Baking trays are a useful aid when popping things in and removing them from the oven. Whether you’re carefully pouring custard into your custard tart or lemon filling into your lemon tart, a baking tray placed underneath your tart tin offers some much needed stability.
Oven trays can take a bashing, as oil residue and sometimes charred remains build up over time. We think it’s best to have a couple of baking trays; one or two that you keep especially for those more delicate baking tasks, ensuring you get the perfect batch every time, and one or more for everyday items, like pizzas, chips, fish fingers.
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The baking trays on this list range in price from a couple of pounds up to £45+. For some, baking trays are something you’ll use everyday, so we think it’s worth paying a little more for something robust, reliable and well-made.
This guide is regularly updated with new baking trays that have been tried, tested and top-rated by BBC Good Food’s reviews experts. Those featuring earned their place based on their performance during rigorous, impartial product testing, any baking trays that warped during test were instantly disqualified. Included is a selection of new baking trays as well as favourites that continuously hold their position against the newer trays. We will only ever feature baking trays that prove to be good value for money.
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Best baking trays at a glance
- Best baking tray for eco credentials: Mermaid Silver Anodised baking tray, £25
- Best baking tray for high cooking temperatures: Le Creuset Ovenware large tray, £42
- Best baking tray for large trays: Nordic Ware Naturals sheet pan, £14.38
- Best baking sheet: Le Creuset Insulated cookie sheet, £74.99
- Best heavy duty baking tray: Netherton Foundry Heavy Duty baking sheet, £45.95
- Best baking tray set: Tala 3-piece baking tray set, £17.60
- Best shallow baking tray: Zyliss non-stick carbon steel baking tray, £18
- Best budget baking tray: Masterclass non-stick baking tray, £6.99
- Best colourful baking tray: Prestige x Nadiya baking tray, £24.99 for a set of two
- Best glass baking tray: Pyrex Bake & Enjoy glass multipurpose baking tray, £18.49
Best baking trays 2023
Mermaid Silver Anodised baking tray
Pros:
- Available in three sizes
- Made in the UK
- Perfectly baked cookies
- Sustainably made
- Lifetime guarantee
Cons:
Best baking tray for eco credentials
Star rating: 5/5
This attractive and lightweight aluminium baking tray from Samuel Groves is available in three sizes: 12, 14 and 16 inches. We particularly loved this tray for its impressive eco credentials. Not only is it made in the UK, but it also comes wrapped in fully recyclable packaging and has a lifetime guarantee.
It’s oven safe up to 230C and can also be used on ceramic, gas and electric hobs, making it ideal for gravies. It can also be used under the grill.
Despite being on the light side, this tray is remarkably robust. The sides of the tray are tall and gently curved, making it easy to remove from the oven.
Our test cookies spread gently in the oven and baked evenly top to bottom. Once baked they came off the tray with total ease.
Key specifications
- Material: Silver anodised aluminium
- Sizes available: 30.5cm, 35.5cm, 40.6cm
- Dishwasher safe: No
- Guarantee: Lifetime
Le Creuset Ovenware large tray
Pros:
- Generously sized
- Attractive
- Sturdy
- Oven safe to a high temperatures
Cons:
Best baking tray for high cooking temperatures
Star rating: 5/5
Made from hard anodised aluminium, this is a sturdy, well-made tray. It’s oven safe up to 260C, which is one of the highest temperatures of all the baking trays on this list.
We loved the slim, sculpted handles at either end of the baking tray. Although they’re small, they’re easy to grip and make putting items in and removing them from the oven a doddle. They’re also embossed, which is a sleek finishing touch.
Not only is this tray resistant to a high temperature, but it’s also dishwasher-safe, freezer safe and can be used under the grill.
After 10 minutes of cooking, the cookies were evenly baked and well browned both on the top and bottom. They spread slightly, but remained soft and gooey inside. The cookies came off the tray easily too.
