After months (close to a year) of searching and trialing different baking sheets, I have found the perfect (or two perfect) ones for your consideration. I am hoping this to be a very informative review and I hope you will like it! I hope this is going to be helpful to you. Learn from my experience (and trial and error) so you buy the correct baking sheet the first time—save you time, money, and energy.
This review is going to focus on two of my favorite brand’s QUARTER SHEET BAKING SHEETS. The results may or may not apply to HALF SHEETS or any other sizes. Why? Because a manufacturer may make their products differently for different product lines. Just like Ford may make good truck but not their sedans, or Subaru makes good SUVs but not necessarily pickups. It’s just an analogy! Anyway, Nordic and Vollrath are being compared here. I didn’t get the Chicago Metallic brand… maybe next time!!
To start – I baked side-by-side using both brands and here are my findings:
They are both “standard sized” quarter sheets – but one is slightly larger than the other. The Vollrath brand is slightly larger (or perhaps Nordic is slightly smaller??). Your “standard size” quarter-sheet baking rack will sit perfectly inside the Vollrath sheet flush and flat. On the other hand, the same rack will not sit flush in Nordic pan. In fact, you will have to very carefully balance the rack on the edge of the Nordic quarter-sheet … and if you but it just a little . .. . slush~ the rack will fall into the pan or fall off entirely.
See the attached photos. So, is backing rack an important feature for your particular bake job? If yes, then you will have a hard time using the Nordic brand—either that or you have to buy purposefully smaller sized baking rack than what is “standard sized.” If not, who cares. I do need a baking rack for many of the things I bake—a rack that falls off easily is not acceptable to me. But who needs a rack for cookies? Wings? You have to think about this aspect for your own purposes.
Manufacturing: the Nordic pan was perfect in attention to details. The photo of the back of the quarter-sheet pan shows you how each manufacturer rolled their heavy duty aluminum. Nordic rolled theirs much more perfectly and more detailed. See photo. On the other hand, Vollrath pan was kind of …Meh~ Like as if the manufacturer said “that’s good enough of a roll.” Does the bad rolling job make the Vollrath pan useless? No. The baking result is not impacted from my test-baking. But there’s something to be said about perfection.
True Heavy Weight?: Both brands claim to be “Heavy Duty.” Check out the photos: Vollrath weighs in at 348 grams while the Nordic weighs in at 460 grams. If you do the math, this means the Nordic quarter sheet is approximately 30% more material! Yes, there’s 30% more aluminum in the Nordic quarter-sheet than the Vollrath product. That’s “30% heavier” duty.. I suppose you can put it that way. But the baking result with the Vollrath is not impacted (no warping, food bakes out equally on a side-by-side bake test). So is the extra 30% more material necessary? Thin baking sheet has the problem of bending and warping during baking (this is a known problem). If the product does NOT bend of warp… 348 gm vs. 460 gm ? Hmm. I dunno.
But then again .. . Nordic is heavier weight, great, but it doesn’t accommodate a “standard sized” baking rack!!! Which is more important?? Now that’s where you need to decide for yourself.
If you bake often foods that require a rack, you absolutely need a smaller rack or use the Vollrath quarter sheet to accommodate standard quarter-sheet racks. The Nordic will not fit those. On the other hand, if your bake often foods that sit directly on the pan and do not need a rack, or only uses the rack sporadically, you might be better off getting the Nordic quarter sheet and enjoy its 30% heavier weight and better machine job / better attention to details. Or get both – one Vollrath for one job, one Nordic for another job.
OR, go find a smaller quarter-sheet rack (say, 1/8” smaller each side) to accommodate the Nordic quarter-sheet, then you have the best of both worlds. But that means you have to buy “less than standard sized” baking rack by about 1/8” smaller each side. Why can’t just “standard sized” things work standardly? Why don’t they just work perfectly? That was my frustration with Nordic quarter-sheet this entire time. I love that quarter-sheet but whenever I needed to use a rack, Nordic became useless to me.
Thickness: You can see from the photos that the Nordic quarter-sheet is slightly thicker than the Vollrath. This came from being 30% more weight/material. I am not detecting the benefit of this extra thickness. Better heat retention? More anti-warping? More stable? Heavier? Stronger?
