Nordic Ware Named Best Baking Sheet After Cookie and Potato
Serious Eats tested multiple half-sheet pans, baking over three pounds of cookies and 160 potato wedges. The Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet Pan, costing about $16, won for its even heat distribution and golden results.
The Nordic Ware Naturals Baker's Half Sheet Pan is the best baking sheet according to tests by Serious Eats. It heats quickly and evenly, produces perfectly golden potato wedges, and costs approximately $16 per pan.
To find the best pan, the publication baked more than three pounds of cookie dough and over 160 potato wedges. The tests evaluated heat distribution, browning, ease of flipping food, warping resistance, weight, and cleanup. Most pans performed well, but a few clear winners emerged, including a longtime favorite from Nordic Ware.
The Testing Process
Two primary tests determined performance. For the chocolate chip cookie test, roughly three pounds of cookies were baked on each sheet using identical time and temperature. This revealed hot spots and showed which pans delivered the most even bakes, key as high-sugar foods like cookies can burn quickly after reaching the ideal golden stage.
The roasted potato test assessed if wedges browned evenly and released easily without sticking. It also evaluated how comfortable pans were to maneuver when loaded, whether they warped at high heat, and how difficult they were to clean after being coated in hot oil. A separate warping test involved placing each empty pan in a 475°F oven for ten minutes.
How Weight and Gauge Affect Baking
Sheet pan performance is heavily influenced by weight and metal gauge, where a higher gauge number indicates a thinner, lighter pan. Lighter, higher-gauge pans heat faster, promoting stronger browning and crisping. The tester found lightweight pans produced better cookies, allowing them to spread more for a flatter, crispier, perfectly round result. Heavier, lower-gauge pans yielded thicker, softer-centered cookies.
However, thinner pans are more prone to denting and warping. Among the three pans that warped during testing, two were lightweight. Lighter pans also cool faster, making cleanup easier as polymerized oil can be addressed before it fully sets. Heavier pans took over double the time to cool, complicating cleaning. Despite the reputation for warping, the top-performing pans from Nordic Ware and Made In were in the 18 to 20-gauge range and did not warp.
| Pan Type | Typical Gauge | Heat-Up Speed | Browning Ability | Weight & Durability Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight (e.g., Aluminum) | Higher (e.g., 18-20) | Fast | Strong, can brown quickly | Prone to warping, easier storage |
| Heavyweight (e.g., Aluminized/Stainless Steel) | Lower (e.g., 13) | Slower | More even, less aggressive | More durable, harder to handle and clean |
Material Choices: Aluminum, Aluminized Steel, Stainless Steel
Aluminum sheets, like the winners from Nordic Ware and Made In, are lightweight, heat quickly for strong browning, and are significantly easier to clean. Their downside is a greater tendency to warp. Aluminized steel, a stainless steel with an aluminum alloy coating, offers more durability and good heat retention but is heavier and heats slower than pure aluminum.
Stainless steel pans, such as one from All-Clad, are extremely durable and non-reactive with acidic foods. They are the slowest to conduct heat, taking longer to heat up and cool down, and are the heaviest option, often requiring two hands to handle. In summary, aluminum provides the best value and performance for quick heating and browning, aluminized steel balances performance and durability, and stainless steel offers maximum durability at the cost of slower heating.
Why Warping Happens and Textured Surfaces
Sheet pans warp when metal expands under high heat, creating an uneven surface that can cause liquids to pool and food to cook unevenly. A loud "pop" in the oven signals this temporary buckling. Moving a pan directly from a cool environment like a refrigerator to a hot oven increases warping likelihood. While pans often snap back after cooling, some, like the Williams Sonoma Corrugated Half Sheet Pan, remained warped after testing.
Textured surfaces, like those on the Nordic Ware Prism and Williams Sonoma Corrugated sheets, did not provide meaningful benefits. They were significantly harder to clean than flat-surfaced pans and both warped during tests. The Williams Sonoma pan's raised logo and the corrugated design, intended to promote airflow, did not outperform simpler, flat sheets in browning.
