Preparation

Often the busiest bee in the kitchen, a baking sheet will get you through countless rounds of perfectly baked cookies, bunch after bunch of crisp-tender broiled asparagus, sheet-pan dinners (like these chicken fajitas), and plenty of succulent roasted chicken. Get a good baking sheet and you’ll both come out the other side of all that cooking (relatively) unscathed.

When it comes to choosing a baking sheet, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First is color: Darker pans will absorb more heat and then give more heat off in return, leading to food that browns faster. This is great for recipes where you want some crispness, like pizza crusts and roasted potatoes. It’s less ideal for when you want to heat something gently and have even browning, like with cookies or sheet cakes. The bottom line: If you are an avid cook, buy a mix of light and dark colored baking sheets; if you’re an occasional cook, stick with lighter colors since they are more multi-purpose.

The second thing to keep in mind is weight. A good baking sheet should have some heft to it. Too thin, and you’re just inviting warping, which is where some parts of the pan expand or contract faster than other parts, causing it to literally get bent out of shape. A price tag of $15 or $20 may seem wildly expensive for a simple sheet of metal, but we promise that a slightly pricier pan will be made from heavier materials that will endure for years, if not decades. It’s worth spending a few extra bucks on one that you can count on to go the distance.

With these factors in mind, it’s also a good idea to have a mix of different baking sheets that vary in color, size, and material, so the right choice will be at the ready for whatever you decide to make. Shop our picks for the best baking sheets, sheet pans, and cookie sheets to build your collection of these essential multitasking pans.

Nordic Ware Naturals Baker’s Half-SheetVollrath 68085 Wear-Ever Cookie Sheet PanSur La Table Platinum Pro Quarter Sheet PanCrate & Barrel Insulated Cookie SheetNordic Ware Naturals Jumbo Cookie SheetT-Fal Nonstick 2-Piece Broiler Pan SetUSA Pan Allergy ID Sheet PanNutriChef Non-Stick Pan Set