Other things: Both quarter-sheets are NOT (I repeat, NOT) safe in dishwasher. They both need to be hand washed. They both do NOT come seasoned and they are NOT non-stick. Your best bet is put down a sheet of silicon baking sheet. I personally don’t recommend aluminum foil (but that’s what everyone does). My recommendation against aluminum foil is the excessive intake of aluminum which may be associated with Alzheimer’s disease. (This is not a medical preach, please use your own research). I simply recommend you use a silicon baking mat instead of an aluminum foil bottom to avoid getting even more aluminum in your diet. I do NOT recommend baking directly on either Nordic or Vollrath quarter-sheets: food spot will be permanently baked into the pans, black scorch marks and carbon deposits will permanently cook into the aluminum sheets and there is no easy reversal (if at all). I know, it’s only $15 a quarter-sheet so it’s not too expensive. I happen to like my things to last for years. :-)
I hope this has been helpful. Write me comments if you need to ask more questions. I am attaching 8 or 9 photos to help with this review. Thanks!! Happy shopping!!
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From the manufacturer
Naturals Aluminum Bakeware
The superior heat conductivity of aluminum ensures that you achieve consistent, evenly browned results every time you bake. Pure aluminum will never rust, and a reinforced, encapsulated rim prevents warping.
• Nordic Ware pioneered natural aluminum bakeware for the consumer market over 15 years ago and now has over 40 styles available in the collection
• Made of pure, uncoated natural aluminum
• 100% made in USA in Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Encapsulated solid core steel rim
• Pans are made of a special hardened aluminum alloy that provides superbly uniform heat conductivity and maximizes scratch resistance
• Shiny and non-porous natural aluminum provides natural nonstick performance
• Embossed Nordic Ware logo signal quality and value from a trusted legacy brand for over 70 years
Encapsulated Solid Core Steel Rim
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Coils of wireHaving an encapsulated steel rim adds structural support to prevent warping of the pan. |
Bending wires to sizeWires are bent to perfectly fit inside the rim of our bakeware sheets. |
A finished wireWires are made of Galvanized Steel and will not rust. |
Steel rim fully encapsulatedAn encapsulated steel rim turns an exceptional baking sheet into a product that will withstand a lifetime of use. |
Use and Care for Natural Aluminum
• Before initial use and after subsequent uses, hand wash with warm, soapy water.
• Dishwasher use is not advised as discoloration will occur due to the cleaning agents used in automatic dishwasher detergent. This discoloration is merely cosmetic and will not affect baking properties or safety of the pan.
• Natural aluminum pans work well with parchment paper, silicone baking mats, and also traditional butter or shortening and flour methods. When roasting savory foods such as vegetables, butter or cooking oil work well.
• Nylon, wood, or silicone utensils are recommended. Metal utensils and scouring pads may scratch natural aluminum pans, but will not affect baking performance
• Aluminum is reactive to acidic ingredients such as vinegar and tomato products. These foods may darken, pit or corrode the pan after prolonged use.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2020
Size: Half Sheet, 2-PackColor: NaturalVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2023
Size: Half Sheet, 2-PackColor: NaturalVerified Purchase
Look weird after the dishwasher, but THEY DON'T WARP FROM HEAT!
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2023
I've had a lot of cheap to moderately priced baking pans, and they've all warped with heat, or rusted, or both rusted and dented from pizza cutters and the like. These are the first ones I've ever owned that haven't warped from heat, so everything stays nice and flat in the oven while it's baking (great for using under silicone baking molds for example). They clean up great in the dishwasher, nothing crusty sticks to them, but they do come out looking like they have a sort of patina on them. The first time I saw it, I was concerned that some of my dish detergent had stuck to them, but they're completely smooth. Reminds me of how finished concrete floors and countertops develop a patina after a while. If you're ok with these pans not looking show room new after the dishwasher, they're wonderful; they are supposed to keep their original looks if you hand wash only, I just hate hand washing if I don't have to. They also have a good weight to them - not too heavy, like some others I've had (that still warped) but definitely not flimsy. The only thing I don't like about them is that they don't seem to glide on my oven racks like other pans do, so they have developed some superficial scratches on the bottom, but I'm not sure this is a bad thing. I've slid other pans onto the rack too quickly and had the food all clump up at the back of the oven, but with these, it stays right where I set it. Didn't take long to get used to, and now I don't think about it. I'll be buying these again, to replace my shoddy pans as they get too dented or rusted to use.
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2023
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2023
Size: Half Sheet, 2-PackColor: NaturalVerified Purchase
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