My favorite baking pans for home bakers

As you can imagine: I bake a lot! I made a selection of my most used and favorite baking pans. This collection is perfect for every home baker.

My collection

If you love to bake, you know that your cupboards are slowly but surely filling up with baking utensils. I know that especially baking pans take up a lot of space. For a while, I bought and received special baking pans with some regularity, but I found that I ended up using them little to none.

I almost always reach for the same basic tins and rings anyway. I use them a lot and like to make room for them in my cupboards.

I’m currently cleaning out my cupboards. I have the most used pans in a drawer in my kitchen, the rest are in my office, in my junk room or in the attic. Totally inconvenient to have all these different places. So I’m going to change that soon.

At the same time, I’m going to take another look at what shapes I really want to keep. Today I will tell you more about my most used and favorite baking pans. And I have also created a list with a bakeware collection for the avid home bakers.

Sizing is a little bit different between European standard sizing in centimeters and the inch sizing so I’ve rounded up the inch. So a 8.9 inch pan will become a 9-inch pan.

Loaf pans

I have 2 metal loaf pans that are 25 cm/10 inch long. I find this to be the perfect size for cakes and I use them a lot. I have tried several brands over the years and find that there is not much difference in quality. I currently have 2 of these loaf pans at home.

As far as I’m concerned, you don’t need expensive loaf pans. They cost a few dollars and for that amount of money I don’t mind if you have to replace them at some point.

I use them quite a lot myself and I want to look at a slightly more expensive loaf pan to replace them, mainly because I am curious to see if I actually find it nicer to work with and if it will last longer. I will give an update when the time comes 😉 .

Springforms

For years I have been working with springform tins from two particular brands, Patisse and Kaiser which are more than fine to work with. For about 2 years now I have owned two Le Creuset springforms.

They are quite expensive and I don’t know if I would have bought them if I hadn’t been given them. However, now that I know how they work, I am sure I would buy them myself. They are fantastic.

If one of them fails, I’m sure I’ll buy the same one again. But it will be a long time before I do, because even though they are used a lot, they still look pretty good.

I have a 20cm/8 inch and a 24cm/ 9 inch springform pan, both of which I use a lot. I have been using them for about five years now and they still look great.

Cake Pans

A baking pan is a solid bottom pan and comes in all shapes and sizes. I own (or have owned) several different shapes and sizes, but there are only a few that I actually use a lot.

Those are the 20 x 20 cm square pan (perfect for brownies) and the 15 and 20 cm round pans. I even have three of the 15cm ones, which are perfect for baking layer cakes.

Of course, you can do this with just one pan, but it’s much faster and more convenient with multiple pans. Highly recommended if you make this type of cake regularly.

There are several brands of pans. Mine are almost all PME, but I also have a few from Wilton. These brands are mostly available online. These are mine:

• Square cake pan 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch)
• Round cake pan 15 cm/6 inch (I have 3)
• Round 20 cm/8 inch baking pan

Rectangular pans

I just mentioned my square baking pan, which is also available as a rectangular baking pan. Personally, I use oven baking dishes whenever I need a rectangular baking pan. From cakes to crumbles, I use them for almost everything.

While baking pans are all standard sizes, baking dishes are very different. The sizes I use most often are 16 x 25 cm (6 x 10 inch) and 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch), but any size close to that will work.

Otherwise you can just convert your recipes with my conversion tool. This set of 4 baking dishes is nice to have around the house. The small one is similar to what I often use for baking recipes, the large one is perfect for casseroles.

As far as brands go, I don’t really have a preference. I have baking dishes from Le Creuset and a lot of other brands you can find online. I also have a set of these rectangular sheet pans which are great for lots of different things too. From sheet cakes to using as cookie sheets.

Baking rings

I have had a set of baking rings for a few years now and I use them a lot, which I never expected. I mostly make tartelettes and rondos, but you can use them for anything. Baking rings have no bottom, you put them on a baking tray covered with baking paper, which forms the bottom.

I personally have these baking rings that are 8 cm/3 to 4 inch in diameter, an ideal size. I have a set of 6, but would like to expand to 10 or 12. Then I don’t have to clean them in between and can just keep baking. You can also use these tall baking rings, you can use them for even more dishes in the kitchen.

Quiche and tart/pie pans

I bake quiches and pies in round quiche pans with a (solid bottom and) scalloped rim. I have both ceramic and metal pans, both of which I use regularly.

The ceramic quiche pan I have is 28 cm/11 inch, a hefty size but very handy for savory pies. The metal one is 25 cm/10 inch and is a flan/quiche tin with a removable bottom, very handy for getting your pie out of the tin easily. I use this one for both savory and sweet pies.

I don’t have a strong brand preference. My metal mold is unbranded and the stone mold is from Le Creuset. The important thing is that the metal mold has a good non-stick coating. And a loose bottom works so well with a metal pan. It’s also very convenient to have different sizes.

Other specialty pans

That was quite a bit of text about the baking pans I like and use a lot, but there are more! These are more specific pans for “special” baking. For example, I wouldn’t want to be without my muffin pans. I have one for regular muffins and cupcakes and one for mini muffins and cupcakes.

My molds are from Wilton, the first one I ever bought is about 10 years old and still good. But any good brand will work.

I bought my madeleine pan at a grocery store and I wouldn’t be without it. In fact, I would rather have another one. After all, you can often fill two molds with one recipe.

Finally, bundt cakes, one of my favorite baking molds. Also one where I have a strong brand preference. All but one of my bundt pans are from Nordic Ware. You pay a little extra for them, but they are worth it.

Besides the special and beautiful shapes, they have a very good coating. I just use a baking spray to grease them and all my cakes come out of the mold beautifully. Although I already own 4 of these pans, I have many more on my wish list. The designs are unique and they keep coming up with new and beautiful designs.

All in a row

Here are the cake pans that I like to use a lot and that I think are useful in any baking enthusiast’s kitchen:

• 1 or 2 25 cm loaf pans
• 20 and 24 cm springform pans
• 15 cm round baking pans (maybe several per size)
• 20 cm round baking pan 
• 20 x 20 cm (8 x 8 inch) square baking pan
• Baking dish set
• Rectangular sheet pan
• Set of 8 cm baking rings
• 28 cm/11 inch quiche pan
• 25 cm pie pan (with loose bottom)
• Muffin tin (for regular and small muffins)
• Madeleine mold
• Bundt pan(s)

That’s a pretty big list. I have many more molds, but the ones I mentioned are the ones I use the most and would really miss if I didn’t have them anymore.

Do you have a lot of baking pans at home? Or are there many more on your wish list? I am curious about your favorite baking pan(s)!