[0 - 3] - For years, aluminum sheet pans have been the standard
[3 - 6] for professional chefs, bakers and home cooks alike.
[6 - 8] - But aluminum isn't the only material
[8 - 10] in the sheet pan game.
[10 - 13] (upbeat music) (screen whips)
[13 - 15] Hey, everyone, welcome to "Gear Heads."
[15 - 16] Lisa is out on vacation,
[16 - 17] so joining me once again
[17 - 20] is my ATK Reviews teammate Valerie Li Stack.
[20 - 22] Thanks for joining us, Val.
[22 - 23] - Great to be back. Hannah
[23 - 26] - Rimmed baking sheets also, called half sheet pans
[26 - 29] or jelly roll pans are true workhorses in the test kitchen.
[29 - 32] We have stacks of them that we use every day for tasks such
[32 - 36] as baking cookies, roasting oven fries or root vegetables
[36 - 37] or baking chicken and fish.
[37 - 40] - Aluminum has been the standard for years
[40 - 42] but more recently stainless steel
[42 - 45] and non-stick challengers have entered the market
[45 - 48] and both options might have certain benefits
[48 - 50] over the classic aluminum sheet pan.
[50 - 51] So if you're looking for a new one,
[51 - 55] then holy sheet pan do we have a video for you.
[55 - 57] Val's gonna give you an overview
[57 - 59] of our aluminum sheet pan testing
[59 - 61] and then I'll take a look at stainless steel
[61 - 63] and non-stick options to analyze the pros
[63 - 64] and cons of each.
[64 - 66] Drop a like in this video and let's get into it.
[66 - 69] (screen swooshes) (energetic music)
[69 - 72] - When we did our most recent sheet pan testing,
[72 - 76] we tested aluminum and stainless clad sheet pans together.
[76 - 79] You'll usually see the dimensions of a half sheet pan listed
[79 - 82] as 18 x 13 inches,
[82 - 86] but in practice the actual cooking surfaces measure closer
[86 - 90] to 16.5 x 11.5 inches.
[90 - 93] When we tested sheet pans, we made jelly roll cakes,
[93 - 95] roasted vegetables and meat,
[95 - 97] baked dozens of cookies, and more.
[97 - 100] We identified some key features to look for
[100 - 103] across all types of sheet pan.
[103 - 106] In general, we preferred half-sheet baking pans
[106 - 107] that weighed under two pounds.
[108 - 110] They allowed us to grab a sheet out of the oven
[110 - 113] with one hand or carry something heavy
[113 - 116] without the total weight being unmanageable.
[116 - 119] We also preferred models with straighter smooth sides
[119 - 123] that were at least one inch tall in half baking sheets.
[123 - 125] These not only contained liquid
[125 - 127] and produced straight sided cakes,
[127 - 130] but also give us something sizable to grip.
[130 - 133] Especially important when carrying a hot pan using
[133 - 134] a bulky pot holder.
[135 - 137] Our winner is a commercial gray pan
[137 - 139] with sturdy rolled edges.
[139 - 142] It warped way less than other pans in our lineup.
[142 - 146] This is one of the testing pans we used in the test kitchen
[146 - 148] and hundreds of recipes have been cooked on it.
[148 - 151] And as you can see, it's only a little warped.
[151 - 155] You want to avoid low sloped or textured sides.
[155 - 158] Baking sheets with low sloped sides were more prone
[158 - 160] to spilling liquid ingredients.
[160 - 162] Most of our recipes were developed
[162 - 167] with baking sheets measuring a standard 16.5 x 11.5 inches.
[168 - 170] Baking sheets smaller
[170 - 172] or larger than the standard dimensions
[172 - 176] won't necessarily accommodate our favorite wire rack.
[176 - 179] We use wire racks frequently in our testing
[179 - 180] and in recipe development.
[180 - 184] They are a hugely versatile addition to a sheet pan
[184 - 187] and make a big difference in so many recipes.
[187 - 191] The specific size of a sheet pan isn't a deal breaker
[191 - 194] but it's something to be aware of when you cook.
[194 - 198] Our longtime testing winner from Nordic Ware is fantastic.
[198 - 199] Everything we've prepared
[199 - 202] in this sturdy warp-resistant sheet pan
[202 - 204] cooked appropriately and evenly.
[204 - 207] Best of all, this pan is only about $15,
[207 - 208] so it's a great bargain.
[208 - 211] So that's what you generally wanna look for
[211 - 213] in any kind of sheet pan.
[213 - 215] Now Hannah is going to dive a little deeper
[215 - 216] and show you the pros
[216 - 223] and cons of each type of sheet pan on the market. (energetic music)
[223 - 225] - We rate all of our sheet pans on a set
[225 - 227] of three parameters.
[227 - 231] First, performance, how well food browned, roasted,
[231 - 233] and broiled on the baking sheets.
[233 - 236] Next, warping we noted whether the baking sheets warped
[236 - 239] and how extensively they did so.
[239 - 241] Then handling, we rated the baking sheets
[241 - 243] on how easy they were to lift
[243 - 246] and maneuver and whether it was possible to fit
[246 - 248] a wire rack inside them snugly.
[248 - 249] I have in front of me
[249 - 253] our ATK-recommended aluminum sheet pan from Nordic Ware.
[253 - 256] One of our recommended stainless Clad models from All-Clad
[256 - 258] and our winning non-stick sheet pan from USA Pan.
[258 - 260] Let's compare all three based
[260 - 262] on our three rating parameters.
[262 - 265] First stainless steel vs. aluminum.
[265 - 266] Aluminum sheet pans are lighter
[267 - 270] and much cheaper than stainless Clad sheet pans.
[270 - 273] There are a few drawbacks with aluminum sheet pants.
[273 - 275] They're notoriously prone to warping.
[275 - 279] You need a good one, like our winner that's commercial grade
[279 - 282] with a sturdy rolled rim that reduces
[282 - 284] but does not altogether prevent warping.
[284 - 287] There's also a concern about aluminum and safety.
[288 - 289] The long-term health effects
[289 - 292] of consuming aluminum are not entirely known,
[292 - 297] but some health agencies recommend minimizing dietary intake
[297 - 299] as much as possible.
[299 - 302] Most sheet pans are made from aluminum.
[302 - 305] Lightweight aluminum is an excellent heat conductor.
[305 - 308] The downside is it's highly reactive with acidic foods such
[308 - 311] as citrus juice, vinegar, and tomatoes.
[311 - 314] Such items can cause aluminum to leach into the food,
[314 - 316] imparting a metallic taste,
[316 - 319] and leaving the cookware with a pitted surface.
[319 - 323] Baking cookies in comparison extracts less aluminum
[323 - 327] because the food is drier, less acidic and less salty
[327 - 330] and makes less physical contact with the metal
[330 - 332] and spends less time cooking.
[332 - 334] Those are all factors that increase
[334 - 336] your aluminum leaching risk.
[336 - 339] Manufacturers have responded to these concerns
[339 - 341] by launching lines of stainless steel pans.
[341 - 343] We tested stainless steel pans
[343 - 345] and honestly weren't super impressed.
[345 - 348] And we found stainless steel sheet pans were just as prone
[348 - 350] to warping as aluminum pans.
[350 - 352] When it came to performance,
[352 - 354] stainless steel sheet pans performed similarly
[354 - 356] to aluminum pans.
[356 - 358] They did brown a little faster,
[358 - 360] but stainless steel pans are heavier,
[360 - 361] and a little harder to handle
[361 - 363] than that lightweight aluminum.
[363 - 365] If you're gonna get a stainless steel sheet pan,
[365 - 368] look for large handles so you can handle that extra weight.
[368 - 369] The other downside is
[369 - 372] that stainless steel pans are really expensive.
[372 - 376] This model by All-Clad is around $180.
[376 - 378] Our winner by Williams Sonoma is
[378 - 380] around $100 compared
[380 - 384] to our aluminum sheet pan over here, which is 15 bucks.
[384 - 385] Since they aren't that different from aluminum
[385 - 387] in terms of warping
[387 - 390] or performance, we think our winning aluminum sheet pan
[390 - 393] by Nordic Ware is still the best for most people.
[393 - 394] But what about that aluminum?
[394 - 396] To mitigate the leaching of aluminum,
[396 - 398] add a layer of parchment paper
[398 - 401] when cooking particularly wet,
[401 - 404] salty, fatty or acidic foods.
[404 - 407] When it comes to sheet pan performance, here's a little tip.
[407 - 410] A darker pan will cook your food faster.
[410 - 412] Think of how like if you dress in all black
[412 - 413] on a 90 degree day,
[413 - 415] you're gonna be hotter than you would be
[415 - 417] if you were wearing lighter clothes.
[417 - 420] That's because darker colors absorb heat more effectively.
[420 - 422] So if your pan is lighter,
[422 - 424] it might need a couple extra minutes in the oven.
[424 - 426] Conversely, if your pan is darker,
[426 - 428] you should start checking it earlier.
[428 - 431] We also tested non-stick sheet pans,
[431 - 433] like our winner here by USA Pan.
[433 - 435] These had some limitations as well.
[435 - 439] They can't be used under the broiler or over 450 degrees
[439 - 441] because they will off gas
[441 - 443] and you can't use metal utensils in them
[443 - 444] or you'll damage the surface.
[444 - 446] They are impressively slick though.
[446 - 447] Maybe a little too slick.
[447 - 451] Cookies and cakes practically jumped off of these pans.
[451 - 452] When it came to cleaning,
[452 - 454] non-stick sheet pans were definitely
[454 - 455] the easiest of the bunch.
[455 - 456] These are dishwasher safe,
[456 - 459] while we recommend that you hand wash aluminum
[459 - 460] and stainless steel pans.
[460 - 463] Non-stick rimmed baking sheets won't replace
[463 - 466] the traditional rimmed baking sheet in our kitchen,
[466 - 468] but if you value ease of use and cleanup,
[468 - 470] these might be a useful addition
[470 - 471] to your cookware collection.
[471 - 475] We still think aluminum is the best option
[475 - 476] for most home cooks.
[476 - 478] It's inexpensive, lightweight,
[478 - 480] and performs very similarly
[480 - 482] to stainless steel and non-stick.
[482 - 484] If you're in the market for a new sheet pan,
[484 - 487] you should probably stick with aluminum.
[487 - 488] - For more information
[488 - 490] on all the gear we talked about today,
[490 - 493] and more sheet pan tips, check out the links below
[493 - 496] or go to americastestkitchen.com.
[496 - 497] - What sheet pans are right for you,
[497 - 500] aluminum, stainless clad, or non-stick?
[500 - 501] Let us know in the comments.
[501 - 502] Be sure to like this video
[502 - 509] and hit that bell icon so you never miss an episode. (upbeat music)