# Baking Sheets, Mats & Liners For most kitchens, America's Test Kitchen (ATK) picks a bare aluminum half sheet, 18 by 13 inches: it fits home ovens, standard mats and racks, its maker rates it to 500°F, and ATK broils on it. Stainless suits acidic cooking; nonstick suits sticky bakes but stops near 450°F. Mats must match the pan's 16.5 by 11.5 inch floor. ## How it works A baking sheet is a thin slab of metal that carries oven heat into the underside of food. Three things set how fast and evenly it does that: the metal, its thickness and its colour. Aluminum spreads heat quickly but is soft and reacts with acid. Stainless steel wrapped around an aluminum core resists acid but weighs more than twice as much. Thin sheets warp when hot metal meets cold food, so better pans use thicker metal and a steel wire rolled into the rim. Dark surfaces absorb heat faster and brown more. Liners sit between pan and food: parchment is paper coated for release, silicone mats are silicone over a fiberglass mesh, and nonstick coatings are films bonded to the metal, either PTFE, the Teflon-type plastic, or PTFE-free. Each one adds easy release but brings a lower temperature ceiling than bare metal. [1] [6] [4] [5] [24] [17] [10] [40] | Family | What it is | Suits | |---|---|---| | Sheet pan | A flat metal pan, rimmed on four sides or flat with one or two raised edges. | Everyone; the rimmed half sheet is the all-purpose pan for roasting, baking and broiling. | | Reusable mat | A silicone sheet with a fiberglass mesh inside, or a thinner PTFE-coated sheet, cut to one pan size or trimmed to fit. | Frequent bakers who want release without buying parchment, at temperatures under the mat's ceiling. | | Parchment | Paper treated or coated so food does not stick, sold as rolls or pre-cut sheets. | Anyone lining a pan for cookies or easy cleanup, at 425 to 450°F or below depending on brand. | | Oven liner | A sheet that catches drips in the oven itself rather than lining a pan. | Cooks who want to keep the oven clean, placed on a lower rack without covering all of it, because range makers forbid lining the floor or covering a whole rack with foil. | ## How an expert narrows the choice ```mermaid timeline section 1 · What it is sheet pan : ask Sheet size, Pan style, Cooking surface : skip Mat or liner material, Oven liner placement, Parchment format reusable mat : ask Sheet size, Heat ceiling, Mat or liner material, Dishwasher-safe : skip Pan style, Cooking surface, Nonstick coating, Insulated (air-bake), Wall height, Oven liner placement, Parchment format parchment : ask Parchment format, Sheet size, Heat ceiling : skip Pan style, Cooking surface, Nonstick coating, Insulated (air-bake), Wall height, Mat or liner material, Oven liner placement oven liner : ask Oven liner placement, Mat or liner material : skip Sheet size, Pan style, Cooking surface, Nonstick coating, Insulated (air-bake), Wall height, Parchment format section 2 · Sheet size Half sheet, quarter, eighth, or jelly roll? section 3 · Pan style rimmed sheet pan : ask Flat floor size, Wall height cookie sheet : ask Insulated (air-bake), Surface colour section 4 · Cooking surface nonstick coated : ask Nonstick coating, Heat ceiling : skip Safe for acidic food bare aluminum : ask Metal thickness, Wire-stiffened rim, Safe for acidic food : skip Nonstick coating bare aluminized steel : ask Pan weight : skip Nonstick coating stainless steel : ask Pan weight, Flat floor size : skip Nonstick coating, Safe for acidic food ``` 1. **What it is.** Pan, reusable mat, parchment, or oven liner? Pans, mats, parchment and oven liners share this leaf but almost no spec. The answer drops most of the catalog and most facets: liners never need metal thickness or a rim, pans never need placement. If sheet pan: ask Sheet size, Pan style, Cooking surface; skip Mat or liner material, Oven liner placement, Parchment format. If reusable mat: ask Sheet size, Heat ceiling, Mat or liner material, Dishwasher-safe; skip Pan style, Cooking surface, Nonstick coating, Insulated (air-bake), Wall height, Oven liner placement, Parchment format. If parchment: ask Parchment format, Sheet size, Heat ceiling; skip Pan style, Cooking surface, Nonstick coating, Insulated (air-bake), Wall height, Mat or liner material, Oven liner placement. If oven liner: ask Oven liner placement, Mat or liner material; skip Sheet size, Pan style, Cooking surface, Nonstick coating, Insulated (air-bake), Wall height, Parchment format. Skip if already known: a query naming the item, such as sheet pan, cookie sheet, Silpat, silicone mat, parchment or oven liner. 2. **Sheet size.** Half sheet, quarter, eighth, or jelly roll? Every pan, mat and pre-cut parchment sheet is made for one pan size, so a mismatch means a return. Full and two-thirds are not offered because they do not fit home ovens; toaster-oven pans have no standard size. Skip if already known: a query naming the size, such as half sheet, quarter sheet or 13 x 18, an earlier answer naming the pan a mat must fit, a toaster-oven query, which is matched by title words. 3. **Pan style.** Rimmed for everything, flat cookie sheet, or broiler pan? Pans only. Rimmed sheets, cookie sheets and broiler pans do different jobs. Insulation matters only for cookie sheets; surface colour matters on any pan, but cookie bottoms show over-browning first, so the cookie answer brings both. If rimmed sheet pan: ask Flat floor size, Wall height. If cookie sheet: ask Insulated (air-bake), Surface colour. Skip if already known: a query saying rimmed, jelly roll, cookie sheet, rimless or broiler pan. 4. **Cooking surface.