Sheet pans—Unraveling sizes and styles

Baking sheets, also known as baking trays or sheet pans, are essential kitchen pans for home bakers, home cooks and professional kitchens alike. Versatile and useful, these pans can do everything from baking and roasting to serving and so much more.

Texas Sheet Cake cut and ready to serve — Texas Sheet Cake. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

But what size sheet pans are really needed in the kitchen? It can be overwhelming to look at pans in the store; there are a lot of sizes out there. A closer look at the needs of the kitchen and storage options will help in the decision-making.

What are sheet pans?

A sheet pan, also known as a baking tray or baking sheet, is a flat, rectangular metal pan used in an oven. It is often used for baking bread rolls, pastries, Swiss rolls and pizzas. These pans, usually made from aluminum or stainless steel, have a shallow outer rim around all four edges to prevent foods from sliding or dripping off.

They are NOT cookie sheets. They can definitely be used as cookie sheets, but cookie sheets often don’t have a full-rimmed edge. If you baked a sheet pan dinner on a cookie sheet, you may be in for a shock when it drains all the grease onto the floor of the oven.

Top down shot of pie on a baking sheet with a cooling rack.

What to bake or make in sheet pans

Wondering what you can make on a sheet pan? Think sheet cakes, cookies, jelly rolls, pastries and more. They’re great for pizzas or bread, too. Almost anything you can bake in your oven can be baked on one of these.

You can cook dinner dishes like crispy roasted vegetables, roasted meats and even baked bacon. Many different pans are needed in the kitchen, but none, except maybe the Dutch oven, is as versatile as a sheet pan.

Be sure the pan you’re using has a good full-rimmed edge to it. You don’t want anything from, say, a sheet pan dinner dripping off the pan.

Kielbasa Pierogies Sheet Pan Dinner — Kielbasa Pierogi Sheet Pan Dinner. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

One tip for using these pans for cooking or baking is to try to get two separate pans so that your cookies don’t taste like jerky at some point. Of course, you can use parchment paper or foil on these pans as well, but it is nice to have two for different food flavors.

I do the same thing with my cutting boards, I always have more than one on hand so that I’m never stuck with a cutting board that smells like onions. Bleck. I did that once, and no one in this house has EVER let me live it down.

“I use my half-sheet baking sheet almost daily. It’s great for making sheet-pan dinners, sides and cookies. Since it’s exactly twice the size of a 9-inch by 13-inch pan, I also use it when making a large number of brownies and other treats for bake sales and holidays.” — Erin Dooner, Texanerin Baking

Common sizes

Shopping for these pans for home bakers typically comes down to two sizes available in most grocery stores: 11X17 or 10X15. These sheets can be used in all the ways mentioned above and are just so handy.

These sheet pans often have a non-stick coating on them. While the professional grade pans often don’t. I don’t know why. Do you??

Common sizes for professional bakers are more standardized and generally bigger for commercial ovens. But some homes have ovens that are big enough to fit up to the medium size of these professional pans.

full sheet pans are 26X18
half sheet pans are 18X13
quarter sheet pans are 9X13

Now, while those are considered professional sheet pans, home cooks and bakers can also use them in their home kitchens. Well, at least the quarter or half sheet pan size.

Most home ovens are too small to fit a full sheet pan size, with enough room left in the oven for proper air circulation. And many double ovens or wall ovens are smaller in size so the larger pans will not fit.

Rolls ready to rise on a parchment lined baking sheet. — Garlic Knots. Photo Credit: Little House Big Alaska.

Which size should you use?

Which size is best? This is entirely up to the user, their preferred pan, and, of course, storage in the home. The bigger pans require a bigger cupboard or storage system. It’s definitely something to think about before purchasing pans.

If you like a smaller pan with non-stick coating then pans from the grocery store will be for you.

If you like an aluminum pan and the bigger sizes, then the commercial sizes are for you.

Or have some of both. I do!

“As a large family who loves to cook and bake, we go through baking sheets like crazy! We use the 9-inch by 13-inch for our narrow propane wall ovens. Most days, we’re making bacon on parchment-covered cookie sheets and baking cookies or roasting vegetables on them.”
— Sarita Harbour, An Off Grid Life

Care and cleaning

Proper care and cleaning are crucial to extend the life of your baking sheets and ensure they remain safe and effective for cooking and baking. Using foil or parchment paper can lessen the chance of food becoming stuck on the pan.

Here are some tips for the best cleaning. For best results, follow the manufacturer’s directions.

After each use: Let the sheet cool completely before cleaning. Wash it by hand with warm, soapy water. Avoid using abrasive cleaners or scrubbers, which can scratch the surface, especially on non-stick pans.
Removing stubborn residues: For baked-on food like crispy roasted vegetables, soak the sheet in warm, soapy water for a few hours, then wash by hand. Alternatively, you can make a paste of baking soda and water, apply it to the stained area, and scrub after a few minutes. Be mindful about using this and scratching the coating on your pans.
Dishwasher use: While many modern baking sheets are dishwasher safe, frequent dishwasher use can shorten their lifespan. The high heat and harsh detergents can cause warping and deterioration of the non-stick coating. A warped sheet pan is still useable but it can “pop” in the oven and twist so slightly in the oven.
Storage: Store your baking sheets in a dry place. Stacking them with a layer of paper towels or clean rags or dish towels in between can prevent scratches. Standing them on their sides works well for storage, too. Again, this is about what kind of space you have available in your kitchen. My kitchen in our old farmhouse is ridiculously small. We had to take a small cupboard and retro fit it to hold all of my sheet pans. Big AND small.

Sheet pans are a kitchen essential, valued for their versatility and practicality in both home and professional settings. Selecting an appropriate size is crucial, depending on your culinary requirements and storage capacity. Owning a variety of sizes enhances their utility, making them even more indispensable in any kitchen.

Whether you’re baking a batch of cookies, roasting vegetables or preparing a sheet pan dinner, these kitchen workhorses are crucial for a variety of culinary endeavors. With the right care and selection, your sheet pans will be reliable companions in your cooking adventures.