These Are Basic Baking Pans Every Baker Needs

The oven is a fantastic kitchen appliance that you will find will be useful for making different dishes, including dessert. If you just got yourself an oven, you are going to need more than just the tray that came with your oven.

The basic baking pans you will need varies from oven to oven. That's because oven sizes are no longer "one size fits all". Since not all ovens are the same, you need to choose the right size that fits your oven. Ovens such as toaster ovens and countertop ovens need smaller baking pans since it's capacity is limited compared to the standard size that a regular-sized oven can offer.

What is constant about all ovens is the need to have baking pans. Choose any kind of baking pan on the market and you'll find the most basic material is aluminum, which is sometimes coated with a nonstick coating. We highly recommend buying aluminum pans that conduct heat well and will last a lifetime with care.

Whichever material you choose, here are the basic baking pans any baker will need to bake almost anything in their oven: 

Photo by Shopee

Round Pans For Cakes

Round baking pans are the standard shape for many cakes. Whether you're making a chocolate cake or a vanilla birthday cake recipe, this is the shape that you will find most commonly requested in many recipes. The standard size is 9 inches or 22 cm, but for smaller ovens, this may not fit. Instead, get the smaller size of 6 inches. In fact, get two of the size you choose, so you can easily make layer cakes without needing to slice cake layers in half. 

Just a note when baking cakes: remember to always grease and line at least the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easy cake removal. Line the sides with parchment, too, and you can even bake a cheesecake in this pan. Just chill overnight, run a knife around the edges to loosen any stuck parts, and flip it upside down. Flip it right back up, and it should be good to slice and serve. (Most baked cheesecake recipes should be firm enough to handle it.) 

Aluminum round baking pan, available in 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 inches, starting at P53, Shopee 

Photo by Lazada

Square Pan For Brownies

Brownies are one of the most common baking recipes new bakers attempt. There's no scooping necessary and it's an automatic win because it's loaded with chocolate. The basic size for brownie pans is a 9-inch square (22 cm square) but you can easily get away with an 8- or even a tiny 7-inch pan, too. What's fantastic about using a smaller pan is that it means you'll have an extra thick brownie square to nibble on. 

Nonstick carbon steel 8-inch square pan, P165, Lazada 

Photo by Lazada

Rectangular Pan For Lasagna

Sure, lasagna isn't dessert but it's one of the most popular dishes you will want to bake. This layered pasta is delicious and an instant crowd-pleaser but you need the right pan to do it right. That's where this rectangular pan comes in. It's not just for lasagna; you can also make a double batch of brownies, use it for an easy sheet cake, or use it as a substitute for a cookie sheet for baking cookies. The stand size is 9 by 13 inches but you can find smaller rectangle baking pans, too, to fit your size oven.   

9- by 13-inch baking pan, P190, Lazada

Aluminum rectangular baking pans, available sizes start at 7x11x1 inch, starting at P103, Shopee

Photo by Shopee

Loaf Pan For Banana Bread

If you starting baking during the quarantine period, you probably tried making banana bread. However, did you make the banana bread in a loaf pan or just whatever pan you had? To make a loaf of true banana bread, you needed to bake it in a loaf pan. A standard loaf pan size is usually 6-inches long, 5 inches wide at the top, and 3 inches high (15 cm by 13 cm by 7 cm). This should fit most ovens but you can find other sizes, too.  

This pan is not just for banana bread. This is the same pan you need to make the classic pound cake and a regular loaf of bread that you just learned.  

Nonstick loaf pan, available in 20,  25, 30, and 35 cm, starting at P56, Shopee

Photo by Lazada

Cupcake Pan For Cupcakes

Not everyone starts baking a cake. If you are too intimidated by a cake, you might try baking cupcakes first. These are literally mini cakes, so it can use the same batter as a regular cake but in a smaller form. Just remember that you will need to adjust your baking time since these are much smaller than your typical cake. Check the doneness of your cupcakes at least 15 minutes into baking if you are using a cake batter recipe. 

You might also want to use cupcake liners which will make removing the cupcakes from the cupcake pan super easy. Plus, the liner can add a pretty decorative touch that can make your cupcakes stand out against the other food on the table.        

Nonstick 6-cup cupcake pan, P199, Lazada