** Bare aluminum, stainless steel, or nonstick? Pans only. 'Bare aluminum' takes bare aluminum and bare aluminized steel, which ATK found bake alike though aluminized is heavier; 'stainless' takes stainless steel; 'nonstick' takes nonstick coated, ceramic included. If nonstick coated: ask Nonstick coating, Heat ceiling; skip Safe for acidic food. If bare aluminum: ask Metal thickness, Wire-stiffened rim, Safe for acidic food; skip Nonstick coating. If bare aluminized steel: ask Pan weight; skip Nonstick coating. If stainless steel: ask Pan weight, Flat floor size; skip Nonstick coating, Safe for acidic food. Skip if already known: a query saying nonstick, aluminum, stainless or PTFE-free. ## What to surface ### What it is Whether the item is a metal sheet pan, a reusable mat or liner that lines one, parchment paper, or a liner that catches drips in the oven itself. The four share a shelf but almost no spec. Pans are judged on metal, thickness and size; mats and parchment on heat ceiling and fit to the pan the buyer owns; oven liners on where they may go, since GE and Whirlpool both forbid lining the oven floor or covering a whole rack with foil. [1] [5] [24] [33] [34] [40] Values: sheet pan, reusable mat, parchment, oven liner. Question to ask: Pan, reusable mat, parchment, or oven liner? Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Not a field. Derive from title words: sheet, pan, tray, cookie sheet; silicone mat, baking mat, reusable baking liner, cookie sheet liner; parchment, baking paper; oven liner. The word liner outranks cookie sheet. Title-word mapping covers nearly every listing. Sets that bundle a pan and a mat take sheet pan, with the mat noted. ### Pan style For pans: a rimmed sheet with a wall on all four sides, a flat cookie sheet with one or two raised edges, or a two-piece broiler pan with a slotted top. A rimmed sheet roasts, holds juices and takes a wire rack, and ATK uses it with a rack for broiling. A cookie sheet lets parchment slide straight off, offers more open baking area and lets air reach the cookies, so they bake slightly faster. ATK suggests a dedicated cookie sheet because rimmed sheets darken from roasting and can overbake cookies. [2] [1] [7] Values: rimmed sheet pan, cookie sheet, broiler pan. Question to ask: Rimmed for everything, flat cookie sheet, or broiler pan? Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words: rimmed, jelly roll, sheet pan; cookie sheet, rimless; broiler pan. The photo settles it when the title says only baking sheet. Titles that say cookie sheet often mean a rimmed pan; trust the photo over the word. ### Sheet size The foodservice size name of the pan, or of the pan a mat or pre-cut parchment sheet is made to fit. Sizes are fractions of a 26 by 18 inch full sheet, which is too big for home ovens. The half sheet, 18 by 13 inches, is the home workhorse; quarters, 13 by 9.5, and eighths, 9.5 by 6.5, suit small jobs. The jelly roll pan, traditionally 15 by 10, sits between quarter and half, though some brands use the name for half sheets. A mat must match the pan's flat floor or it curls up the walls. [7] [1] [14] [15] [10] [19] [36] [35] [37] [39] [16] [38] Values: full, two-thirds, half, jelly roll, quarter, eighth, toaster oven, nonstandard. Question to ask: Half sheet, quarter, eighth, or jelly roll? Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Pans: title words half sheet, quarter sheet, 1/2 size, and the Amazon Size row. Mats and parchment usually give inches only, for example 16.5 x 11.6 in. Map outer inches to names: about 18 by 13 is half, 15 by 10 jelly roll, 13 by 9.5 quarter, 9.5 by 6.5 eighth; a mat about 16.5 by 11.5 fits a half. A jelly roll title on half-sheet inches is half. Toaster oven by title words only. Sets record every size they contain. Off-grid sizes are nonstandard. Chart: Sheet-size nesting. ### Cooking surface For pans: what the food touches, which is bare aluminum, bare aluminum-coated (aluminized) steel, stainless steel, or a nonstick coating over a metal base. Bare aluminum browns well, is light, takes the broiler and is rated to 500°F by Nordic Ware, but it warps readily, acidic food leaches metal and the dishwasher discolours it. Bare aluminized steel bakes alike but is heavier. Stainless is the pick for tomatoes and citrus but weighs more than twice as much and often breaks standard sizes. Nonstick releases without parchment but stops at about 450°F and wears out. [1] [6] [3] [2] [17] [18] [35] [37] [38] Values: bare aluminum, bare aluminized steel, stainless steel, nonstick coated. Question to ask: Bare aluminum, stainless steel, or nonstick? Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Amazon Material row gives a base metal but cannot separate aluminized from carbon steel (Great Jones: row Carbon Steel, title Aluminized Steel), so read the title. The coating is in the title (nonstick) or the Material Type Free row (PTFE Free). Carbon steel on a listing usually means a nonstick coating over it; confirm with the title. Anodized aluminum has no value here; record unknown. ### Broiler-safe Whether the item can sit under the broiler, the oven's top element at full heat. Bare aluminum and stainless pans qualify: ATK broils on both. Reynolds says never to use its parchment with a broiler, and ATK says nonstick sheets cannot go under one because the coating fumes. Some PTFE-free nonstick sheets are sold for broiling. A cook who broils chicken skin or chars vegetables needs a bare pan with any liner removed. [23] [3] [1] [37] [17] Question to ask: Will it go under the broiler? Used as: filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost none. Look for it as: Not a field. Derive: true for bare aluminum and stainless pans; false for PTFE nonstick pans, parchment and mats; for PTFE-free nonstick and bare aluminized steel take the maker's claim (Great Jones: for broiling), else unknown. Mats are set to false because their makers state a ceiling and none of the pages read allows broiler use. Nordic Ware's 500°F rating does not mention the broiler; ATK broils on that pan, so bare aluminum stays true. ### Dishwasher-safe Whether the maker allows the dishwasher. Detergent discolours bare aluminum, so ATK, Nordic Ware and USA Pan all say hand-wash pans. For silicone mats it runs the other way: ATK found dishwasher-washed mats held less grease and odour, since silicone absorbs oils over time. [1] [5] [17] [18] [36] Values: yes, top rack only, no. Question to ask: Must it survive the dishwasher? Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words Dishwasher Safe on mats; care text on brand pages for pans. Default bare aluminum pans to no when silent; brand care text settles the rest. ### Safe for acidic food Whether acidic food such as tomatoes, citrus or vinegar can sit on the surface without reacting with it. Bare aluminum reacts: acid leaches metal into food, leaves a metallic taste and pits the pan, and wet, salty, long cooks make it worse, while cookies extract little. Stainless, anodized and coated surfaces do not react, which is why ATK names a stainless sheet for acidic cooking. [6] [1] Question to ask: Roasting tomatoes or citrus on it often? Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost none. Look for it as: Not a field. Derive from surface: false for bare aluminum; true for stainless and nonstick coated. Bare aluminized steel stays unknown. A yes answer filters to acid_safe true; a no leaves the set unchanged. ### Parchment format Whether parchment comes as flat pre-cut sheets or on a roll. Rolled parchment curls, which is why Reynolds built a dispenser panel to flatten it and King Arthur sells pre-cut sheets that lie flat in a half sheet. Pre-cut sheets skip the trimming but fit one pan size; a roll is trimmed to any pan, so sheet size matters only for pre-cut sheets. [23] [21] Values: pre-cut sheets, roll. Question to ask: Flat pre-cut sheets, or a roll? Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title words sheets, pre-cut, half sheet, or roll with a square-foot count. Title-word match. ### Nonstick coating For nonstick pans: whether the coating is PTFE, the Teflon family, or PTFE-free, usually sold as ceramic or silicone. PTFE releases well but starts to break down and give off fumes above about 500°F, which is why makers and ATK keep nonstick sheets at or under 450°F. PTFE is a PFAS: Minnesota has banned selling baking sheets with intentionally added PFAS since January 2025, and Maine since January 2026; other states were not checked. ATK found PTFE-free coatings more fragile, and some sheets sold as ceramic still contain PTFE. [3] [26] [25] [27] [28] [18] [37] [32] [29] [30] Values: PTFE, PTFE-free. Question to ask: Fine with PTFE (Teflon-type), or PTFE-free only? Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Amazon Material Type Free row (PTFE Free, PFAS Free) and title words; brand pages say PTFE-free or name the coating (Americoat silicone). A coating called ceramic is not proof of PTFE-free. Where the listing is silent, read the brand page; record unknown rather than infer. ### Oven liner placement For oven liners: whether the maker says to lay it on the oven floor, cover a whole rack, or sit on part of a lower rack below the food. GE and Whirlpool both forbid lining the oven bottom with foil or any liner, and covering an entire rack with foil, because air must move. GE warns that blocking a gas oven's floor openings or covering a whole rack can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. GE says to catch drips with foil on a lower rack, several inches below the food. [33] [34] Values: oven floor, full rack, part of a lower rack. Question to ask: On the oven floor, or on a rack? Used as: filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title or bullets on oven-liner listings (for bottom of oven, rack liner, cut to fit); not a structured row. Read title and bullets. A liner sold for the floor, or sized to cover a whole rack, stays listed but carries the range makers' warning. Record unknown when the listing gives no placement. ### Heat ceiling The highest oven temperature the maker allows; for coated pans, mats and parchment the coating or paper sets it, below what bare metal takes. It decides whether the item survives a hot roast. Parchment is rated 425 to 450°F by brand, most nonstick sheets 450°F and most silicone mats 480 to 500°F. Nordic Ware rates its bare aluminum sheet to 500°F, and ATK uses uncoated sheets at 500°F and under the broiler. Silpat's own mat rating is disputed. [23] [21] [19] [20] [3] [18] [11] [17] [1] [5] [36] [37] [39] Range: Nonstick pans mostly 450°F; parchment 425 to 450°F; silicone mats 480 to 500°F; Nordic Ware's bare aluminum sheet 500°F. Used as: filter, shown on the card, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Coated pans and mats: listing bullets (safe up to 450°F; heat resistant up to 480 degrees F), sometimes a Temperature row in a brand comparison table. Bare pans: the brand page (Nordic Ware: oven safe up to 500 degrees). Brand page or box when the bullets are silent. Record null when no maker states a ceiling, never a guessed number. Chart: Heat ceiling scale. ### Flat floor size The length and width of the flat floor inside the pan's walls, which is what a mat or wire rack has to fit. Listings give outer size, but fit depends on the floor. ATK measures a standard half-sheet floor at 16.5 by 11.5 inches, Vollrath's base is 16.6 by 11.7, and half-size mats are cut to 16.5 by 11.6, so they match. Brand inner figures are taken at the rim top: USA Pan states 17.25 by 12.25 and Nordic Ware 17.1 by 12.1, yet ATK measured both floors at 16.5 by 11.5. Most stainless pans are off-size and need their own racks. [3] [1] [5] [10] [15] [18] [17] [19] [36] Range: Half sheets about 16.5 by 11.5 inches; quarter sheets about 11.5 by 8.5 inches. Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Use floor figures only: Vollrath Width Base and Depth Base, and ATK's measured Cooking Surface rows. USA Pan Baking Surface and Nordic Ware Inner figures are rim-top and read larger. Amazon shows outer size only. Backfill the top N pans only, from foodservice base specs or ATK's measured rows. Never copy a brand inner or baking-surface figure as the floor. Chart: Sheet-size nesting. ### Insulated (air-bake) A sheet made of two thin metal layers with air between them, sold as insulated or air-bake. Insulation is meant to stop delicate bottoms burning. In ATK's cookie test it baked slowly and unevenly: edge cookies browned before middle ones, cookies spread flat before setting, and the sheets warped. ATK's call is a single-layer sheet for most cookie baking. [2] [7] Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Not a structured row. Derive from title words insulated or Air Bake. Title-word match; default false when absent. ### Surface colour How light or dark the cooking surface is, from shiny new aluminum to dark nonstick or a pan darkened by use. Dark surfaces absorb oven heat faster. ATK's temperature trackers showed darkened old sheets heating faster than shiny new ones, and a dark nonstick cookie sheet over-browned bottoms even when cookies came out early. Bare aluminum darkens as oil polymerises on it, which helps roasting, so check cookies early rather than replace the pan. [4] [2] [38] Values: light, medium, dark. Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: The photo answers it; listings say it only through colour names such as Natural, Champagne Gold or Black. Leave to the image pipeline; colour names are a fallback. Chart: swatch from light to dark. ### Wall height How tall the pan's side wall is. ATK wants straight walls at least 1 inch tall on a half sheet, so food stays in when flipped, juices do not slosh and cakes come out straight-sided; low, sloped walls spilled fat and launched florets. A taller wall makes a deeper pan for focaccia and sheet cakes. [1] [3] [35] [39] [7] Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: The H in Amazon Product Dimensions (1"H, 0.5"H on the pans read). Brand page when the listing omits height. ### Pan weight What one pan weighs. ATK preferred light half sheets because a cook often lifts one one-handed while holding the oven door. Aluminum half sheets weigh about 1.5 lb; clad stainless weighs more than twice that, and ATK's testers found the heaviest cookie sheets hard to handle. [1] [2] [17] [35] Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Amazon Item Weight row. For sets it is the total, so divide by Unit Count or Number of Items. Brand page when missing. ### Mat or liner material For reusable mats, reusable pan liners and oven liners: silicone, usually over a fiberglass mesh, or a PTFE-coated sheet, the Teflon family. Silicone mats carry the maker's ceiling, mostly 480 to 500°F, and silicone rubber has its own FDA food-contact rule for repeated-use articles. PTFE pan liners are thinner sheets trimmed to fit any pan. PTFE gives off fumes when overheated: a poison-centre case links a PTFE oven liner to a cook's flu-like illness and two dead pet birds. [19] [20] [5] [31] [26] [36] [40] Values: silicone, PTFE. Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Title word silicone and the Amazon Material row (Silicone, Teflon Coated Sheet). PTFE liners name it in the title or bullets. Brand page when the title is silent. ### Metal thickness How thick the pan's metal is, given in the US as a gauge number where a smaller number means thicker metal. Thicker metal heats more evenly and resists warping, at the cost of weight. Vollrath sells the same aluminum half sheet in 18, 16 and 13 gauge. Gauge numbers differ by metal: 18 gauge is 1.02 mm in aluminum but 1.21 mm in steel, so compare in millimetres. [2] [1] [10] [13] [8] [9] [38] [12] Range: Vollrath aluminum half sheets run 18 to 13 gauge, 1.02 to 1.83 mm. Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: needs research, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Commercial spec sheets list Gauge; Nordic Ware and the Amazon rows read do not. ATK's cookie-sheet review prints a Thickness row in mm for each sheet tested. Titles sometimes say 0.8mm thick or heavy-gauge. Backfill only the top N from brand or foodservice spec sheets, converting gauge with the table for the base metal, or from a measured mm figure. Record unknown when only heavy-gauge appears. Chart: position on a millimetre scale, colour by metal. ### Wire-stiffened rim A steel wire rolled inside the pan's rim, called an encapsulated or closed bead, that stiffens the edge. Nordic Ware's half sheet and Vollrath's 18-gauge one roll a steel wire into the rim to fight warping, the pan twisting as hot metal meets cold food. Heavy gauge can replace the wire: Vollrath's 13-gauge version has an open bead and needs no rod. The wire reduces warping rather than ending it: ATK found any sheet can warp, mostly when preheated empty, and most spring back. [17] [10] [1] [35] [13] Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Brand pages (Vollrath Bead Style: closed with galvanized wire, or open); some titles say encapsulated steel rim. One read of the brand page per product line. ## Numbers worth computing | Metric | Formula | Why | |---|---|---| | Usable baking area (sq in) | `flat_surface_in length × flat_surface_in width` | Outer size overstates room because sloped walls eat the edge. A standard half-sheet floor of 16.5 by 11.5 inches gives about 190 square inches, the size ATK develops its recipes on. [1] [2] [10] [7] | | Thickness in millimetres (mm) | `lookup(gauge, base metal) in the US sheet-gauge table, aluminum or steel column, with the base metal from the listing Material row; for clad stainless or an unknown base metal, use a measured mm figure such as ATK's Thickness row` | Gauge numbers cannot be compared across metals: 18 gauge is 1.02 mm in aluminum and 1.21 mm in steel, and 13 gauge aluminum is 1.83 mm. A nonstick pan's base metal is not in surface, and clad stainless has no single-metal gauge. [8] [9] [2] | | Mat break-even uses (uses) | `mat price / (parchment price / (parchment sheet count × uses per parchment sheet))` | A reusable mat only saves money after it replaces this many uses of same-size parchment. Count one use per parchment sheet unless its maker says it can be reused, as King Arthur does. [5] [21] | ## What you give up - A nonstick sheet skips the parchment, but it stops at about 450°F, a PTFE coating stays out of the broiler, and coatings scratch under metal racks and wear out in time. [3] [2] [18] Board branch: "See more bare metal pans". - Stainless takes tomatoes and citrus without reacting, but clad sheets weigh more than twice as much as aluminum, brown faster and often miss the standard floor size, so racks and mats may not fit. [1] [6] Board branch: "See more stainless pans". - Thicker metal warps less and heats more evenly, but it adds weight to a pan often lifted one-handed. [2] [1] [13] Board branch: "See more heavy-gauge pans". - Insulation protects pale bottoms but bakes slowly and unevenly, lets cookies spread flat, and the insulated sheets ATK tested warped. [2] - A mat stays flat where parchment can lift or wrinkle and is reused rather than thrown away, but it absorbs oils and odours, and its ceiling may sit below a hot roast. [5] [19] [20] Board branch: "See more parchment". - Bare aluminum browns well and darkens with use, which helps roasting, but it must be hand-washed and will never look new again. [4] [17] [1] ## How to draw it **Sheet-size nesting** (other, shows Sheet size, Flat floor size). Quarter, eighth and half sheets drawn to scale inside a full-sheet outline show at once how sizes relate and which mat or rack fits which pan, with the flat floor drawn inside each outer edge. Used today by Foodservice pan sizing in the US, as tabulated by Wikipedia and Vollrath's catalog; European kitchens use the EN 631 gastronorm grid instead.. [7] [14] [15] **Heat ceiling scale** (scale, shows Heat ceiling, Broiler-safe, What it is, Cooking surface). One °F axis with each item's ceiling marked shows which liners and coatings must come out before a 450 or 500°F roast and which pans can go under the broiler. This is a proposal, nobody draws it this way yet. [23] [19] [20] [3] ## Words you will meet - **Half sheet**. The standard home baking sheet, about 18 by 13 inches outside, half the size of a commercial full sheet. - **Quarter sheet**. A sheet about 13 by 9.5 inches, half of a half sheet. - **Jelly roll pan**. A rimmed pan traditionally about 15 by 10 inches, between a quarter and a half sheet, though some brands give the name to half sheets. - **Rimmed baking sheet**. A sheet pan with a wall about 1 inch tall on all four sides. - **Cookie sheet**. A flat sheet with one or two raised edges, so baked goods slide straight off the open sides. - **Gauge**. A US number for sheet-metal thickness in which a smaller number means thicker metal. - **Aluminized steel**. Steel coated with an aluminum alloy, stiffer than aluminum alone but heavier. - **Clad stainless**. Stainless steel bonded on both sides of an aluminum core, so it spreads heat yet resists acid. - **Encapsulated rim**. A pan edge rolled around a steel wire to keep the pan from bending. - **Warping**. A pan twisting in the oven as hot and cold parts of the metal expand by different amounts. - **Insulated sheet**. Two metal layers with air between them, sold as air-bake, that slow heat reaching the food. - **PTFE**. The slippery plastic in Teflon-type nonstick coatings, which breaks down above about 500°F. - **PFAS**. A large family of fluorine-based chemicals, PTFE among them, that Minnesota and Maine now ban in cookware. - **Ceramic nonstick**. A coating made mainly of silica rather than PTFE, though some products sold under the name still contain PTFE. - **Silicone baking mat**. A reusable sheet of food-grade silicone over a fiberglass mesh that lines a pan in place of parchment. - **Parchment paper**. Paper made non-stick and grease-proof with a silicone coating or a chromium treatment called quilon. - **Broiler**. The oven's top heating element run at full power to brown or char food from above. ## Where we made a call - The half sheet is the size to buy first; full sheets do not fit home ovens. (confidence high). ATK and Wikipedia agree, and the half sheet is the size most mats, racks and pre-cut parchment are made for. [1] [7] [19] [21] - Any sheet can warp; thicker metal and a wire-stiffened rim reduce it, and most warping reverses as the pan cools. (confidence high). ATK's rimmed and cookie-sheet tests agree; both rim-reinforced brands claim warp resistance, which ATK's testing supports for Nordic Ware. [1] [2] [17] [10] - A darkened bare aluminum sheet is not worn out; it browns faster, so cookies need checking early. (confidence high). ATK measured faster heating on darkened sheets, and its cookie test found a dark sheet over-browned bottoms. [4] [2] - Keep PTFE nonstick sheets at or below 450°F and away from the broiler. (confidence high). PTFE begins to break down near 500°F per Poison Control and Wikipedia; makers and ATK set 450°F as the working ceiling. [3] [26] [25] [18] [11] - Minnesota (since 1 January 2025) and Maine (since 1 January 2026) ban selling baking sheets with intentionally added PFAS; PTFE counts as PFAS. (confidence high). Both statutes name baking sheets and define PFAS by one fully fluorinated carbon, which PTFE has; that PTFE qualifies is our reading. Other states' laws were not checked, so the list may be incomplete. [27] [28] [29] [30] - A ceramic label does not prove a coating is PTFE-free. (confidence medium). ATK says so from its nonstick review; Wikipedia describes true ceramic coatings as silica without PFAS. One reviewer, so medium. [3] [25] - Never line the oven floor or cover a whole rack; an oven liner goes on part of a lower rack, below the food. (confidence high). GE and Whirlpool both prohibit floor liners and covering an entire rack with foil; GE adds the carbon monoxide risk in gas ovens and is the source for the lower rack. [33] [34] - Insulated cookie sheets are a poor default. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. Wikipedia gives their purpose as protecting delicate food from burning; ATK's test found uneven browning, spreading and warping. We side with ATK because it tested them. [2] [7] - Whether a silicone mat makes cookies spread more than parchment is unsettled. (confidence low). Sources disagree. ATK found melted-butter chocolate chip cookies spread wider on mats; King Arthur found its mat gave less spread than parchment. Recipe and mat differ, so we take no side. [5] [22] - Silpat's heat ceiling is disputed: its archived page says 428°F, while ATK lists the same half mat at 500°F. (confidence low). Sources disagree. Silpat's page also gives 240°C, which is 464°F, and ATK says the maker has closed, so the source cannot be rechecked. We use no Silpat figure in the mat range. [19] [5] - Compare thickness in millimetres, never gauge across metals. (confidence high). Both gauge tables give different thicknesses for aluminum and steel at the same number. [8] [9] - Food-contact rules for these items are material rules: silicone under 21 CFR 177.2600, PTFE resins under 21 CFR 177.1550. (confidence medium). Brands cite FDA compliance in their own words (Silpat: FDA certified; USA Pan: FDA approved). We did not read the EU rules; EUR-Lex would not load. [31] [32] [19] [18] ## References 1. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Rimmed Baking Sheets of 2026](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1718-rimmed-baking-sheets) (specialist review). Supports: Half sheets listed 18 by 13 in; cooking surface closer to 16.5 by 11.5 in; Full sheets do not fit home ovens; Uncoated aluminum leaches into acidic food; nonstick cannot exceed 450°F or go under the broiler; Clad stainless weighs more than twice an aluminum sheet and often misses standard size; Warping can occur with any sheet, mostly when preheated empty, and usually reverses; Aluminum and clad sheets should be hand-washed; Measured Nordic Ware 43100 and USA Pan 1050HS floors at 16.5 x 11.5 in; Aluminized steel sheet matched aluminum models but is heavier; ATK broils on bare and stainless sheets. 2. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Cookie Sheets](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2749-the-best-cookie-sheets) (specialist review). Supports: Cookie sheets have one or two raised edges, more baking area and better airflow; Insulated sheets baked unevenly, spread cookies and warped; Thick metal promotes even baking and resists warping; A dark sheet over-browned cookie bottoms; nonstick coatings break down over time; Standard parchment sheet 16.5 x 12.25 in; each sheet's thickness listed in mm. 3. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Nonstick Rimmed Baking Sheets](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/2275-nonstick-rimmed-baking-sheets) (specialist review). Supports: Standard flat cooking surface 16.5 by 11.5 in; Do not use PTFE coatings above 450°F; most nonstick sheets oven-safe to 450°F; Some ceramic-marketed sheets contain PTFE; PTFE-free coatings are fragile; Straight walls at least 1 in tall preferred; Uncoated sheets go in 500-degree ovens and under the broiler. 4. [America's Test Kitchen, Why You Shouldn't Throw Away Your Old Sheet Pan](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/3231-why-you-shouldnt-throw-away-old-baking-sheet-pan) (specialist review). Supports: Darkened sheets heated faster and browned better than shiny new ones; Darkening comes from oil polymerising on the surface. 