Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Baking pans - Checklist

I have a problem. The moment I get some idea in my mind, I have to act on it. I can't sleep till I do it. I came to this country 12 years back. I saw the oven for the first time in my life. I had to learn how to use it. I tried making some corn bread without using eggs and since I didn't have the proper pans or didn't have any knowledge about baking, it was a disaster.

Then, I got the computer (yes, I didn't have a computer at home at that time). Started looking at the recipes. My favorite site was allrecipes.com. I read about baking pans. Different kinds. Went and bought some that were nonstick. Why? because they won't stick right? I didn't understand that the food baked in those pans would be over done unless the temperature was reduced. Lot of mistakes initially lead to what I know about baking today. To help those who want to dive into 'baking' but are hesitant, here are some tips.

For a starter in baking, these are the essential pans. Buy all aluminum pans. Don't buy those non stick pans. Many people like the silicone baking pans. They are great if used correctly. Since they are not sturdy, if you place them on a baking sheet and bake, they take longer to bake and the end product sometimes becomes drier. I am not a fan of these pans.
  • 8" round pans or 9" round pans - 2 in number
  • 13 " X  9" pan - 1
  • Bundt or tube pan - 1 (Bundt pan usually comes as a non stick and is alright to use since there is no torting involved )
  • Loaf pans - 2 in number of size 8" X 4" or 9" X 5" - I would go for 9" X 5" since if the batter is less, I will still be able to use them and get a shorter loaf. 
  • A standard muffin pan. 
  • 8" or 9" square pan for brownies and other bar cookies.
  • Jelly roll pan - 15" X 10" in size (Jelly roll pan is the same as a cookie sheet, but with a lip)
  • Couple of large cookie sheets. You can buy the non stick one for this. But, remember to use parchment paper to bake the cookies.
  • Pie plates if you are into baking pies. You can buy glass ones for these.
Some Dos and Don'ts about the pans:
Always bake at 25 F lower heat than specified if using non stick pan or a glass pan. Same goes for convection oven too. You might have to bake for 5 minutes longer than the duration specified in the recipe. But, check at the correct lower range and not wait for 5 more minutes.

Grease and flour the pans unless specified otherwise. There are lot of recipes which ask you to grease only the bottom. Reason behind it is for the batter to stick to the pan and rise. And there are chiffon cakes and angel food cakes which do not need the pans greased.

Some cookie recipe tells you not to grease the sheet. You can line the sheet with parchment paper for even those for easy cleanup. If you want to learn more about interchanging the pans, read this post about cake pan conversions .

You don't have to buy all of these. Get what you need. Don't be like me who has boxes and boxes of cake pans in the basement. To give you an idea, I have 3 12 cup bundt pans, 1 tube pan, 1 6 cup bundt pan and couple of ring molds alone. This is not counting the innumerable layered cake pans I have. And I probably have 8 cookie sheets. Why did I buy all these? Because I am crazy.... That's why.

You will see quite a few basics in baking posts here. I should thank Srivalli for suggesting me to write them. I hope you will all enjoy reading them.

Enjoy. Pin It

14 comments:

  1. Thanks Champa for this list. I badly needed it. I didn't know that for non-stick pan I need to lower the temp, now I do :)

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  2. WWOW!!
    I CAN SAY..
    PERFECT TIPS FOR STARTERS LIKE ME. I ALWAYS WONDER ABOUT THESE PANS AND ALL THESE DAYS(TILL FEW DAYS BACK) I THOUGHT THESE PANS ARE ONLY FOR THOSE BAKING MAGICIANS. NOW I KNOW THEM VERY WELL.
    BOOKMARKED THIS POST FOR MY FUTURE REFERENCE AND SHOPPING.
    THANKS A TON FOR THIS.

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  3. This information is indeed very helpful for beginners like me. Thank you Champa! for sharing all the information:-)

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  4. Informative post for beginners like me

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  5. Hey I didn't know the cons for the silicone pans..I always eye those but never bought :)
    Current event at my space -
    http://tamalapaku.blogspot.com/2011/04/design-menu-2nd-edition.html

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  6. Thanks for sharing..useful tip for beginners like me..

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  7. I only have aluminium pans but the problem is the rims are not very high so i always end up having flatter cakes. never could manage more than 2 layers.

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  8. Champa- I enjoyed your open-hearted criticism of yourself regarding the umpteen pans you have c-in your basement.
    As I am a grandmother now I recall the time when I was your age in Mumbai and used to try out stuff that you youngsters so easily can try out -more resources, easy availability and no financial holding back plus the GREAT MENTOR OF TODAY- THE WEBGURU and HIS OMNISCIENT POWERFUL REACH TO EVERY CORNER OF THIS WORLD.
    Your points of advice are very apt for beginner bakers.
    Keep on blogging and cooking.Thanks!!!

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  9. Thanks everyone for leaving a comment.
    Sayantani,
    Many companies make it 1 1/2" height pans. Only the companies which are into baking pans on a large scale produce 2" and 3" high pans. There is a trick to increase the height of the pan though. It is called making a collar. What you do is cut a parchment paper 2 1/2" wide and long enough to circle the cake pan. Place it around the circumference (inside) and glue it to the pan with a bit of cake batter. You have a 2" high pan.

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  10. Thanks Champa! Your posts in my case are at the best possible time. I was making a list of all the pans I may need. I will follow your list and most importantly buy them only when I need them.

    Could you tell me about ramekins? I want to buy them but not too sure about the sizes and kinds that I should concentrate on.

    Thanks once again.

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  11. Archana,
    You are welcome. I have a set of 4 ramekins. They are the same size as the muffin tin cups. I believe they are the standard size. I however, do have one that is bigger than the rest and the size mainly depends on what you are trying to make. If you want them for the pudding or custard or creme brulee, go for the standard sized ones. If you are making souffle, go for the bigger one where one pan will make enough serving for 4-6 people. I don't know where you live, but I have seen great deals (not always) on ramekins in pier one imports and Sur La Table.

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  12. Thanks a ton Champa for your reply and your idea of using collars to increase the height. will try this soon. Thanks again.

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  13. Wonderful compilation Champa. Will be back to read more in detail. Thanks for the mention.

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If you have a question and you leave it as a comment, I'll surely answer the question to the best of my knowledge. Thanks for visiting.