Key specifications
- Material: Hard anodised forged aluminium
- Sizes available: 28cm, 35cm
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Guarantee: Lifetime
Available from Le Creuset (£42)
Nordic Ware Naturals sheet pan
Pros:
- Comes in good range of sizes
- Notably lightweight
- Very sturdy
Cons:
Best baking tray for large trays
Star rating: 5/5
Nordic Ware is perhaps best known for its high-quality, ultra sturdy bundt tins, but the baking trays are equally as good.
This one is notably lightweight, but robust and well-built, with tall slightly sloping sides. They’re available in a good range of sizes, including the largest sized baking tray of all the trays on this list: a half sheet – 43cm x 31cm.
Our cookies baked to perfection using this tray. They spread gently and were crisp and evenly browned top and bottom. There was no sticking when removing them from the tray either.
These trays are oven safe up to 230C, but Nordic Ware recommends against dishwashing as this will cause the pan to discolour.
Key specifications
- Material: Aluminium
- Sizes available: 25cm, 33cm, 40cm, 43cm
- Dishwasher safe: Not recommended
- Guarantee: Lifetime
Le Creuset Insulated cookie sheet
Pros:
- Lifetime guarantee
- Double-walled
- Toughened non-stick
Cons:
Best baking sheet
Star rating: 5/5
This sturdy, shiny black carbon-steel cookie sheet comes with an extra-toughened non-stick surface, making it super smooth. Coupled with the flat edges, cookies slide gracefully from the sheet without help.
We love the orange heat-resistant silicone inserts, not simply because they make moving the hot sheet around safer, but they also help the sheet stand out in the drawer or cupboard.
Our cookies browned quickly on the double-walled sheet, but were dark in the recommended 10 minutes. Future bakes were removed at 8 minutes, resulting in the perfect colour and snap. We love that with just a quick wipe, the sheet is pristine.
The Le Creuset is a roomy 38cm, can withstand temperatures up to 240C, and comes with a lifetime guarantee – but we doubt you will ever have to call that in.
Key specifications
- Material: Non-stick coated carbon steel
- Sizes available: 38cm
- Dishwasher safe: No
- Guarantee: Lifetime
Netherton Foundry Heavy Duty baking sheet
Pros:
- Should last forever with care
- Easy to lift
Cons:
Best heavy duty baking tray
Star rating: 5/5
This hand-forged 2mm-thick black steel sheet from Shropshire-based Netherton Foundry is the sturdiest and heaviest (1.9kg) sheet in our test. It’s oven-safe up to to 300C.
If you can handle a bit of weight, the sheet will serve you well, as it heats up in no time, is evenly spread, and bakes cookies in 8 minutes with an even colour and sharp, crisp snap.
Despite the weight, the Netherton sheet is one of the easiest to lift in and out of the oven, as it has a cleverly designed 2cm stepped rim on one side.
The sheet uses no chemicals or PTFE. It’s pre-seasoned with flax oil, making it naturally non-stick. This treatment can (and must) be repeated from time to time.
However, the sheet will also take on the oils and fats from your bakes, creating a lovely patina over time that will only get more beautiful with age. A wipe is all that is needed to keep the sheet clean.
Key specifications
- Material: Black iron
- Sizes available: 33cm, 44cm
- Dishwasher safe: No
- Guarantee: One year
Available from Netherton Foundry (£45.95)
Tala 3-piece baking tray set
Pros:
- Nest nicely for easy storage
- Good size multipack
- Robust trays
- Oven safe to high temperature
- Made in the UK
Cons:
- Very thick – cookies cooked slowly
Best baking tray set
Star rating: 4.5/5
If you’re often cooking for a number of people or just like to have the option of a couple of different sized trays, this Tala set, featuring two 25 x 18 cm trays and one 34.5 x 24.4 tray, is a great choice.
The trays are robust, a deep black and very smooth. Our baked cookies slid off the tray leaving nothing behind.
Each tray is pretty versatile too. Not only are they oven safe to 240C but they’re also freezer, dishwasher and grill safe. We were also impressed to see that these trays come with a 10-year warranty and, as a heritage brand, have continued manufacturing in the UK too.
