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Cookware & bakeware · Bakeware

Baking tray / sheet

A flat metal sheet, with or without a low rim, for baking cookies, roasting vegetables and holding other dishes.

Essential in most kitchens · No power needed · 156 recipes

What it is

A thin rectangular metal sheet. Rimmed versions, sometimes called sheet pans, have a low lip on all sides that stops juices running off; rimless cookie sheets let you slide biscuits straight off. It is much shallower than a roasting pan, which has deep sides for joints and juices.

What it’s for: Spreading food in a single layer for even browning in the oven.

How to use it

  1. Line with baking paper or a silicone mat, or grease lightly, to stop sticking.
  2. Spread food in one layer with space between pieces so it roasts rather than steams.
  3. Bake on the middle shelf; rotate halfway if the oven browns unevenly.
  4. Slide baked goods onto a cooling rack soon after removing.

Good to know

Tasks
baking cookies and biscuits, roasting vegetables, sheet-pan dinners, toasting nuts, baking free-form bread and pizza, catching drips under pies
Cooking methods
Oven-baked, Roasted, Broiled / grilled under heat, Toasted
Materials
aluminium, carbon steel, non-stick steel, stainless steel
Care and cleaning
Soak and wash; baked-on dark patches are normal and do not affect use. Avoid metal scourers on non-stick trays. Heavier trays warp less in high heat.
Limitations
Too shallow for anything with liquid, batters or large joints.

Safety

  • Thin trays get hot instantly; always use oven gloves.
  • Rimless sheets let fat spill into the oven; use a rimmed tray for meat.

If you don’t have one

Equipment guide

How it works: A thin sheet of metal sits close to the food and conducts oven heat into it. Light, shiny metal reflects radiant heat and browns gently; dark metal absorbs it and browns faster. A rim catches juices; a rimless sheet lets air flow over biscuits and lets you slide them off.

MaterialGoodWatch out
Aluminium (plain or hard-anodised)Light, conducts heat about 15 times better than stainless steel and heats quickly; anodising hardens the surface and stops reaction with acids.Plain aluminium reacts with acidic and alkaline foods and can discolour them; thin gauges warp; not magnetic, so it needs a steel base for induction.
Aluminised or carbon steelRigid and browns well.Can rust if the coating is damaged.
Non-stick (PTFE or ceramic sol-gel coating on aluminium)Eggs, fish and pancakes release with little fat; easy to clean; forgiving for beginners.Coatings wear out (ceramic often faster than PTFE); PTFE should not be heated empty or above about 260 °C; poor at building fond; needs non-metal utensils.
Stainless steelDurable, non-reactive, dishwasher-safe, does not hold smells.Can scratch non-stick pans; conducts heat, so all-metal handles get hot.
Rimmed baking sheet (half sheet)
About 45 × 33 cm; roasting, sheet-pan meals, biscuits.
Rimless cookie sheet
Easy to slide biscuits off.
Perforated tray
Crisper bases for bread and pizza.
Insulated (double-layer) tray
Prevents dark bottoms on delicate cookies.

Buying guidance

Starting out: Two rimmed, heavy aluminium sheets that fit your oven with room for air around them.

Keen cook: Add a wire rack that fits inside the tray for roasting and cooling.

  • Heavy gauge to resist warping (thin trays buckle with a bang in hot ovens)
  • Size: at least 5 cm narrower than the oven interior
  • Rolled edges
  • Light colour for even browning

No brands or prices — check current reviews before buying.

Techniques:RoastingBakingBroilingToastingDrying

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Recipes that use it

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