The 11 Best Bakeware Brands, Ranked

As a professional pastry chef, I often get asked about my favorite bakeware brands. It's a tricky question because each brand has its unique material — whether it's ceramic, aluminized steel, copper, or metal — and the outcome of your finished product will be greatly influenced by the type of material. Whenever I meet an avid home baker looking to replenish their bakeware, I always encourage them to choose brands commonly found in professional kitchens. More often than not, those bakeware items are made of aluminized steel. This is simply because aluminum has excellent heat conductivity, ensuring even baking and browning, while steel offers strong durability and resistance to warping, corrosion, and rusting. 

Nowadays, many mainstream commercial brands flood the market with low-cost, low-quality products that may require replacement within just a year or even after a few batches of chocolate chip cookies. While the familiar bakeware brands may be more accessible and tempting, investing in a quality, well-researched piece of equipment that's trusted by professionals will greatly increase the quality of your baked goods and save you money down the line. The same can be said about falling into the luxury line: just because something is expensive and packaged in an aesthetically pleasing way doesn't mean that it's a superior product.

There are a few things I always tell beginner bakers to get in the habit of doing. It could include using a gram scale to measure ingredients, wearing an apron in the kitchen, having a clean workspace, making sure your ingredients are at room temperature if the recipe requires it, and most importantly, steering clear of big-house bakeware brands. While Wilton has been helping pastry chefs and home bakers decorate since 1929, its bakeware isn't the most prized by confectionery connoisseurs.

The company has great piping tips and all sorts of amazing decorating tools, but from my previous experience working in numerous professional pastry laboratories, its bakeware products are always the first to break. Its non-stick coatings tend to peel easily and can occasionally warp in the oven after just a few uses. Furthermore, it is quite expensive compared to other bakeware brands.

In all fairness, Wilton is probably one of the most accessible bakeware brands on the market. You can find them at an array of department stores, supermarkets, and home goods stores. In a pinch, its bakeware products always come in handy in case you need to grab an extra muffin tin or 9-inch cake pan on the fly.

Another premium, well-known bakeware brand that will make your kitchen look sparkling is All-Clad. This Western Pennsylvania-based brand has been making cookware and culinary tools since 1976. It is known for having excellent quality stainless steel pots and pans, as well as high-quality bakeware.

It has a wide selection of bakeware products from wired racks, muffin tins, cookie sheets, to all sorts of different-sized cake pans. Its bakeware products feature the classic house kitchen design with sloped and curved edges. If you favor a more clean-cut professional style for your baked goods, All-Clad bakeware might not be your first choice.

While its bakeware is made from heavy-duty aluminized steel, which is stellar for conducting and retaining heat, it also features a non-stick coating. Similar to Nordic Ware's non-stick selection, if these pans are scratched, exposed to extremely high temperatures, or are in frequent use, their coating may potentially release toxic chemicals into your food. That said, these non-stick pans can work well for infrequent home bakers who want the security that their chocolate chip cookies won't get stuck to the pan. Furthermore, non-stick pans do make cleaning a lot easier. Just be sure to replace them regularly and look out for any scratches, dimples, or bumps on the surface.

Another non-stick bakeware brand that is a good choice for restocking your baking equipment is Caraway. This New York City-based cookware brand has a curated range of bakeware products that are all made with non-stick ceramic coating with an aluminized steel center. You can add your own flair of style by choosing from its wide range of color options, including sheet pans with a marigold bottom to muffin pans with a sage green finish. Its products are slightly smaller and compact, making it super easy to store in smaller kitchen spaces.

Although the brand might be eye-catching, the non-stick, ceramic coating isn't the best for baking. Similar to the French cookware brands Le Creuset and Staub, the ceramic coating makes it significantly harder for the bakeware to heat up in the oven. This might lead to your quick-cooked baked goods, such as cookies, muffins, and biscuits, to an uneven bake.

However, its bakeware products do feature an aluminized steel core, making them heat up slightly faster than other ceramic-enabled bakeware brands. Furthermore, a nonstick ceramic coating, like Caraway's, lacks the potentially harmful chemicals (PFOA and PTFE) that regular nonstick coatings can contain.

If you're looking to level up your kitchen space with artfully designed bakeware pieces, Great Jones should be your first stop. This New York City-based, women-run kitchenware brand has a wide selection of delightful bakeware pieces that will surely get you a few compliments from your next dinner guests.