Our cookies were ever-so-slightly slower to bake when using these trays, which left our cookies looking thicker and a minute underbaked.
Key specifications
- Material: Carbon steel
- Sizes available: 12cm, 25cm, 34.5cm, 39.5cm, 40cm
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Guarantee: 10 year
Zyliss non-stick carbon steel baking tray
Pros:
- Attractive blue design
- Sturdy and well built
- Reinforced sides
- Impressive non-stick
Cons:
- Only one size available
- No overhang to grip
Best shallow baking tray
Score: 4.5/5
This baking tray from Zyliss has one of the slickest non-stick surfaces of all the trays we tested: nothing stuck.
It’s attractive in design, with a deep blue non-stick coating, and is remarkably sturdy and robust. For ease, it is oven safe to 240C and is also dishwasher safe, though it’s highly unlikely this tray will need to be cleaned in a dishwasher.
The oil slick-like surface did mean that our cookies spread a little further than we’d have liked, but this tray left them evenly baked and evenly browned top and bottom.
Our only slight gripes with this tray are that it’s only available in one size (39.19 x 26.7 x 2.49 cm) and there are no lips for easy insertion or removal from the oven.
Key specifications
- Material: Carbon steel
- Sizes available: 39cm
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Guarantee: Five years
Available from Zyliss (£18)
Masterclass non-stick baking tray
Pros:
- Dishwasher and freezer safe
- Sturdy
- Impressive non-stick coating
- Available in a good range of sizes
Cons:
Best budget baking tray
Score: 4.5/5
Simple, understated and fuss-free, this Masterclass baking tray doesn’t come with all the nifty design-features of some of the other trays on this list, rather it’s just been designed to get the job done.
Made from carbon steel, this baking tray is super robust. We saw no warping when we placed it in the oven and our cookies spread gently and baked to perfection. Although the non-stick surface is a less smooth than the Zyliss above, our cookies were easy to remove from the tray.
This tray is both dishwasher and freezer safe, but we were let down by the amount of non-recyclable packaging included.
Key specifications
- Material: Carbon steel
- Sizes available: 10cm, 24cm, 26cm, 35cm, 39cm
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Guarantee: 20 year (five on non-stick)
Prestige x Nadiya baking tray set
Pros:
- Colourful design
- Sturdy
- Internal measurements on tray
Cons:
- Trellis design on base not for everyone
Best colourful baking tray
Score: 4.5/5
As the most colourful baking trays on the list, these ones certainly stood out amongst the crowd. These baking trays are part of a wider collection by Prestige and Nadiya Hussain and all items come in the same teal colourway.
Like many of the other trays on this list, these trays are made from carbon steel, so are robust and sturdy. For easy clean up, they’re also dishwasher safe.
Our cookies baked really well on these trays, browning evenly all over and featuring a crisp base. We did notice the unique trellis pattern baked onto the base of the cookies. Whilst this was a cute touch that could be ideal for something like a roulade, we felt that this may not always be suitable or the desired finish for different foods.
Key specifications
- Material: Carbon steel
- Sizes available: 34.4cm, 39.5cm
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Guarantee: 10 years
Pyrex Bake & Enjoy glass multipurpose baking tray
Pros:
- Comes in range of sizes
- Easy to clean
- Freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe
Cons:
- Quite shallow
- Short guarantee
Best glass baking tray
Score: 4.5/5
Well known for their super-strong glass products, this Pyrex baking tray is an impressive option if you’re after something versatile. Like many of the other baking trays on this list, it’s dishwasher safe and freezer safe, but unique to glass trays, this one is also microwave safe too.
It’s available in just two sizes and it’s oven safe to 220C.
We also rated this tray for its eco credentials; not only is glass easy to recycle, but the tray came with just a paper insert and is made in the UK.
Whilst glass is naturally non-stick, it is slower to heat up than metal, so our cookies required a few minutes longer in the oven compared to the other trays on this list. But they spread gently and were nicely browned all over.
