Baking pans come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. Knowing which are essential is key to outfitting a small kitchen.
Here's our must-have list and a few ideas about what you can do with them.
• Rectangular baking dish. The most common size is 9 by 13 inches. You can choose from glass, metal or even ceramic, and what you choose really depends on what you think you'll be making most. Glass is better for all-purpose cooking/roasting, although you can get away with baking if you keep a close eye on your baked goods and/or turn down the temperature. For savory dishes such as lasagna, mac and cheese, strata and casseroles, Pyrex (or ceramic) is better, because you can slice and serve straight from the dish. If you're more interested in baking at that size -- mega brownies, for instance -- stick with metal.
• Square cake pan. Typically 8- or 9-inch squares. Again, look for metal pans with right-angled corners (rounded make it harder to remove food from the pan, especially if you don't line it). This is the classic brownie pan, meaning it's also good for other desserts (cakes or bars). Square pans are a nice vessel for baked eggs, or a small casserole or batch of mac and cheese.
• A loaf pan. The standard sizes are 9 by 5 inches or the slightly smaller 8 ½ by 4 ½ inches, and they're pretty much interchangeable as long as you tweak the cook time if you're swapping one in for the other. Metal is preferred over glass for the same reasons mentioned above. In addition to breads of all kinds, a loaf pan makes for a handy mold for a semifreddo, meatloaf and terrines.
• Round cake pan. Also available in 8- or 9-inch sizes. Pick whichever size you prefer (go for metal, though) and adapt recipes accordingly. If you think you'll ever bake a layer cake, consider buying at least two in one size.
• Pie plate. Standard size is 9 inches. Most bakers prefer good ol' Pyrex or metal.
Food on 07/11/2018