Food Articles & Product Announcements
The Scoop on Bakeware
A Closer Look at the Most Popular Materials in Baking
Pans are as varied as the baked goods they produce. Here are commonly used materials and how they stack up in the kitchen.
Steel: Most common material used for bakeware and usually covered with a non-stick coating
- Benefit - Cost -effective, non-stick coating allows for easy release; cost-effective
- Drawback - Poor conductor of heat (not a problem inside a hot oven)
- Cleaning - Dishwasher safe; for best results, hand wash in warm, soapy water
- Best for - General baking
Aluminum/Cast Aluminum: Used by professional bakers and second most common type
- Benefit - Excellent conductor of heat
- Drawback - Higher cost than steel
- Cleaning - Dishwasher safe; for best results, hand wash in warm, soapy water
- Best for - Baking with elegant shapes and fine detail
Stainless Steel: Highly polished, beautiful bakeware
- Benefit - Rust-resistant
- Drawback - Poor conductor of heat; expensive
- Cleaning - Dishwasher safe
- Best for - Savory dishes
Silicone: Newest material in bakeware
- Benefit - Good release, even heating, convenient storage, withstands drastic temperature changes (i.e. freezer to oven)
- Drawback - Less elaborate detail than most metal pans; requires cookie sheet under it
- Cleaning- Dishwasher safe
- Best for - Baking & molding desserts such as ice cream, gelatin and mousse
Cast Iron: Not widely used
- Benefit - Produces highly detailed baked goods
- Drawback - Very thick and heavy
- Cleaning - Hand wash without soap
- Best for - Braided breads, cornbread and detailed baked products
HOW BAKING PANS OUT…
- The practice of baking cakes dates back to ancient Egypt
- 30 million pans are sold annually, worldwide1
- Wilton is the industry leader in bakeware and has been a baking expert since 19291
- Bakeware is a $400 million industry2
- Wilton has produced bakeware for 45 years1
- Today, Wilton offers more than 1,500 pans1
1 Wilton Enterprises Research
2 NPD Homeworld Business Report 2005