Key specifications
- Material: Borosilicate Pyrex glass
- Sizes available: 24cm, 32cm
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
- Guarantee: Two years
Other baking trays tested and rated by BBC Good Food experts
- Salter Champagne baking tray, £9.99
- Progress Shimmer non-stick baking tray, £8.99
- Circulon Ultimum insulated baking sheet, £21.99
- Judge non-stick baking sheet, £22
- Stellar/James Martin Bakers Collection non-stick baking tray, £9
How to choose a baking tray
Although it’s tempting to buy a cheap baking tray, we didn’t want to fall foul of the false economy. Buying a tray that will last for years saves money and hassle in the long run, but we were keen to try both cheaper brands and more high-end products to find a product to suit everyone’s needs.
If you’re a frequent baker, 10-year or lifetime guarantees are appealing, as it gives you the knowledge that you can rely on your baking sheet time and time again. For those who bake less frequently, a budget option that still offers reasonable quality might feel like a better spend.
A good-quality non-stick surface will ensure no pesky baked-on remnants. We looked for trays that have such an effective non-stick coating that it wouldn’t be necessary to apply butter, oil, liners, parchment or foil.
The baking trays on this list are made of a variety of materials. It’s worth remembering that different materials provide different cooking results.
Glass: Brilliant at conducting and holding onto heat, but is a little slow to heat up. It’s heavy-duty and is an eco-conscious choice.
Carbon steel: Lightweight, naturally non-stick and ultra durable. Carbon steel is stronger than aluminium and is a great, long-lasting heat conductor. It is susceptible to rust, however.
Aluminium: Both quick to come to temperature and to cool down. Food generally browns evenly and it’s a lightweight and affordable option. Whilst it is resistant to corrosion, it can react to acidic foods.
Stainless steel: Hard-wearing, durable and long-lasting, stainless steel is cheap as well as non-reactive and safe from corrosion and rust. It can distribute heat unevenly though.
How to clean baking trays
As with all cookware, baking trays should be washed after each use to keep them in tip top shape.
To ensure the longevity of the non-stick, we recommend hand-washing. Though we recognise that life is busy and sometimes you simply don’t have the time to stand over a sink scrubbing away, so, if the baking tray allows, occasionally popping it through the dishwasher is absolutely fine.
For baking trays that aren’t dishwasher safe, but have a big build up of roasting juices or burned bits, pop the baking tray in the sink, fill it with washing up liquid and just boiled water and allow it to sit. Once the water has cooled, any stuck on bits should have loosened or risen to the top, allowing you to go in with your sponge or cloth to clean them all off.
A reusable alternative to parchment paper or tin foil are silicone baking mats. Our friends at olive tested and reviewed a whole range to find the best silicone baking mats.
How we tested baking trays
We reviewed a representative sample of nearly 30 baking trays and scored them against the following criteria.
Sturdiness: We looked for a tray that was sturdy enough to withstand high heats without buckling or twisting.
Weight: A good, sturdy tray will never be too light that the tray feels flimsy, as the weight of solid materials retain and evenly distribute the heat, all of which helps the bake. However, if too heavy to start with, once laden with cookies or pastries it will be difficult to carry. We looked for trays that sat comfortably somewhere between the two.
Non-stick: A good-quality non-stick surface that will stand the test of time, with no need for additional oiling or the use of liners, parchment or foil, if possible.
Ease of use/practicality: A lip, handles or shallow sides for moving the tray around with our precious bakes was very important.
Dishwasher or hand-wash: Both are good, but given washing in a dishwasher destroys the non-stick surface over time, we liked trays that needed little more than a wipe to keep clean.
Sustainability: We looked for trays made from sustainable materials, baking trays with long or lifetime warranties scored highly too, as did those packaged in fully recyclable materials.
Testing method:
We put all the trays through their paces using our classic vintage chocolate chip cookie recipe, dolloping the biscuit mix directly onto the tray. All the sheets and trays tested can also be used for pastries, bread and scones as well. The deeper trays are also good for roasting, where little or no oil is needed.
Find out more about how testing works at BBC Good Food by heading over to our how we test page.
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If you have any questions or suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
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