The Edit — Kitchen
Baking Sheets Compared: Half Sheets for Holiday Baking
6 half sheets ranked by rating, from Nordic Ware's bare aluminum to USA Pan's nonstick steel and a stainless sheet that never rusts, with what owners report on warping, staining and release.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 6 half sheets here are ranked by rating, then by how many owners rated them, as How we choose describes, and read against what each maker publishes about material, heat limits and care. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for Cookies and roasting
Watch for Dishwasher discolours it
Best for Release without parchment
Watch for 450°F limit, no spray
Best for 2 trays at once
Watch for Scratches and stains
Best for A plain pan, fairly priced
Watch for Some discolour
Best for 3 sizes in one box
Watch for No owner summary on the listing
Best for No rust, dishwasher safe
Watch for Slightly under half-sheet size
Nordic Ware’s bare aluminum sheet is the one to buy first
Uncoated aluminum conducts heat well, which Nordic Ware credits for even browning on cookies. Its Naturals half sheet rates 4.7 across 35,122 ratings. Owners call it excellent quality, easy to clean and worth the money, and say it holds up under high heat for both cookies and roasts. Nordic Ware says its Naturals sheets are oven safe to 500°F, with galvanized steel rims sealed into the edge to stop them warping.
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet
Bare aluminum, made in the USA, with steel-reinforced rims Nordic Ware says resist warping.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Material | Uncoated aluminum |
|---|---|
| Oven safe | 500°F, per Nordic Ware |
| Made in | Minneapolis, USA |
Owners praise its quality and durability under high heat. Some report it discolours in the dishwasher.
Buy it if
- Cookies and roasted vegetables, most weeks of the year
Don't buy it if
- A dishwasher, which discolours it for some owners
The complaint that recurs is the dishwasher, where some owners report the bare aluminum discolouring. Wash it by hand.
USA Pan’s nonstick sheet releases food without parchment
A nonstick sheet earns its place on sticky bakes: brittle, caramelised edges and roasted vegetables. The USA Pan nonstick half sheet is aluminized steel with a silicone-based coating, and rates 4.7 across 7,832 ratings. Owners call it the best sheet they have owned, say it is sturdy enough not to bend under a heavy roast, and report food sliding straight off. Some like its weight for browning a pizza base.
USA Pan Bakeware Nonstick Half Sheet Pan
Aluminized steel with a silicone nonstick coating, heavy enough that owners say it does not bend.
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| Material | Aluminized steel, nonstick |
|---|---|
| Oven safe | 450°F, per USA Pan |
Owners say food slides off and the pan stays flat under weight.
Buy it if
- Sticky bakes without parchment
Don't buy it if
- Heat above 450°F, or a cook who reaches for cooking spray
The coating sets the rules. USA Pan says not to exceed 450°F, recommends hand washing, and advises against cooking spray. Check the broiler setting in the oven’s manual before putting it under one.
A 2-pack of half sheets fills the oven on cookie day
Holiday baking runs in batches, and a second tray means one can cool while the other bakes. The Saffron & Sage Home Living 2-pack of aluminum half sheets rates 4.7 across 1,653 ratings. Owners call the pans heavy and professional grade, say they handle 500 degrees without warping, and find them good value for cookies and pizza. The recurring complaint is that they scratch and stain easily.
Commercial Quality Cookie Sheet Pan, 2 Pack Aluminum Half Sheet
2 aluminum half sheets that owners call heavy, professional grade and good value.
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| Count | 2 |
|---|---|
| Material | Aluminum |
Owners call them heavy and good value. They scratch and stain easily.
Buy it if
- Rotating 2 trays of cookies through one oven
Don't buy it if
- A cook who minds scratches and stains
Winco’s 13 x 18 inch pan is the restaurant standard
A half sheet is half of a commercial full sheet pan, and 13 x 18 inches is its standard size. The Winco 1/2-size aluminum pan rates 4.6 across 1,115 ratings. Owners compare it to restaurant quality, praise thick aluminum that does not bend or warp in the oven, and call the size accurate and the price fair. Some say it discolours after a few uses, which bare aluminum does.
Winco 13 x 18 in Aluminum Sheet Pan, 1/2 Size
A plain 13 x 18 inch aluminum half sheet that owners compare to restaurant kit.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Size | 13 x 18 in |
|---|---|
| Material | Aluminum |
Owners praise thick aluminum that stays flat. Some report discolouring early.
Buy it if
- A buyer who wants a plain pan at a fair price
Don't buy it if
- A pan that must stay bright, as some discolour
GoodCook’s 3-pack covers 3 sizes in one box
A first kitchen usually needs more than one size of sheet. The GoodCook Everyday nonstick set gives 3 sheets in 3 sizes, starting at a small 13 x 9 inch, and rates 4.5 across 17,520 ratings. Its listing showed no owner summary on the day it was read, so there is nothing to report on how it lasts.
GoodCook Everyday Nonstick Baking Sheet Set, 3 Pack
3 nonstick sheets in 3 sizes, starting at a small 13 x 9 inch.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Count | 3, in 3 sizes |
|---|---|
| Surface | Nonstick |
3 nonstick sheets in 3 sizes, for a kitchen starting from nothing.
Buy it if
- A first kitchen that needs more than one size
Don't buy it if
- A buyer who wants owner reports on how it lasts
TeamFar’s stainless sheet never rusts, but runs small
Stainless steel is the choice for a cook who wants the dishwasher and a pan that lasts. The TeamFar set of 2 sheets measures 17.6 x 13 x 1 inch each and rates 4.5 across 3,252 ratings. Owners praise its mirror finish and say it lasts for years without rusting or denting, cleans easily and comes through the dishwasher clean. Food releases well with butter or oil.
TeamFar Stainless Steel Baking Sheet, 17.6 x 13 x 1 in, Set of 2
A stainless steel sheet with a mirror finish that owners say does not rust or dent.
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| Size | 17.6 x 13 x 1 in |
|---|---|
| Material | Stainless steel |
Owners say it lasts years without rust or dents. Use butter or oil for release.
Buy it if
- A dishwasher, and a cook who wants a pan for years
Don't buy it if
- Parchment cut for a full 18 x 13 half sheet
At 17.6 inches, it is a little short of an 18 x 13 half sheet, so a pre-cut half-sheet mat or parchment may not lie flat. Measure the parchment before buying a box for it.
A silicone mat or an oven mitt finishes the set
A reusable liner saves the parchment and keeps a bare sheet clean. Silicone oven mitts compared covers the hands that take the pans out, and roasting pans compared covers the turkey a sheet pan cannot hold. For a nonstick sheet that has stopped releasing, why a nonstick pan stops releasing covers the usual causes.
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Best overall
Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet