4 Pro Chef-Approved Baking Sheets

Few items get as much use as baking sheets. Ours are in the oven multiple times a week—whether to make a sheet pan dinner, roast vegetables, or bake an apple crisp—making it one of the most versatile pieces of bakeware you can have. We asked several professionals to share the sheet pans they recommend. Here are their favorites. 

Pro Chef-Approved Sheet Pans

Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheets, 2-Pack

Warp-resistance, durability, and excellent heat distribution are all reasons why we chose Nordic Ware as our absolute favorite baking sheet. This 2-pack of 17 x 12-inch half-sheet pans is made from aluminum with a 1-inch galvanized steel rim that helps keep sauces and juices from spilling out.

We’re not the only ones who love Nordic Ware sheet pans. “These are for everyday cooking and baking,” says Joanne and Adam Gallagher, the founders of Inspired Taste. “Their versatility makes them perfect for roasting vegetables, baking cookies, or preparing sheet pan dinners.”

Another big fan is Ella Gilbert, the founder of Alpine Ella. “As someone who bakes multiple times a day, almost every single day, my go-to baking sheet is the Nordic Ware aluminum baking sheet,” she says. “I have them in multiple sizes, so I can use a smaller one for toasting nuts or coconut flakes, or a half-sheet pan (my most used!) for baking cookies.”

USA Pan Bakeware Nonstick Half Sheet Pan

This USA Pan nonstick sheet pan is highly recommended by the Gallaghers as well as Marissa Stevens, founder of Pinch and Swirl. “They very rarely warp (I won’t say never), heat evenly, and actually stay nonstick because of the corrugated surface,” she says. “It’s [this] detail that sets these pans apart and helps things release easily.”

The ridges encourage heat and airflow underneath your baked goods, helping to achieve a thorough bake and crispy crusts. A nonstick surface makes cleanup effortless. “They’re also easy to clean even after sticky glazes and baked-on oil,” says Stevens.

Amazon Basics Nonstick Baking Sheet & Cooling Rack Set

Over the past few months, Stevens has been baking with the Amazon Basics ceramic-coated baking sheet and its accompanying steel cooling rack. “They’re lightweight and haven’t stained after more than a dozen uses,” she says. “The rack works well for roasting things like chicken thighs, so they don’t sit in their juices as they roast and double as cooling racks for cookies. The fact that the racks fit perfectly inside also makes them easy to store.”

The nonstick ceramic surface is free of PFOA and PTFE, and the carbon steel interior is exceptional at distributing heat. The baking sheet is oven-safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. While the set is dishwasher-safe, we recommend hand-washing to avoid scratching the coating. 

Saffron & Sage Cookie Sheet and Rack

The thick aluminum gauge of the Saffron & Sage half-sheet pan makes it more resistant to warping and can help prevent browning or burning. Thicker aluminum takes a bit of extra time to heat thoroughly, but that comes in handy when making delicate baked goods like jelly rolls or lace cookies. 

Of course, any breakfast-loving kitchen needs a metal wire rack that nests in a baking sheet—it’s the secret to crispier bacon—as well as providing a cooling rack out of the oven. Both pieces of this set are dishwasher-safe and oven-safe to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.