the ones that I would recommend Shel buy. They will last a couple of lifetimes. I have the half sheet and the quarter sheet of this brand and they are practically indestructible. They do not like the dishwasher because they are aluminum. Otherwise they are perfect.

 

I may end up with that one for the Breville.  I believe I've seen it elsewhere for about 1/2 the price ... will have to double check.