bakeware

If you are looking for a durable, even-heating, heavy-gauge aluminum jelly roll pan in a half-sheet size, look no further. This is the one*.

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* Trust me, I did the research. Earlier this year Vollrath bought Lincoln, makers of the top-rated jelly roll pan on Cook's Illustrated, and have since discontinued the half-sheet model.

Emile Henry delivers the goods with this classic 9-inch pie dish. People who have one rave about the amazing baking properties, great durability, beautiful presentation, and easy cleanup. I love the fluted rim, gorgeous glaze and natural clay construction. Want!

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Right now, I'm housesitting a lovely little house that has a great kitchen full of quality kitchenware including a very old set of Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron pots and pans. I'm using a gas stove and oven (infamous for uneven heating) but the enameled cast-iron fixes everything - talk about even heat distribution - not to mention great-looking! Now I haven't used this particular pan yet, but based on my experience with Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron cookware, and based on the stellar reviews on these baking dishes, I believe they're worth every penny. From casseroles to cakes to crumbles - you can even roast meats and then make a gravy right on the stovetop with these versatile heavy duty pans. Built to last, they come in 3 sizes and a variety of classy colors too.

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Even after reading the specs and reviews of several professional-grade non-stick round cake pans, including what Cook's Illustrated had to say, we still don't feel comfortable recommending non-stick. (No matter how well you take care of them, they all have a limited lifetime, and almost all are prone to releasing harmful chemicals when overheated.) So we decided to go with this beautiful, though expensive, All Clad 9" Round Baker. Built to last a lifetime, it has an aluminum core wrapped in stainless steel, ensuring "supremely-even heat distribution". The solid steel handles are a big advantage when lifting your cake into or out of the oven. And the finish is just gorgeous. More than just an awesome baking pan, it's also suitable for broiling or stovetop use. Add to that, dishwasher safe, a lifetime guarantee, and hand-crafted in the USA. What more could you ask for?

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We looked around, and this is really the best springform pan we could find. While other spring form pans have flaky and potentially toxic non-stick coatings, this one has a special heavy duty steel/enamel non-stick coating that is PTFE and PFOA-free. The base is cut-resistent and the body has a 10-year guarantee. The buckle has a lifetime guarantee, and can be used left-or right-handed by simply flipping the ring. Comes in several sizes and shapes.

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Le Creuset makes these beautiful classic strong functional classic bakers: non-porous, easy-to-clean, and perfect for table serving. Bake-up a lovely crumble, cobbler, cake, or lasagna in these versatile bakers. This bonus pack includes a 10.5" x 7" pan, and a smaller 7" x 5" pan for when you want to bake something little.

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Rather than using clay, this 13" pizza baker is made from natural soapstone so it doesn't give off odors, is easy to clean, and has excellent heat retention properties. The beautiful and handy stainless steel serving tray goes from oven to table, with or without the stone. The ergonomically-designed, heavy-duty, stainless-steel cutter cuts through the thickest pizzas with ease. Yes, it's an expensive package, but as with most All-Clad products, you get what you pay for.

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This gorgeous old-fashioned cast iron bread pan makes awesome yeast bread. Even heat distribution, great browning, lofty rising properties, solid construction, healthy (no chemical non-stick coating, adds iron to your diet), and easy to clean. Check the link below to see what folks have to say about how well it works.

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We bake quick breads all the time, and we use glass loaf pans. Why? They bake well, have even heat distribution, good browning (you can even monitor it while baking), are heavy duty, easy to clean, nice enough looking for table serving, and are non-toxic.

These glass Anchor loaf pans are the standard size and shape, good quality, and a fair price. Made in the USA. It's a good idea to have 2 if you bake in double batches.

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This heavy-duty glass Pyrex bakeware set is solid and functional. Non-toxic, good heat distribution, even browning (you can even check on it), easy to clean, nice enough looking for table serving, and great value. Comes with 3 standard-sized essential pieces: large 9"x13" pan, small 8"x8" pan, and 9.5" pie plate. Made in the USA.

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