The Under-$20 Baking Sheet Set Costco Customers Say Is Sturdier Than Nordic Ware

Costco has a lot more going on inside its warehouse stores than you may believe. It carries dupes that approximate Brita water filters, Williams Sonoma wine decanter copycats, and pans that pass for Hexclad for less cash. Some eagle-eyed shoppers have also asserted that a $20 baking sheet set at Costco bests typically more expensive Nordic Ware.

Depending on the retailer, a three-piece Nordic Ware sheet pan set runs about $30. The Tramontina Aluminum Baking Sheet Pan Set available at Costco is $16, and has some users calling out the spendier version by name. "My Nordic Ware pans caused me grief and [I] got these as a replacement: an exponentially better product," one shopper wrote in a review that also noted how baked chicken released easily from the sheet. Others remarked on the Costco offering's quality for the money, explicitly stating its superior sturdiness versus Nordic Ware, and even anticipated converting to an all Tramontina household. Easier cleaning in the absence of stuck-on food and sturdiness sure are a lot to recommend, but the set's true value depends on your kitchen needs.

Listen; in some kind of slice-and-bake emergency, both of these brands likely perform just fine. Plenty of people use parchment paper every time they even preheat the oven, so Tramontina's relative quick-release might not be relevant for you. Both sets are also made of the aluminum befitting these types of tools, with raised edges all around for easier grabbing and to better control messy elements that might otherwise end up on your oven's floor. Tramontina is listed as being uncoated. Nordic Ware's product information is unspecified either way.

However, there are some differences. A similar Nordic Ware set is a smidge larger at 13-by-10 inches, versus Tramontina's 13-by-9.5 inches. Whether that little bit of wiggle room is worth nearly double the price is your call. There is also a twist that lets you split the difference for a lower price: While Tramontina's sheets only come in multiples of three, you can buy just one Nordic Ware sheet for about $10.