As the baking season rolls in, you might be eager to get your baking dishes into action. However, are you consistently selecting the appropriate baking pan for the task at hand? Both glass and metal bakeware have their unique advantages and excel in specific baking scenarios. Discover how each type of pan enhances your baking experience and what the experts suggest for your own culinary endeavors.
Sally McKenney, the creator of Sally’s Baking Addiction and the author of Sally’s Baking 101, and Jesse Jackson III, a baking and pastry arts instructor at the Culinary Institute of America and a judge on Netflix’s Next Gen Chef, share their insights.
Glass bakeware often doesn’t come standard in those universal bakeware sets, but it brings a wealth of benefits to the table, particularly for certain dishes. Typically, you’ll find glass bakeware in 9 x 13-inch pans and pie dishes.
Should you happen to burn something, a thorough soak is usually sufficient to remove any stubborn residue from a glass pan, whereas cleaning a metal pan might demand more effort. Additionally, glass is nonreactive, so acidic ingredients like lemon and tomato won’t stain or harm your bakeware, as Sally McKenney, the founder of Sally’s Baking Addiction, points out.
If you’ve ever encountered a soggy pie crust, you’ll understand why a glass pie pan is a perfect choice. Often, the top crust appears beautifully golden, but once you slice into the pie, the bottom crust is undercooked. “I prefer using glass pie plates for baking pies because I can easily check if the bottom crust has browned sufficiently,” McKenney explains. “That visual cue is incredibly helpful in preventing a soggy crust.”
Should your top crust be done while the bottom remains undercooked, you can cover the top crust with foil to prevent it from becoming too dark while the bottom crust finishes cooking to perfection.
“When baking with glass, despite its lower conductivity, it acts as an insulator,” Jesse Jackson III notes. “Glass takes longer to heat up, but once it does, it distributes heat evenly. It’s better suited for longer baking times where excessive browning is undesirable and moisture needs to be preserved.” This makes it ideal for dishes like casseroles, lasagnas, or large fruit pies that you might want to keep warm during serving.
While oven-safe glass is sturdy, it can still break if dropped or stressed, and McKenney advises against using it at very high temperatures or under the broiler to prevent potential mishaps in the oven. On the other hand, metal can withstand high temperatures and is resilient to major temperature fluctuations that can cause glass pans to shatter. Metal pans can also withstand some scrubbing, as long as they don’t have a nonstick surface that could be damaged by steel wool or other abrasive scrubbers. (Always check the care instructions when purchasing!)
Jackson recommends paying close attention to maintaining the cleanliness of metal pans, particularly the edges. “A buildup of residue in the corners reduces the conductivity of the pans, making it more challenging for heat to penetrate.”
Yet, this doesn’t mean you can’t use the alternative type of baking pan; you might just need to make a few adjustments, according to McKenney.
When switching from glass to dark metal, lower the oven temperature by about 25°F (10–15°C) to avoid over-browning and start checking for doneness sooner. Conversely, when switching from metal to glass, extend the baking time by five to 10 minutes, as glass takes longer to heat up.
Regardless of the pan you choose, experts suggest using parchment paper to minimize sticking and to keep a close watch on your baked goods in the oven to ensure your autumn treats turn out perfectly golden and delightful each time.
