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Time to Get Baked. Here Are the Different Types of Bakeware You Should Know

Everything you need to start your own at-home bakery.

bakeware Bed Bath & Beyond

By Tyler Chin

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As intimidating as baking may seem, it’s not that hard as long as you properly follow recipes, go by the correct ratios and have the right set of bakeware. We talk a lot about cookware — the stuff that goes on top of your stove (and occasionally inside the oven) — but we don’t talk as much about bakeware. There are a variety of bakeware types, and none are really that “essential” unless you plan on doing a lot of cooking in the oven. But if you’re looking to brush up on your bakeware knowledge, here are some of the most common bakeware pieces to know.

Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Bakers Half-SheetAmazon

Baking Sheet

Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet, Set of 2

Baking sheets go by a lot of names: sheet trays, cookie sheets, baking trays. All you need to know is how important they are for cooking so many things in the oven. Besides being used for baking cookies, pastries and other sweet treats, baking sheets are also part of the huge “sheet tray dinners” trend, in which cooks put a bunch of food onto a sheet and bake it together — sort of like a remix of the one-pot meal. Get them in a variety of sizes, and you can also opt to get an accompanying rack to help with airflow while baking.

Baking dishes, compared with baking sheets, have a higher perimeter and are primed for making casseroles and lasagnas. They’re either made of ceramic or glass, and they also serve as their own serving tray. If you’ve ever seen someone gift someone a casserole, it was probably housed in a baking dish.

“Bundt cakes” don’t refer to a specific recipe, rather they indicate the type of bakeware used to bake the cake. They’re notable for their hollowed-out center and rounded, circular design. They create a doughnut-like shape as if a bunch of doughnuts were stacked on top of each other. There’s no single “bundt” design, so find one that you like best — and one that churns out a cake you think looks the most delicious.

If you want to bake a cake, you better have some cake pans. They’re available in a number of sizes and shapes, so you can make square cakes, tiered circular cakes and more. Make sure to grease them well before pouring batter in, otherwise you’ll be left with cake crumbs instead of a cake.

Try making your own bread, and you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff again. Just make sure you have a loaf pan so you don’t end up with a misshapen blob of bread instead of a loaf. And if you’re feeling savory, the loaf pan helps to make a well-shaped meatloaf.

Amazon Basics Nonstick Muffin Baking PanAmazon

Muffin Tin

Amazon Basics Nonstick Muffin Baking Pan

Whether you want to bake muffins or cupcakes, you’re going to need a muffin tin. They’re available in a number of sizes, so find one with enough cavities that’ll satisfy your muffin craving. A lot of muffin tins come in a non-stick material, but the silicone ones make it easier to pop out the muffins. 

The shallow-dished pie plate will have you pumping out pies like a professional baker. The rim of the dish will usually be crimped so that your baked pie comes out looking like a picture-perfect pie.

Every piece of bakeware so far has dealt in the sweets department, but the roasting pan is meant to get your roast meats on. The rack within the pan keeps your protein elevated so that it’s not sitting in its own juices, and you can also place aromatics and vegetables underneath to catch those sweet meat juices.

A springform pan is basically a cake pan with a removable base. The walls of the springform pan are secured with a latch, and when you’re ready to take your cake out, you unlatch it so that the base can come loose. Any dessert that’s delicate and can’t be inverted to let loose from the cake pan should be made in a springform pan (think cheesecakes, tarts or frozen desserts).

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