- A top-quality baking sheet is easy to handle, cleans up effortlessly, and bakes food without warping or buckling.
- The Nordic Ware Aluminum Baker's Half Sheet is our top pick because it is cost-effective, won't warp, and produces evenly-baked goods.
A baking sheet is just one of those tools that you need in your kitchen. Whether you are baking cookies, roasting vegetables, reviving frozen foods, or making a fancy jelly roll, you need a baking sheet (also known as a cookie sheet).
All of the baking sheets in our guide are made of aluminum or aluminized steel. Aluminum is a popular material for cookware because it is durable, resistant to corrosion, inexpensive, and, most importantly, distributes heat evenly. When aluminum is paired with steel to make aluminized steel, you get even more heavy-duty cookware, which also tends to cost slightly more. Stainless steel is another popular material, but it does not conduct heat as well and requires more finesse when cleaning.
Pay special attention to the size of the baking sheet you are looking to buy. Though the standard half-sheet size is 18 by 13 inches, companies try to save on materials by shaving fractions of an inch off of this measurement. For most purposes, that's fine, but it's still important to be aware of a pan's dimensions.
You'll have to consider whether you want a rimmed or rimless baking sheet. There are benefits to each style. With a rimmed baking sheet, you can cook items that might release juices or roll around without making a mess in your oven. On the other hand, rimless sheets take up less storage space and baked goods slide off easily.
We also recommend buying a cooling rack that fits inside of your baking sheet. This will allow air to circulate around your food, which lends itself to more even baking and roasting.
While researching the best cookie sheets, we examined hundreds of buyer and expert reviews as well as the ratings of dozens of pans. The baking sheets included in our guide have a sturdy construction, bake foods evenly, and are simple to clean.
Here are the best baking sheets you can buy:
- Best baking sheet overall: Nordic Ware Aluminum Baker's Half Sheet
- Best baking sheet set: Wilton 3-Piece Cookie Pan Set
- Best rimless baking sheet: AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet
- Best high-end baking sheet: OXO Good Grips Pro Nonstick Cookie Sheet
- Best jelly roll pan: Chicago Metallic Professional Non-Stick Cookie/Jelly-Roll Pan
Updated on 11/1/2019 by Caitlin Petreycik: Updated prices, links, and more. Added related guides.
SEE ALSO: The best cooling rack you can buy
The best baking sheet overall
The Nordic Ware Aluminum Baker's Half Sheet is not only sturdy and cooks your goodies evenly, it is also very affordable.
The Nordic Ware Baker's Half Sheet is made of aluminum, which allows for excellent heat conductivity and makes the pan resistant to rust. The one-inch rim around the pan is reinforced with encapsulated steel to keep the pan from warping due to quick temperature changes or just normal wear and tear.
The overall interior dimensions of the pan are 16.5 by 11.4 inches, and the exterior is 17.9 by 12.9 inches. The sheet is made in the United States and is hand wash only, which may seem inconvenient, but your cookie sheet will last longer if you don't subject it to the dishwasher.
Just about every expert site lists the Nordic Ware Baker's Half Sheet as the best baking sheet available. Cook's Illustrated prepared a number of foods on this pan, and the reviewer noted that they all came out evenly and appropriately cooked. It received top marks for cooling rack compatibility, roasting, handling, and baking.
The Wirecutter has been using the Nordic Ware baking sheet heavily for about five years, and the reviewer has found that it has maintained its shape and still produces golden brown cookies. However, the writer did note that it scratches easily, but that's purely cosmetic and doesn't affect performance. Food & Wine also liked this cookie sheet because cookies baked on it are evenly browned and well-baked on the inside.
Pros: Produces evenly baked goodies, resistant to warping, affordable
Cons: Susceptible to scratching, hand wash only
The best baking sheet set
The Wilton 3-Piece Cookie Pan Set includes baking sheets for a variety of jobs at a low price point.
What sets the Wilton Cookie Pan Set apart from the other baking sheets in our guide is that you get three rimmed sheets for around $20. The largest pan is slightly smaller than the standard half-sheet at 17.25 by 11.5 by 1 inches. The other sheets are 10.25 by 15.25 by 0.75 inches and 13.25 by 9.25 by 0.63 inches (fairly close to a quarter-size sheet.)
The pans are made of aluminum and covered with a non-stick coating for effortless cookie removal. Each of the sheets has wide reinforced rims on the ends for a good grip. Because you get three pans in different sizes, you'll have a baking sheet for every job.
Foodal recommends the Wilton Recipe Right 3 Piece Cookie Pan Set because the reviewer found that the heavyweight material was warp-resistant even at high heats. The writer also noted that the different pans stacked well for easy storage. Reasons to Skip the Housework and Savant Magazine recommend these pans, too.
Pros: Affordable, store easily, durable, set of three
Cons: Some complaints of warping
The best rimless baking sheet
If you are looking for a rimless baking sheet so your cookies slide right off when they're done, get the AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet.
The AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet is unique because it has two heavy-duty aluminum layers with air between them. T-fal, the manufacturer, calls this insulated effect "micro-dome technology." Basically, with this design, the temperature of the metal that comes in contact with the food is reduced, which leads to moister baked goods, no burning, and better browning.
The pan measures 16 by 14 inches, and though it doesn't have a rim, there is a lip on one side that makes it easy to remove from the oven. Before using the sheet for the first time, spread a teaspoon of cooking oil over the interior to condition it. This cookie sheet is backed by a 10-year warranty.