At Great Jones, you find ceramic casserole dishes with striped and taffy designs that are excellent vessels to showcase bubbling bread pudding or crispy, golden brown apple crumble. Its sheet pans or muffin tins come in a delightful array of colors, ranging from dark blue to bright pink. Plus, it's made with an aluminized steel, chemical-free nonstick coating, and is dishwasher friendly, making clean up a lot easier.

Although similar to many premium kitchenware brands, Great Jones is definitely on the higher end of prices. After working with endless aluminized steel bakeware products throughout my career, I've observed that regardless of the price tag, these items naturally lose their durability over time. Whether you've bumped it into a countertop or accidentally scratched it with a metal spatula, you should consider more affordable options if you want to be able to replace a bakeware item without burning a hole in your wallet.

If the rustic French-style bakeware isn't your style, then you might want to look north towards a more minimal and sleeker Scandinavian design. Consider the brand, Dansk. This unique brand was founded by Ted and Martha Nierenberg in 1954 with the idea of bringing a slice of the elegant and simple designs of Scandinavia to the American cookware market.

Dansk features a curated range of bakeware and cookware products, including various Dutch ovens, butter warmers, and rectangle and square baking pans. Its contemporary pots are excellent for baking a crusty loaf of sourdough bread or whipping up a batch of vanilla custard. Furthermore, its rectangular baking pans are the perfect vessel for decorative sheet cake that can easily be taken from kitchen to table, washing away the worries of unsightly-looking bakeware.

All of its bakeware and cookware items are made with carbon steel material, which is great for baking since it heats up quickly and evenly. However, unlike ceramic, enabled or aluminum-steel, you can't use metal utensils or harsh abrasive kitchen tools on it to prevent scratching. Additionally, rapid temperature changes can cause the product to shatter, crack, or even chip. Although the design is attractive, serious home bakers and professionals alike need sturdy bakeware that can endure mistakes and heavy use.

Another classic French cookware brand is Staub. This French cookware brand has a wonderful array of long-lasting bakeware products that will keep your kitchen looking curated and sophisticated — and the best part of it all is it won't break your bank compared to its competitor, Le Creuset.

Staub's has a fairly limited list of bakeware products, only including different-sized rectangle baking pans and a few oval casserole pans. While its bakeware list might be small, it surely makes up for it in design. The beautifully colored ceramic-enabled bakeware products are absolutely stunning and will definitely impress any guest, especially if you serve this Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler in it. If you want to get the full set of ceramic bakeware products that are color coordinated and match perfectly, it's best to choose a brand that features a full set.

Keep in mind that ceramic bakeware isn't the best choice due to its tendency to heat unevenly, potentially leaving uncooked or burnt areas. Furthermore, it is susceptible to damage from rapid temperature changes. Ceramic bakeware excels at retaining heat and benefits from low and slow temperature changes, making it a bit difficult to bake a fluffy sheet cake or tray of brownies. However, if you favor an aesthetic design and an established brand, then a brand like Staub is a great choice for you.

There are a few brands that I've come to trust after what seems like centuries of being a chef, and Le Creuset is definitely one of them. For those of you who are unattuned to the realm of cookware chicness, Le Creuset is a classic French cookware brand that has stolen the hearts of culinary connoisseurs over the years. Everybody can recognize a Le Creuset by their iconic brightly colored heavy-bottom Dutch oven. However, more often than not, their bakeware selection is slept on.

You can find an array of rectangular baking pans, pie pans, and tart dishes. Each bakeware piece features a ceramic-enabled, heavy-duty coating that will last you a lifetime and more. While most pastry chefs detest the use of ceramic bakeware due to its lack of heat conductivity affecting the browning and crust development, Le Creuset makes up for it in its beautiful aesthetics and superb heat retention.

Compared to other bakeware brands featuring French-made ceramic products like Staub, Le Creuset is definitely on the expensive end of the spectrum. If you don't want to break the bank, you can totally choose a more affordable brand and get similar results in your baked goods.

Ask any American pastry chef which bakery equipment brand they trust the most — there's a high chance they'll probably say Ateco. This staple bakeware brand is based out of a small factory in Glen Cove, New York, and produces superb, affordable bakeware for professional use. To the average home baker, its products may look a bit industrialized; however, almost every Ateco item I've ever used has lasted for years. Its rectangular and square cake pans have clean-cut dimensions, allowing you to get perfectly shaped cakes. Plus, it has adjustable cake rings and rectangles that are excellent for creating artisan layered cakes, mousses, sponges, and other sweet treats that require a uniform shape and dimension.

