Why this $15 Sheet Pan is our Favorite | Gear Heads

A baking sheet is essential for baking but also for roasted veggies, proteins, and more. We found the best models in every size.

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0:00 - Intro
0:23 - Why We Love Sheet Pans
1:07 - Testing Aluminum Sheet Pans
3:14 - Our Winning Aluminum Sheet Pan
3:40 - How We Test Sheet Pans
4:03 - Aluminum vs. Stainless Steel vs. Non-stick Sheet Pans
4:45 - Aluminum Safety Concerns
5:41 - Testing Stainless Steel Sheet Pans
6:35 - How to Mitigate Aluminum Leaching
7:09 - Testing Non-Stick Sheet Pans
7:51 - Our Sheet Pan Recommendations

[chrisehli]

I still use 50 year old cheapy ecko stamped steel sheet pans from coast to coast hardware and they work great!

[micheleobrien]

I always use parchment paper to protect the cookware and make cleanup easy! ❤❤❤

[barcham]

I always use either parchment paper or a silpat mat when cooking on my Nordicware sheet pans. That solves the problem with leaching aluminum for the most part, and makes cleanup a lot easier. But I do not use a silicon mat when baking cookies as they will spread out way too thin.

[RichardMann-th]

Years ago I found thick/ commercial grade stainless steel half sheet pans at a restaurant supply store. I bought two more a couple years ago (just wanted more, I don't think they will ever wear out). They were $50 each.
Thick, sized perfectly for racks, open bead edges (easy to crimp foil around and don't hold water after washing). Strong: I think they could hold my weight if they needed to. But they warp like aluminum.
I always wash them in the dishwasher. Only thing I do be hand is a scouring pad or SOS for things stuck on. These are not super shiny like the cheap ones so you not destroying the finish.
I would never go back to aluminum.

[tomhorsley]

I clicked on this just to verify it was Nordic Ware, my half and quarter Nordic Ware pans have been very reliable for years. No warping, and not much in the way of staining either.

[michelangelo]

Im still working on my baking and this video is very informative. Thank you Valerie and Hannah. The holy sheet pan made me chuckle. Holy sheet pan Batman.

[micheleobrien]

I have a nordicware 1/2 and 1/4 sheet pans. They are amazing!!! Highly recommend! ❤❤❤❤❤

[emmerinman]

I bought the Nordicware sheet pans last year based on ATK recommendations. They are 100% The best sheet pans I have ever owned and I LOVE THEM. I use them constantly. I toss a silpat in them for easy cleanup unless I'm broiling (in that case I generously oil the pan). Just today I roasted several acorn squash on one for some yummy autumny soup.

Some other things I use them for:

I like to place my cutting board inside a half sheet when cutting really juicy or messy things to contain the mess.

The 1/4 sheet pan fits perfectly inside a standard toaster oven, slots right into the grooves on the sides where the shelf goes. Great for small cooking jobs.

I marinate meat right in the pan; cover with foil or plastic until ready to cook, then just uncover, pour out the marinade, and carry the whole pan to the grill outside.


The smaller sizes, like 1/8, are perfect for breading stations. One holds the egg/milk mixture, another holds the crumbs, and the food can be quickly coated in layers and then placed into the oil with little mess.

The 1/8 pan is also great when you need to separate one meal from the others to avoid allergy contamination and things like that.

If you need to prep small amounts of a whole bunch of ingredients like spices and veggies, you can put them all on one tray in neat piles rather than a bunch of small bowls. Less dishes to wash.

When cooking large hunks of meat, the 1/4 size is perfect for resting the meat. Any juices that come out stay contained in the pan.

[Niftynorm]

I will stick with my aluminum sheet pans, they have worked for years and I don't see a real advantage to changing especially at the price difference. Good video.

[dougfrith]

My favourite pans are from Chicago Metallic, 1/4 size, because I’m cooking typically just for two.

[TOM]

I wish more companies made small sheet pans for air fryers / toaster ovens.

[lindadorman]

I've used USA Pan Jelly Roll sheet pans for years and LOVE them! I have both quarter and half-sheet size. They are very solid and heavy, but last forever. I always line the pan with parchment paper or foil depending on what I'm cooking, and only hand wash. Costs about $15-$20 on Amazon.

[JYMBO]

6:47 Science Teacher here - This is correct, Darker colours do absorb heat FASTER, but it's important to note it makes 0% difference to overall temperature (Black doesn't get any hotter than other colours) notably Darker colours also LOSE heat Faster than other colours which is why they chose to wear white in Antarctica, it may take longer for them to feel warm but they will stay warm for longer! in this case that means knowing when to pull that dark sheet out of the oven (or turn the oven off) could get complicated because yes it will bring your food to temperature quicker but it will lose heat very quickly once away from the heat source, which could complicate residual heat/carry over cooking if you're already used to aluminium sheet pans.

[igglewiggle]

My Nordic ware sheet pans which I purchased years ago at Costco-Canada …are not at all light weight. …No warping …just have the look much loved…and of well used 😂

[stevesavage]

Have you guys seen the parchment paper hack where you crumble it and spread it back out so it stays put in the pan? Great hack!

[Sakana_Ren]

Thank you for this psa. All of my bakeware are aluminum. I need to avoid non-stick, because I'm chemically sensitive. And, I always make certain to use either parchment or baking cups. Keep up the awesome work. And, take care.

[Trains-With-Shane]

Based on your previous video tests I bought my younger brother a pair of the Nordic Ware aluminum half sheet pans with wire racks for Christmas last year and he loves them!

[johnwilde]

Nordic Ware is also the inventor of the Bundt Pan. When I make cookies and biscuits on an aluminum sheet pan I always use parchment paper, so there is no cleanup.

[ottopartz]

I bought a couple of the heavy duty Vollrath commercial aluminum 1/2 pans 20 years ago and have used and occasionally abused them over those years and they are still flat and work great. I've always washed them in a dishwasher and had absolutely no issues with that either.

[alexandraw]

I have a set of Nordic Ware sheet pans that I’ve been using for 6 years now, and they still are as good as new.