Below is a list of the most common materials used. To see which material is best suited for the type of pan you wish to purchase, go to the equipment main page, select the type of pan you are looking for and in the “how to buy” section, it suggests which materials are best suited for the type of pan.

 

Aluminium

Best for: Baking cakes, breads, cookies, and tarts that need a short baking time and don’t have fruit (unless anodised). Cakes with long baking times are likely to dry out or burn in aluminium unless the pan is of heavy gauge.

Aluminium is lightweight and inexpensive. It is a good material for cake tins but heavy-gauge anodised aluminium is best. Low-gauge anodised aluminium is fine for shallow cake pans, where the cake won’t need as much cooking. 

For more detail on aluminium ovenware and bakeware click here.

Aluminium foil

Best for: Baking and roasting. Good for bakeware or ovenware if you need to freeze the food for later use. Great for making baked goods to give away without losing your tins!

For more detail on aluminium foil ovenware and bakeware click here.

Enamelled cast iron

Best for: Baking casseroles, braising, or stewing

For more detail on enamelled cast iron ovenware and bakeware click here.

Glass

Best for: Baking casseroles, pies, and tarts.

For more detail on glass ovenware and bakeware click here.

Glazed earthenware

Best for: Baking pies, casseroles, braising, gratins, and stewing.

For more detail on glazed earthenware ovenware and bakeware click here.

Multi-layered

Best for: Roasting pans, sheet pans, cookie pans, and loaf tins.

These pans are made from multiple layers of different metals: copper, aluminium, stainless steel, and titanium but stainless steel-coated aluminium is the most common. The metals are layered so as to derive the benefits from each metal while minimizing the drawbacks of using a single material: for example: stainless steel keeps aluminium from reacting with the food and slows down the cooking so the food doesn’t burn.

For more detail on multi-layered ovenware and bakeware click here.

Porcelain

Best for: Baking casseroles, pies, flan, quiche, soufflés, and tarts. Good for ramekins and gratin dishes.
For more detail on porcelain ovenware and bakeware click here.

Silicone

Best for: Baking cakes, breads, and brioche.

For more detail on silicone ovenware and bakeware click here.

Stainless steel

Best for: Roasting pans, baking sheets, and deep cake tins.

For more detail on stainless steel ovenware and bakeware click here.

Glazed stoneware

Best for: Braising, roasting, baking, casseroles, and stewing.

For more detail on glazed stoneware ovenware and bakeware click here.

Tin plate

Best for: Pies, cakes, breads, and cookies. Not great for tarts or acidic food.

Great for bakeware if it’s of good quality and well cared for. Baking tins with shiny surfaces deflect the heat from the food so that they don’t scorch. Dark coloured baking tins absorb the heat so the oven temperature needs to be reduced by 10˚C to ensure it doesn’t scorch the food. Buy good quality tins with a minimum number of seams which can oxidise and corrode.

For more detail on tin plate ovenware and bakeware click here.

Unglazed terracotta

Best for: Great for cooking meat or vegetables without fat. The pot creates its own steam as it absorbs liquid so you need less liquid than cooking in a metal pot.

For more detail on unglazed terracotta ovenware and bakeware click here.