All of its bakeware products are made from aluminum, which is known for having a high thermal conductivity. Bakeware made from aluminum allows it to heat up quickly and evenly, resulting in more consistent and swifter cooking. Plus, it's resistant to rust and corrosion. However, if you prioritize visual appeal in bakeware and stick to simpler baking projects, then a brand like Ateco might not be the right fit since it's built for professionals.

Looking to restock your bakeware cabinet with an impressive, stylish collection of aluminum bakeware that can tackle any baking project? If so, then Nordic Ware might be the perfect choice for you. Made in Minnesota since 1946, Nordic Ware has a plethora of cake pans, decorative bundt pans, muffin tins, cookie sheets, pie pans, and many other bakeware products. All of its bakeware products are made from pure aluminum, allowing you to get perfectly browned baked goods. You can either choose from its regular or non-stick selection, which features a gold interior coating, ensuring your baked goods won't stick to the pan. I favor uncoated bakeware since nonstick pans can slowly break down over time from consistent use and high temperatures, potentially creating health concerns.

Nordic Ware is known for its excellent selection of decorative bundt cake pans, with some even featuring floral and seasonal designs. The best thing about detailed bundt pans is that minimal decorating is needed — the pan simply does all the heavy lifting.

Its bakeware products are beautiful and add the perfect finishing touch to your arsenal of baking equipment. However, it is at a higher price point compared to other brands like Fat Daddio's or Ateco. If you value fashionable, professionally made bakeware, then investing in higher-end, premium options might be worth considering.

If any brand strives to deliver consistency, it's USA Pan. This bakeware brand makes simple, no-frills bakeware at an affordable price. All of its pans are made from an aluminum steel material and a patented heavy-duty nonstick coating called "Americoat." The aluminum steel material used in its products is known for being excellent at heat conductivity, strength, and resistance to corrosion and warping. Plus, aluminum steel products are super lightweight, making its bakeware perfect for storage and transportation. The only drawback is that aluminum steel bakeware tends to be reactive with acids, potentially causing it to affect the taste of the baked goods or discoloring the bakeware. If you're planning on making acidic desserts such as lemon layered cake or a tart citrusy sorbet, then you might want to steer clear of using its bakeware.

You can use any of their products at home or in a professional kitchen. As a professional pastry chef myself, I tend to favor the sleek and sharp edges USA Pan showcases on its bakeware products, helping you achieve that clean-cut look on desserts. It has a wide range of different sizes of cake pans, rectangular baking pans, and muffin tins — plus a variety of other bakeware items that will surely level up your kitchen space.

At last, we've arrived at number one: Fat Daddio's. Owning and operating a bakery for around four years, you could imagine how many cake pans, muffin tins, and cookie sheets my team and I blew through. After years of replacing bakeware numerous times, one of the few brands that has made me come back time and time again is Fat Daddio's.

This Pacific Northwest-based company produces a great array of anodized aluminum-based bakeware pans. They have a wide range of bakeware products, including cake pans, bundt pans, springform pans, cookie sheets, and many more. Every bakeware product I've purchased from them is extremely durable and holds up much better than the majority of pans I've used.

However, one thing you need to be careful about with Fat Daddio's bakeware is that it can't go into the dishwasher, and it must be hand-washed in warm, soapy water. The company recommends this to prevent it from discoloring and developing white spots, maintaining its sparkling appearance. Since the pan is made from anodized aluminum, it has a chemical reaction with the phosphates and other ingredients found in dishwasher detergent. If you happen to accidentally throw it in the dishwasher, and discoloration does occur, you can season the pan with a few drops of baking oil and a cloth. So, if handwashing isn't your style, lean towards a brand that's dishwasher-friendly.

Deciding which brand has the top-ranking bakeware products has definitely been a slow and gradual process over the years of my decade-long professional pastry career. Throughout my life, I've made a wide variety of desserts from layered cakes, chocolate truffles, cookies, muffins, and of course, have hosted numerous dinner parties that almost always end with a dessert. 

Using my professional experience over the years, I've ranked these brands and subsequent products based on the material, durability, and which product will ultimately give the best-looking baked goods. This is how I was able to create a list of the 11 top-performing products.