Customer Reviews

Chicago Metallic 60640 Gourmetware Original Muffin Top Pan

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had bought muffin top pans a few years ago, from a different manufacturer, and they were just plain awful. I really liked the idea of a pan like this that actually worked, and after reading the reviews, I decided to buy two of them. They are even better than I had hoped for. I have multiple allergies and have to use non-wheat flours, so I was understandably skeptical when I mixed up the first batch. They turned out perfectly. With many non-wheat flours, you won't get the rise and height that you would with wheat flour, because the gluten just isn't there in the right quantity. That aside, the muffins were excellent, and very moist. The muffins slid right out with no problems, and nothing stuck. Does it get any better than that? This is one of the few non-stick pans that I've used, that actually didn't stick. Quick release and nothing is left behind. I have several pieces of Chicago Metallic backeware; they are a little more expensive than other brands, but there is very high quality, and they are worth every penny. I am seriously considering buying two more of these pans. They do just what they are supposed to and are very easy to use. This is the best non-stick item I have ever used, and it is the only one that worked the way it was supposed to. I'd give it ten stars, but Amazon only goes as high as five.

I just received my muffin pan top and have tested two muffin recipes (Pillsbury Banana Bran & Giada DeLaurentis' Lemon Ricotta) with delicious results. The instructions tell you to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees and to reduce baking time by 10 minutes, which seems to work. The non-stick surface truly is non-stick - you don't even need to use cooking spray. The pan also cools off very quickly - I find that I can remove just-baked muffins to a cooling rack, immediately refill the tin with fresh batter, and by then, the pan has already cooled enough to handle with bare hands. I use a slightly-heaping two-inch diameter ice cream-style scoop to portion out the perfect amount of batter. Being flat, the muffin tops are much easier to store and transport than traditional muffins - they also freeze & thaw well. The kids love them, too - they're much neater and easier to eat, and no messy cupcake liners to deal with! Since the tin makes only 6 muffin tops at a time, it does make sense to own two or more - I plan on ordering another one. Happy Baking!

I am a yeast bread and bun baker at heart and have been looking for a pan to use for hamburger buns. Sure I love making muffin tops with the grandkids and watch them decorate away afterwards and this pan is TERRIFIC for that .... nothing ever sticks PERIOD!
But my passion is bread and bun baking some with very slack dough so I was interested to see how this pan would perform for buns. In short it is FABULOUS! The slight indentation designed for the muffin tops provides just enough form so that your buns will rise nicely and keep their shape. I am going to order another so I can bake a dozen at a time.
This is a typical Chicago Metallic product, very high quality. I own a number of their pans and roll sheets and have never been disappointed. They may be slightly more money than others but they outshine anything out there and are well worth the extra.
Highly recommended.

I purchased 2 of these pans, and have used them approximately a dozen times. My muffin tops have come out perfectly with each use. I plan on ordering more in the future, since they were hard to find.

I bought two and can now make perfectly sized multigrain hamburger buns in minutes with easy cleanup.
Does it get any better than that?

I bought one a few months ago and am so pleased with it, I ordered another. Now I can make twice as many muffin tops.

A few tips I have discovered.
* As the instructions say, definitely decrease the oven temp by 35 deg
* Keep on higher oven rack
* My fav recipe calls for 14 minutes of cook time so decreasing by 10 minutes (as the instructions recommend) is not practical. I usually decrease cooking time by about 15%.
* Decreasing cooking time often does not get the tops as brown as I like so I broil them for about 2 minutes after the (adjusted) cooking time. (However watch them CLOSELY until you get the hang of it.)

Nicely heavy & very good non-stick coating.
However, the pan is non-stick all over including underneath (huh?), so trying to get it out of a hot oven is TRICKY: Slips and slides all over! A textured handle--such as on OXO pans--would be great. Even a small ridge around the perimeter (like EKO pans) would help; anything a person could get a grip on through a potholder.
The pan itself performed beautifully; the baking results were DEFINITELY 5 stars *****! But I'd rather grease & flour than deal with the trouble & danger of that crazy non-stick bottom. So 3 stars overall.

I love this pan -- it makes perfectly shaped bread for hamburger buns. I agree with other reviewers in that it can be hard to pick up from the rack in the oven, as it is so shallow, but I solved that by putting it on a cookie sheet before placing it in the oven to bake.

I bought this pan to make hamburger buns with. The well dimensions at about 4 inches across, and 3-1/2 inches at the bottom and 1/2 inch deep. Makes six hamburger buns at a time. To make just, take your favorite bread dough, roll a piece of dough about 3 t 3-1/2 ounces, place in greased pan, cover and let rise until doubles in size. Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or dehydrated minced onion. Bake per instructions, just check on after 15 minutes or so. Works out great, my buns came out the same size. (I make a 1 pound dough in the bread machine (about 2-1/2 cups of flour) and split it into 6 equal pieces.) If you are going to use a pan like this to make burger buns, this is a great size for a standard bun which is 4 inches. Some other pans out there make smaller buns. And nothing beats homemade bread, and using the bread machine, no reason for any one not to make their own now. But 2 pans and make a 2 pound bread dough in the bread machine and make 12 buns at a time.

This pan works very well for making muffin tops as well as jumbo cookies. The nonstick surface works well even with low fat and whole grain recipes. I frequently spray the pan with Pam for Baking when using but even when I forget I've had no problem getting my muffins off. The pan is also very durable and resists scratches and rust even after frequent use.

Another poster mentioned reducing the cooking temp and time when using this pan. However, I typically stick with the temperature indicated in the recipe and watch closely for doneness. I haven't had problems with burning or uneven cooking at all with this method. Yield wise I also find that if a recipe is intended to yield 12 regular sized muffins I get 6 muffin tops with large crowns.

Overall, this is a great pan. It produces muffin tops just like you would find in a coffee shop and stands up even to frequent use and washing in the dishwasher.