5. [America's Test Kitchen, The Best Silicone Baking Mats](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/articles/627-testing-silicone-baking-mats) (specialist review). Supports: Mats are silicone embedded with fiberglass, a reusable alternative to parchment; Mats near 16.5 by 11.5 in fit; longer mats curved up; Mats retain fats and odours; dishwasher washing reduced buildup; Melted-butter cookies spread wider on mats than on parchment; Lists the Silpat half mat at 500°F and Mrs. Anderson's mat at 480°F. 6. [America's Test Kitchen, Is Aluminum Cookware Safe?](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/how_tos/6390-is-aluminum-cookware-safe) (specialist review). Supports: Acidic, wet, salty, long cooks leach aluminum; cookies extract little; Anodized, stainless-clad and nonstick-coated aluminum does not react. 7. [Wikipedia, Sheet pan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_pan) (primer). Supports: US sizes: full 26 x 18, half 18 x 13, quarter 13 x 9.5, eighth 9.5 x 6.5 in; Full size too large for most home ovens; EN 631 gastronorm sizes in Europe; Air-bake insulation is meant to protect delicate food from burning; Professional sheet pans have a 25 mm (1 in) raised lip; Jelly roll pan of 10 x 15 in, between quarter and half sheet. 8. [Wikipedia, Sheet metal (gauge table)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_metal) (primer). Supports: Larger gauge number means thinner metal; gauge differs between steel and aluminum; 18 gauge: aluminum 0.0403 in (1.02 mm), steel 0.0478 in (1.21 mm). 9. [Russ Rowlett, University of North Carolina, Sheet Metal Thickness Gauges (Internet Archive, 2013)](https://web.archive.org/web/20131027103309/http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/scales/sheetmetal.html) (academic). Supports: Aluminum 18 gauge 0.0403 in, 13 gauge 0.0720 in; steel 18 gauge 0.0478 in. 10. [Vollrath, Wear-Ever 5303 half-size heavy-duty aluminum sheet pan, natural finish](https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/cookware-bakeware/wear-ever-bakeware/wear-ever-sheet-pans/5303) (spec sheet). Supports: Half size 17.8 x 12.9 x 1 in outside, base 16.6 x 11.7 in; 18 gauge aluminum; closed bead with galvanized wire. 11. [Vollrath, Wear-Ever 5303NS half-size aluminum sheet pan with nonstick coating](https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/cookware-bakeware/wear-ever-bakeware/wear-ever-sheet-pans/5303ns) (spec sheet). Supports: Nonstick half sheet rated for baking up to 450°F. 12. [Vollrath, Wear-Ever 5301 16-gauge half-size heavy-duty aluminum sheet pan](https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/cookware-bakeware/wear-ever-bakeware/wear-ever-sheet-pans/5301) (spec sheet). Supports: The same half size, 17.8 x 12.9 in, base 16.6 x 11.7 in, in 16 gauge. 13. [Vollrath, Wear-Ever 5314 half-size heavy-duty aluminum sheet pan](https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/cookware-bakeware/wear-ever-bakeware/wear-ever-sheet-pans/5314) (spec sheet). Supports: The same half size in 13 gauge, open bead, needing no reinforcement rod. 14. [Vollrath, Wear-Ever 5315 full-size heavy-duty aluminum sheet pan](https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/cookware-bakeware/wear-ever-bakeware/wear-ever-sheet-pans/5315) (spec sheet). Supports: Full size 25.86 x 17.92 in outside, base 24.6 x 16.6 in, 12 gauge. 15. [Vollrath, Wear-Ever 5220 quarter-size heavy-duty aluminum sheet pan](https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/cookware-bakeware/wear-ever-bakeware/wear-ever-sheet-pans/5220) (spec sheet). Supports: Quarter size 13 x 9.56 in outside, base 12 x 8.6 in. 16. [Vollrath, Wear-Ever 5228 eighth-size heavy-duty aluminum sheet pan](https://www.vollrathfoodservice.com/products/smallwares/cookware-bakeware/wear-ever-bakeware/wear-ever-sheet-pans/5228) (spec sheet). Supports: Eighth size 9.49 x 6.49 x 1.08 in outside. 17. [Nordic Ware, Naturals Baker's Half Sheet (Internet Archive, 24 Sep 2026)](https://web.archive.org/web/20260924205800/https://www.nordicware.com/products/naturals-bakers-half-sheet/) (spec sheet). Supports: Pure uncoated aluminum; encapsulated galvanized steel rims against warping; Outer 17.9 x 12.9 in, inner 17.1 x 12.1 in, 1 in high, 1.6 lb; Oven safe up to 500°F; Dishwasher not advised: detergent discolours it. 18. [USA Pan, Half Sheet Pan, Nonstick (1050HS)](https://www.usapan.com/half-sheet-1050hs) (spec sheet). Supports: Aluminized steel with Americoat silicone nonstick coating; Lists baking surface 17.25 x 12.25 in, larger than ATK's measured 16.5 x 11.5 floor; Do not exceed 450°F; do not place in dishwasher. 19. [Silpat, Half Size Baking Mat (Internet Archive, 8 Jul 2025)](https://web.archive.org/web/20250708080611/https://us.silpat.com/products/silpat-half-size-baking-mat) (spec sheet). Supports: 11 5/8 x 16 1/2 in; silicone and fiberglass; -40°F to 428°F; FDA, NSF and Kosher certified. 20. [King Arthur Baking, Cookie Mat](https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/cookie-mat) (spec sheet). Supports: Silicone mat fits a half-sheet pan; oven-safe up to 500°F; dishwasher-safe. 21. [King Arthur Baking, Half-Sheet Baking Parchment Paper](https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/half-sheet-baking-parchment-paper) (spec sheet). Supports: Pre-cut 16.5 x 12.25 in sheets lie flat in half-sheet pans; oven-safe to 450°F; Can be used and reused multiple times. 22. [King Arthur Baking blog, How the lining on your baking sheet affects cookie spread (2022)](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2022/12/01/keep-cookies-from-spreading) (other). Supports: Cookies on a silicone mat spread less than on parchment in the brand's own test. 23. [Reynolds Kitchens, Parchment Paper with Stay Flat Dispensing](https://www.reynoldsbrands.com/products/parchment-paper/parchment-paper-rolls) (spec sheet). Supports: Oven safe up to 425°F; Never use with a broiling unit or toaster oven; Reinforced dispenser panel removes curls from the roll. 24. [Wikipedia, Parchment paper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchment_paper) (primer). Supports: Non-stick from quilon (chromium) treatment or a silicone coating. 25. [Wikipedia, Non-stick surface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-stick_surface) (primer). Supports: PTFE begins to dissociate above about 260°C (500°F); fumes can kill birds; Ceramic nonstick is silica applied without PFAS. 26. [National Capital Poison Center (Poison Control), Protect yourself from Teflon flu](https://www.poison.org/articles/teflon-flu) (other). Supports: Teflon coating starts to break down above about 500°F; Case: a Teflon oven liner linked to a cook's symptoms and two pet bird deaths. 27. [Minnesota Statutes 116.943 (Amara's Law), PFAS in products](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/116.943) (regulator). Supports: Cookware includes baking sheets; sale with intentionally added PFAS banned from 1 January 2025; PFAS defined as fluorinated organic chemicals with at least one fully fluorinated carbon. 28. [Keller and Heckman, Packaging Law: Minnesota Defines Cookware Covered by PFAS Ban (2024)](https://www.packaginglaw.com/news/minnesota-defines-cookware-covered-pfas-ban) (other). Supports: MPCA counts baking sheets with intentionally added PFAS nonstick coatings as banned cookware. 29. [Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, §1614, Products containing PFAS](https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/38/title38sec1614.html) (regulator). Supports: Cookware product includes a baking sheet; sale with intentionally added PFAS banned from 1 January 2026; PFAS defined by at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom. 30. [Maine Department of Environmental Protection, PFAS in Products](https://www.maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/PFAS-products/) (regulator). Supports: Cookware product sales prohibition with intentionally added PFAS takes effect 1 January 2026. 31. [21 CFR 177.2600, Rubber articles intended for repeated use (Cornell LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/177.2600) (regulator). Supports: The US food-contact rule for repeated-use rubber articles, listing silicone elastomers. 32. [21 CFR 177.1550, Perfluorocarbon resins (Cornell LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/177.1550) (regulator). Supports: The US food-contact rule for tetrafluoroethylene-based resins such as PTFE. 33. [GE Appliances support, Range and Wall Oven: Using Aluminum Foil or Silicone Liners](https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=17043) (other). Supports: Do not line oven bottoms with foil or silicone oven liners: traps heat, can damage oven; Gas ovens: covering floor openings or an entire rack may cause carbon monoxide poisoning; Catch spills with foil on a lower rack; never entirely cover a rack. 34. [Whirlpool, Built-in electric oven user instructions W10795444 Rev B (Internet Archive copy)](https://web.archive.org/web/2024id_/https://www.whirlpool.com/content/dam/global/documents/201511/owners-manual-W10795444-RevB.pdf) (other). Supports: Do not line the oven bottom with any type of foil or liner; Do not cover an entire oven rack with foil; air must move freely. 35. [Amazon listing, Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet 2-pack (B0049C2S32)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049C2S32) (retail listing). Supports: Rows present: Material, Size, Product Dimensions (outer, with height), Item Weight, Color; Title carries size and encapsulated steel rim; no gauge or temperature row. 36. [Amazon listing, Amazon Basics Silicone Baking Mat 2-pack (B0725GYNG6)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0725GYNG6) (retail listing). Supports: Title gives 16.5 x 11.6 in and dishwasher-safe; Material row Silicone; Bullet: heat resistant up to 480°F. 37. [Amazon listing, Great Jones Nonstick Quarter Sheet Pan (B0DG2RSVK1)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DG2RSVK1) (retail listing). Supports: Material row Carbon Steel; Material Type Free row PTFE Free; brand size names with inches; Title says Aluminized Steel and for broiling; bullet says safe up to 450°F. 38. [Amazon listing, three-piece nonstick baking sheet set (B09QPQVK37)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QPQVK37) (retail listing). Supports: Title states 0.8mm thickness and colour; Item Weight is the set total; Set holds 13 x 9, 15 x 10 jelly roll and 17.5 x 12 in pans. 39. [Amazon listing, three-piece nonstick carbon steel baking sheet set (B01LZ9YAUO)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZ9YAUO) (retail listing). Supports: Product Dimensions 17 x 12 x 0.5 in: a half-sheet title on a nonstandard, shallow pan; Material row Carbon Steel; Bullet: safe in ovens up to 420°F. 40. [Amazon listing, Regency Wraps reusable PTFE-coated cookie sheet liner, 17 x 13 in (B0000VYSB6)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000VYSB6) (retail listing). Supports: PTFE-coated reusable pan liner, cut to fit; Material row Teflon Coated Sheet; hand wash.