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Jul 17, 2023

The 5 Best Sheet Pans of 2023

Delish editors handpick every product we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Say goodbye to your old warped sheet pan. Sheet pans are absolute kitchen essentials, great for

Delish editors handpick every product we feature. We may earn commission from the links on this page.

Say goodbye to your old warped sheet pan.

Sheet pans are absolute kitchen essentials, great for baking your favorite cookies and cooking and roasting meats and veggies. And although often referred to as cookie sheets, they're slightly different. Unlike cookie sheets, which are typically rimless for the sole purpose of seamlessly shuffling out cookies with a spatula, sheet pans have raised edges (about 1-inch high). This allows them to better contain ingredients, steam, and excess juices—a must when it comes to whipping up messier dishes like BBQ chicken nachos or roasting tender pork loin or prime rib.

We tapped Good Housekeeping Institute experts—including Nicole Papantoniou, the Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab—to find the best sheet pans money can buy. Discover their rigorously-tested picks for home chefs of all levels, plus find shopping tips so you can find just the right style.

Our friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab tested 20 sheet pans to find models with the best performance and ease of use. Their team of on-staff experts—including professionally-trained chefs and kitchen tool product developers—put everyday products through multiple tests in their New York City-based labs to determine which ones are actually worth your hard-earned dollars.

During these experiments, the team baked cookies and roasted broccoli on each half-sheet sized pan. The team assessed each model on factors like how evenly they cooked foods, how easy they are to clean, and whether or not they warped over time. Based on their findings, we’ve determined that these are the best sheet pans to shop in 2023.

The Good Housekeeping Institute named Nordic Ware’s Commercial Baker's Half Sheet the best overall sheet pan. In addition to calling the aluminum, nonstick pan lightweight as well as easy to use, store, and clean, the team found that it outperformed all other styles during testing. The cookies baked “evenly brown and uniform in shape with a chewy and crispy texture,” and the broccoli was “evenly and consistently crisp without any pooling of oil.” The only downside? This pan should be hand-washed since it can tarnish faster if you clean it in the dishwasher.

Wilton’s coated sheet pan set includes a medium and large-sized pan. Papantoniou likes these because they're available at a “good price" and “tend to be nonstick." Additionally, the Good Housekeeping Institute says these affordable pans performed “exceptionally well” during testing. The cookies they baked had “crispy edges, chewy centers, and nicely browned bottoms,” which the team notes is likely a result of the pans' dark color. Meanwhile, the broccoli had a crispy texture and was evenly browned. Testers mentions the handles as another selling point, as they made it easy to transfer the pans in and out of the oven. While these baking sheets are technically dishwasher-safe, note that hand-washing is recommended to help preserve their quality.

Prefer something with a pop of color? Papantoniou recommends Great Jones’ ceramic nonstick sheet pan set, since it's “really pretty and offers a wide surface area.” Although she notes these pans do tend to scratch easily, the Good Housekeeping Institute found that the pans’ nonstick coating allows for even results and easy cleaning.

The cookies the team made baked uniformly and browned evenly on the top and bottom. And the broccoli florets consistently had “almost an air-fried crisp,” with the larger pan allowing for additional room between broccoli florets to prevent steaming.

For those who want a “fancy” sheet pan, Papantoniou suggests All-Clad’s half sheet pan,which has three handles that “really set it apart.” The Good Housekeeping Institute explains that the handles make it easier to safely move the pan in and out of the oven. Testers also call this heavy-gauge aluminum pan a “solid and sturdy” pick since it didn’t warp at high temperatures, which is a common issue with sheet pans. The cookies and broccoli baked and roasted well. Keep in mind, however, that the broccoli did stain the sheet during testing, and it required some additional elbow grease to clean.

Per the Good Housekeeping Institute, this uncoated, aluminized pan is one of the best styles for roasting veggies. The team noted that broccoli roasted evenly during testing “without needing to be rotated.” The florets also had an air-fried crisp to them and “slid off the pan easily” without causing stains.

As an added perk, the light color of the sheet pan allowed cookies to brown evenly, too. This pan is dishwasher safe, but is best hand washed.

Size: The Good Housekeeping team notes that sheet pans mainly come in three sizes: quarter, half, and full-size. Standard full-size pans measure 18" x 26" and are “generally used in commercial kitchens” as they don’t typically fit in home ovens. The experts recommend half-sheet pans (usually 18” x 13”) for the “everyday home cook” since they are a good size for desserts and meals. Quarter sheet pans (around 13" x 9") or Jelly roll pans (measuring around 10½" by 15½") work nicely for smaller tasks, like single-serve meals or sides such as asparagus.

Dark and light pan surfaces: Based on their testing, the Good Housekeeping Institute says that sheet pans with dark-colored surfaces get “food crispier and browner” than lighter-colored pans. They recommend tweaking your recipe’s cooking time or temperature when using darker sheet pans, as the edges and bottom of your food will cook faster. The experts say that lighter pans offer more of an even cooking experience.

Rims and handles: Rimmed sheet pans have raised edges that are typically 1-inch high. The Good Housekeeping Institute team says that these types of pans are more stable to prevent warping and also help limit food overflow. When shopping for rimmed sheet pans, the team recommends seeking out options with handles for easier transport to and from the oven.Cleanability: While some sheet pans are dishwasher safe, it’s generally recommended to hand wash them. Papantoniou notes that the dishwasher can accelerate staining and color changes on aluminum pans and break down “nonstick coatings quicker.” The Good Housekeeping team also notes that common sheet pan materials can rust or scratch more easily when “mixed with hot water and other utensils in the dishwasher.”

Sheet pans typically warp when they're thin and exposed to rapid temperature changes.

Sheet pans come in different gauges (usually a 10 to 18 range), which refers to the thickness of the metal. The lower the gauge, the thicker the pan. Pans with a higher gauge have less material, meaning they don't conduct heat as well. As a result, they tend to warp more easily when exposed to extreme temperatures. Some sheet pans, however, are "reinforced with rods that help prevent them from warping," Papantoniou says.

Warping can also happen when a sheet pan is exposed to rapid temperature changes, which can cause the metal to expand and contract unevenly. This tends to be more common with thinner pans, but may happen to any type of pan over time. To prevent warping, avoid placing a cold pan in a hot oven or dousing a sheet pan in cold water directly after baking. Instead, place an empty pan in the oven on the pre-heat setting before adding in your creations, and allow your pan to cool for a few minutes prior to cleaning.

Nashia Baker is a commerce editor at Hearst covering the latest and greatest products across the home and lifestyle categories. Throughout her career, she has interviewed chefs and food experts to learn about top trends in the culinary world.

Nashia Baker is a commerce editor at Hearst Magazines; she covers all things home and lifestyle across brands such as Oprah Daily, Cosmopolitan, Delish, and Esquire. Before joining Hearst, she highlighted small business owners, creatives, and the best shoppable content.

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