Baking sheets are some of the most-used pans in my kitchen. I reach for them whenever I want to make roasted vegetables or bake chocolate chip cookies. I pull out a sheet pan when I’m whipping up a homemade pizza or cooking off crispy potato wedges. And when I want to make the easiest possible dinner, I grab a baking sheet to cook this tasty sheet pan gnocchi.
Given all that baking sheets can do, I think that everyone should own a good one. I recently tested and reviewed the best baking sheets to help you choose the right one for your kitchen. Luckily, these workhorse pans are durable and affordable. Invest a little in a great baking sheet now, and it will serve you well for years!
I’ve been using the Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet Pan for years, and when I tested it alongside the other pans here, it still came out on top.
I love this pan because the pure aluminum material conducts heat beautifully for even baking. The reinforced encapsulated steel rim prevents the pan from warping, even at high temperatures, and it makes the pan strong enough to support a heavy roasted squash or pie. I recommend lining this pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when making baked goods. When you’re roasting, it works great with or without parchment!
Another reason I love this pan? It’s insanely affordable. You can snag a 2-pack for $21.99—that’s just $11 per pan!
2 Half Sheet Pans for $21.99 at AmazonThe Specs:
The Pros:
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
Wirecutter, Epicurious, and The Strategist chose this pan as their #1 pick for the best baking sheet. The Food Network chose it as the best aluminum sheet pan, and AllRecipes said it was the best value baking sheet. It has a 4.7-star rating from over 49,000 Amazon reviews.
Try other sizes! If you love the Nordic Ware half sheet pan, you might enjoy their other cookware too. They offer jelly roll pans as well as eighth and quarter sheet pans that are great for making baked potatoes, baking small batches of cookies, and toasting nuts.
The Artisan Professional Classic Aluminum Baking Sheet Pan is another of the best baking sheets. It shares many of the qualities I like in my top pick from Nordic Ware. The natural, uncoated aluminum material offers excellent heat conductivity and resists rust, and a reinforced rim prevents warping. I recommend lining this pan with a silicone mat or parchment paper for baking projects, but you could go without it when you’re roasting. When I roast veggies on this pan, they don’t stick to the smooth surface!
The reason I ranked this half sheet pan below Nordic Ware’s is the price. This heavy duty pan clocks in at $23.99.
$23.99 at AmazonThe Specs:
The Pros:
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
Wirecutter chose this sheet pan as their runner up. It has a 4.6-star rating from over 1,300 Amazon reviews.
If you’re looking for the best baking sheets with a non-stick surface, you have two options:
If you want to go the second route, I recommend the OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Half Sheet Pan. It’s made of heavy gauge aluminized steel with a ceramic reinforced non-stick surface. The bottom of the pan has a grooved pattern, which promotes even baking and browning by increasing airflow around whatever’s on the pan.
The cookies I baked on this sheet pan baked evenly and slid right off. The veggies I roasted on it browned faster than on other pans. The textured surface really sped things up!
$34.95 at AmazonThe Specs:
The Pros:
The Cons:
What Others Are Saying:
The Strategist chose this pan as the best pan for baking, and Epicurious selected it as the best nonstick baking sheet. It has a 4.7-star rating from over 1,200 Amazon reviews.
Chicago Metallic Professional Non-Stick Baking Sheet
I loved this carbon steel pan for roasting veggies, but when I baked cookies on it, they burned underneath. Due to this pan’s nonstick coating, it is only oven-safe up to 450°F, and you shouldn’t use metal utensils on it to avoid scratching its surface. The Chicago Metallic Non-Stick Baking Sheet is available at Amazon for $17.99.
USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan
I’ve had a number of USA Pan cookie sheets in the past, and I’ve really liked them. Similar to the OXO non-stick pan, the USA Pan Half Sheet Pan is made of aluminized steel with a corrugated surface to promote air circulation. Reinforced rims provide a sturdy grip and diminish warping. I didn’t include this pan among my top choices because the nonstick coating wears off over time. The USA Pan Half Sheet Pan is available at Amazon for $23.99.
Vollrath Wear-Ever Half-Size Sheet Pan
Like my top 2 picks, this sheet pan is made of uncoated aluminum to promote even baking and browning. However, I can’t recommend this pan because the open rim has sharp edges. I worried about cutting myself while handling or cleaning it. The Vollrath Wear-Ever Sheet Pan is available at Amazon for $29.87.
I selected baking sheets to test based on online reviews, personal recommendations, and my past experiences with different baking sheets as a recipe developer. I narrowed my list to six rimmed half sheet pans because
I roasted a mix of sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and broccolini on each selection, and I also baked a batch of my vegan chocolate chip cookies. I evaluated the vegetables for speed and evenness of browning and noted whether or not they stuck to the baking sheets. When baking the cookies, I looked to see if they stuck to nonstick pans (I recommend parchment for uncoated pans) and if they cooked evenly without burning underneath.
My top picks yielded consistent results—vegetables with crisp, golden brown edges and perfectly baked cookies—without warping every time.
Did you pick a sheet pan? Time to bake!
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbvVnpinnJyaurC60meaqKVfl7K0wIybmKShnpx6tLTEnqusZw%3D%3D