The reviewer at Kitchn admits that she regularly burns cookies. However, when she used the AirBake Nonstick Cookie Sheet, her cookies turned out golden-brown even though she left them in the oven for too long. She did note that the sheet is a pain to clean since you can't put it in the dishwasher or let it soak due to the air pockets.
Though Serious Eats didn't like that the bottom insulation protrusion caused the pan to sit unevenly on the oven rack, the reviewer still recommended this baking sheet because the cookies browned evenly and slid off easily.
Several buyer reviews stressed the importance of handwashing the sheet and not letting it soak. If you do get water inside the air pockets, put it upside down in the oven at 250 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Pros: Bakes cookies evenly and burning is unlikely, 10-year warranty, nonstick
Cons: Have to clean it carefully
The best high-end baking sheet
With its micro-textured surface and heavy-gauge aluminized steel, the OXO Good Grips Pro Nonstick Cookie Sheet allows for increased airflow and even cooking.
Unlike the other cookie sheets in our guide, the surface of the OXO Good Grips Pro Nonstick Cookie Sheet is micro-textured. Why does this matter? The micro-textured pattern reduces the surface contact the pan has with food, which allows for increased airflow and keeps it from sticking.
The sheet is made of heavy-duty aluminized steel that distributes heat evenly and adds durability. The double-layer non-stick coating is ceramic-reinforced to guard against corrosion, staining, and scratching. At 18.5 by 14.5 inches, this OXO product is slightly larger than the standard half-sheet size.
Our guides editor Malarie Gokey uses this pan in her kitchen and loves it. She appreciates the way the micro-textured surface of the pan heats evenly to bake cookies to perfection. She just slaps a piece of parchment paper on it, adds cookie dough (or whatever else she plans on baking), and pops it in the oven to make cleaning up afterward effortless.
Of course, you can just grease the non-stick surface and bake without parchment paper if you prefer. The mostly edgeless design is easy to clean because it doesn't have any nooks or crannies that catch crumbs. Best of all, when she's done with it, the OXO cookie sheet is slim enough to store vertically next to her cutting boards in the cabinet. It's a huge space saver.
Pros: Bakes cookies quickly and evenly, nonstick, expensive
Cons: Might be a bit unwieldy for some to hand wash
The best jelly roll pan
If you are looking for a rimmed sheet that is ideal for creating delectable jelly rolls, look no further than the Chicago Metallic Professional Non-Stick Cookie/Jelly-Roll Pan.
The Chicago Metallic Non-Stick True Jelly Roll Pan sets itself apart from the other baking sheets in our guide with its silicone-based nonstick coating, which facilitates effortless baking and cleanup.
The pan is made of heavy-weight aluminized steel, which assists with heat distribution and even baking. The pan is one inch deep and is 14.75" by 9.75". The rim is reinforced to protect against warping. Though the sheet is dishwasher safe, Chicago Metallic recommends hand washing it. Also, to protect the nonstick surface, they warn against using utensils with sharp edges on the pan.
Though in their tests the sheet produced unevenly baked and slightly darker than desired cookies, Good Housekeeping still recommends the Chicago Metallic Non-Stick True Jelly Roll Pan. The reviewer was overall happy with the baking results and appreciated how easy it is to grip the rim.
Food & Wine recommends this sheet because of the durable, commercial-grade construction that does not buckle or warp. The reviewer noted that the surface has a fine-grained texture that prevents batter from flattening or spreading.
Pros: Impressive nonstick properties, easy to clean, oven safe to 450 degrees
Cons: Slightly smaller than what most jelly roll recipes call for
Check out our other great baking guides
The best bread machines
We combed through hundreds of reviews and ratings from home bakers and experts alike as we searched for the best bread machines. The units we chose can make a variety of different bread types, require minimal user oversight, and have a track record of dependability and performance. These are the best bread machines you can buy:
- Best overall: Zojirushi Home Bakery Virtuoso Breadmaker
- Best budget bread machine #1: Oster 2-Pound Expressbake Bread Maker
- Best convection machine: Convection Bread Maker by Cuisinart
- Best machine for unique breads: Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker
The best cookie cutters
A great set of cookie cutters makes those delicious holiday treats even more of a pleasure to make and share. These are the best cookie cutters you can buy:
- Best overall: Ann Clark Cookie Cutter Set
- Best on a budget: Winblo 40-Piece Cookie Cutter Set
- Best for Chanukah: Rite Lite LTD Metal Chanukah Cookie Cutters
- Best 3D cutters: 3D Christmas Cookie Cutters Set
- Best indestructible set: Ateco Cookie Cutter Set in Various Shapes
- Best for kids: Wilton 101-Piece Cookie Cutter Set
The best loaf pans
High-quality loaf pans cook your baked goods evenly, release them with little fuss, and are made of heavy-duty materials. These are the best loaf pans you can buy:
- Best loaf pan overall: Wilton Recipe Right Bread Loaf Baking Pan
- Best aluminized steel loaf pan: USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Loaf Pan
- Best glass loaf pan: Pyrex 1.5-Quart Clear Basics Glass Loaf Pan
- Best loaf pan with handles: Farberware Nonstick Bakeware Loaf Pan
- Best meatloaf pan: Chicago Metallic Non-Stick 2-Piece Meatloaf Set