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The two most common loaf pan sizes are a 9 by 5-inch pan and an 8½ by 4½-inch pan. Both pans are generally about 2½ inches high. Even though the measurements might seem similar enough, that can equal up to a two-cup difference in volume, which will affect the shape of your final loaf. It’s best to use the recommended pan based on your recipe. Lindsay Boyers, a certified holistic nutritionist with extensive nutrition knowledge and cooking experience, tested the eight loaf pans for this roundup and supplied us with her insights. Value: After looking at everything else, we analyze the loaf pan's price to determine whether or not it's a good value. Performance: For each pan, we tend to bake recipes that work well for its size and shape. This means they may bake anything from banana bread to meatloaf. We assess how well every loaf baked to accurately measure the pan's performance.
Silicone bakeware is a favorite in Europe and has been used for years, particularly for specialty pans and molds, as traditional metal counterparts require greasing and flouring. Made of food-grade silicone, this Trudeau loaf pan is perfect for those who want a lightweight, easy-to-clean pan that requires no extra steps to prepare the surface for use. Over the years, we've sent top-rated loaf pans into the home kitchens of our experienced product testers. Since different materials yield different loaf results, we make certain to test a wide variety to accurately assess what will work best for you. We also allowed for unique versions of loaf pans, like our meatloaf option. As with many of our recommendations, our testing is ongoing. The Breadwinner is on the more expensive end of the loaf pan spectrum, but for those looking for an incredibly attractive pan that can also stand up to serious use for the long haul, you won't be disappointed. Gossett's pro tip: Lining your pan with a quarter sheet of parchment paper rather than greasing the pan makes for easy lift-off and cleanup after baking. Aside from making the pan easier to clean, the parchment paper also made little handles that made it easier for our tester to remove the cake from the pan.If you've ever wondered how to make a perfect loaf of sandwich bread, baking your bread in a pullman loaf pan is half the battle. A pullman loaf pan is a long loaf pan with squared height and width dimensions, straight sides, and most importantly, a lid. With the lid on, the bread inside can only rise to the top of the pan, making for a more delicate crumb and tender, moist bread since less moisture is released in the baking process.
If you’re baking a looser batter in your loaf pan, you may want all four sides to be covered with parchment. In this case, you’ll want a piece of parchment about double the size of your loaf pan. Lay the parchment paper on top of the loaf pan, and cut slits at each corner of the paper towards the corners of the loaf pan. Lay the parchment paper flat on the bottom of the pan, then fold the sides of the paper into the pan, where they will overlap to cover the sides and make crisp corners. We made both a turkey meatloaf and a vanilla pound cake, partly to test the pan's versatility and partly so we could give an apples-to-apples comparison of the pan's performance. The pan got high marks across the board. Ease of Cleaning: Every pan is cleaned thoroughly after baking, according to manufacturer’s instructions, and then analyzed for any surface damage or leftover crumbs. The biggest con of the Breadwinner pan is the open seam in each inner corner. When it came time to wash the pan, it took significantly more effort to clean the crumbs out of the corners compared to other pans. Swapping parchment paper for the cleaning spray solved this issue, but it's worth noting.The pan is made from heavy gauge aluminized steel, so it won't warp while baking and is harder to dent accidentally. The pan extends by several inches around the loaf wells to make it easy to grab onto when turning, and moving in and out of the oven. To maintain the finish and keep the steel from oxidizing, this pan should be washed by hand.
Design: Pans that can conduct heat well and don't have sharp edges or lots of places for crumbs to hide receive higher marks from us when it comes to design. We also tend to appreciate any stylish looks or multiple colorways. Banana bread and vanilla pound cake both came out evenly cooked and browned. Since the loaf pan is made of steel, it did need a generous amount of baking spray on the bottom and sides, but when properly greased, both cakes slid out of the pan with no issues. The pan was a little cumbersome to put into and take out of the oven, though, because it doesn't have handles. It was difficult to grip, especially with bulky oven mitts, and it was a bit of a challenge to invert the pan to remove the cake unless it was completely cooled. The original author of this piece, Bernadette Machard de Gramont, specializes in global food and wine content. She interviewed two culinary experts for this piece and grew up baking banana bread in Pyrex loaf pans. She has personally used the Wilton loaf pans (large and mini) and also loves her Le Creuset Heritage Loaf Pan for making quatre quarts.If you're looking for a professional-grade metal loaf pan, the Chicago Metallic Commercial II earned our best overall placement based on both expert recommendations and user testing. The size of this loaf pan is perfect for baking babka, banana bread, or a sandwich-worthy sourdough loaf. Made of aluminized steel, this pan features a reinforced rim and folded corners that help to prevent the warping that may happen with lighter pans. For the most accurate loaf pan measurements, you’ll want to measure the dimensions of the pan from one inside edge to the other. Any handles or extended rims do not contribute to the overall dimensions of the loaf pan. If you’re baking a loaf of bread in your loaf pan, you’ll start by buttering or oiling the inside of the loaf pan on all four inside walls and the bottom. Then, you’ll trim a sheet of parchment paper the width of the pan, and long enough to line the two long sides of the pans. So if you’re baking with a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, you’ll want to measure a sheet of parchment 9 inches wide, and at least 11 inches long. Lay the parchment into the pan, making sure it covers the bottom and two long sides of the pan.
How evenly a loaf pan's material conducts heat: A main issue with loaf pans is you don't know how the bottom or middle is baking until the very end. We made sure to analyze the final crust for even browning as well as cutting into each loaf to look for even baking.Quality: A great quality loaf pan will be not only very durable, but also a good weight—too light may mean burnt bread, too heavy is cumbersome to out of the oven. Whether it’s bread, pound cake, or a veggie casserole loaf, this 11.3 x 5.75-inch pan can do it all. Hestan Provisions is known for being incredibly durable while also producing incredible meals, and its loaf pan is no exception. Add to that its classic looks, and you have a loaf pan that'll last for decades to come.
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