12 best baking trays, tried and tested for crispy chips and more

Described by my co-tester as ‘the best baking tray they’ve ever used’ this three-piece tray set is able to cook meals for the whole family, whatever the occasion. The carbon steel construction, with what the brand calls ‘raised surface technology’ means that food cooks evenly with no hot spots and its non-stick coating meant my homemade sausage rolls lifted off seamlessly. No soggy or burnt bottoms here, just crisp, flaky pastry that even the best bakers would be proud of. And I loved the sturdy construction and handles which not only made it warp proof but a dream to get in and out of the oven.

There are some housekeeping rules to adhere to – like no metal utensils, greasing before baking, and handwashing over the dishwasher – but overall the trays will turn out great food time and again. And a lifetime guarantee is always nice to have for peace of mind.

Though it’s called a ‘Swiss roll pan’ this is the little budget baking tray that can do it all. I baked a batch of cookies on this, and greasing the tray was no issue for this bakeware. Cookies lifted off with ease, thanks to the non-stick PFOA free coating and were crisp yet gooey – aka the perfect consistency.

This baking tray is on the small side, which for small bakes would be ideal, but for other food groups means it’s not going to feed the whole family. However, it didn’t warp, was nice and lightweight to use and cooled down quickly.

Now when it comes to crispy yet fluffy chips, I know the air fryer has brought about stiff competition for the humble oven. However, this tray gives the best of both worlds and, honestly, it may have just converted me back to the oven chip for good.

Both frozen and homemade chips, this tray brought about the best results of all on test. The airflow from the detachable crisper basket means hot air is able to circulate seamlessly around food providing a crisper coating. My chips were crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside without using any extra oils or fats. I also tried cooking chicken on it and found the results were just the same – crispy skin, but a juicy, succulent inside.

It did buckle slightly when exposed to its maximum temp of 220C so it lost half a point for that, but it did correct itself soon after and I’ve had no problems with it since. It can be cleaned in the dishwasher, but to keep this in pristine condition, I’d recommend handwashing. I found any fat that dripped through from meat washed off with ease, even just with hot water, leaving no residue behind.

For cookie connoisseurs this will be the only tray you use from now on. Made from pure aluminium, the heat conduction of this pan is second to none. Cookies I made on it lifted with ease and were perfectly crisp all round, yet nothing got stuck or left behind on the tray. The steel rims prevent warping and also make it easy to get in and out of the oven. And it gives the Stellar baking tray a run for its money on size, meaning it’ll be perfect for food preppers too.

Cleaning wise, it is another handwash only option, but even when greased it washed up and looked as good as new – which is more than I can say for the stainless steel option. Perhaps my only notes are that, due to its large size, you will need to check the width of your oven before purchasing. This just about fits in ours. Plus, you will need to use parchment paper or oil/grease before use. However, scouring pads and metal utensils can be used on it and even if it gets scratched it won’t affect its baking credentials. Plus, the encapsulated steel rim ensures it won’t warp and disrupt your bake.

For the hostess with the mostest, this baking tray is a must have in your kitchen. This narrow tray is the perfect size for canapes and lighter bites and its ceramic design ensures even cooking. Everything slides off effortlessly thanks to non-stick coating meaning no sausage roll or vol au vent is left behind and it came out of my dishwasher looking like it was fresh out of the box.

I also love the idea that it can be taken from oven to table top (though you will need to place it on a trivet or chopping board as it retains the heat for 30 minutes after it’s removed from the oven) or passed around at a party (oven gloves are a must) making it seamless for parties and all occasions. It also has a 10-year warranty meaning it’ll be a staple at all your gathering for years to come.

For the price of this tray, I was expecting really high quality, and while there’s more that I like about this tray than don’t, I will start with a word of caution. Of all the trays I tested, this is the only one without a non-stick coating and I did notice a difference. Homemade chips stuck to the bottom of the tin and had to be pried off with a fish slice. Normally this would be a problem but, with a bit of elbow grease and a fish slice, they did come away in tact, and they were still crisp on the ends but fluffy inside. Plus, thanks to the aluminium material it was scratch and abrasion resistant, even with our metal utensil.

Aside from this, I like the deeper tray which gives it more flexibility than others on the list. It’d be good for saucier tray bakes – think hunters chicken or one pot wonders with stock – as the higher edges will keep everything inside, and it was a brilliant heat conductor. Though it is handwash only, a quick soak meant any pesky crumbs left behind washed off seamlessly.

The best bit about this tray, aside from it’s very affordable price point, is that it gives you the flexibility to cook different things without them mixing. While I don’t mind a chicken kiev leaking over my chips, sometimes we want our flavours and food groups to stay separate and this tray really makes that a whole lot easier without taking up extra real estate in your oven.

While one side looks like your standard non-stick surface – making it ideal for cooking meats, fish etc – the other has specifically designed air holes that allow for fantastic heat circulation.

As for cleaning, any residue left behind washed off effortlessly, which, considering this is a handwash only item, is a relief. It also cooled down exceptionally quickly, so perfect if you have small hands around or need to clean up in a hurry.

This tray is great quality and has become a firm favourite in my house for the past year. At 44cm, the Stellar eclipse baking tray is one of the biggest on test, second only to the Nordic tray, which makes it perfect for feeding large families. But for me, it’s been my go-to tray to help with meal prepping for the week ahead.

I love that it can fit large amounts of veggies for my dinners and lunches week after week, and that the quality never diminishes no matter how many trips it takes in the dishwasher. Liquids and fat is kept firmly on the tray without spilling thanks to the high lip and the carbon steel material ensures exceptional heat conduction and perfectly cooked food every single time. And, of course, the non-stick surface has never wavered, nor has it buckled once. A great tray if you have the space, love to food-prep or just have a lot of hungry mouths to feed.

It may be the only stainless steel tray on test but I was seriously impressed with this tray. If you’re not familiar, stainless steel is known for its durability, non-reactive surface and even heat circulation, which is why it’s the go-to material in professional kitchens and having used it to cook chicken, fish and vegetables, I can see why. My chicken was juicy, vegetables perfectly cooked yet retained their flavour and fish was browned yet succulent. Admittedly the pan did warp slightly on first use, but it corrected itself after a moment, and I haven’t had any problems with it since (always preheat folks!).

However, a word of caution when it comes to caring for your tray: add seasonings to already hot food to avoid pitting (a form of corrosion that creates small, hole-like depressions on the surface) and avoid detergents with an abrasive nature. The bonus with this tray is it can be used on the hob – specifically ceramic, gas, electric, hot plate – to sautée vegetables.

If you’re going to call something “multi-purpose”, then it’s important that it leaves up to that claim. Rest assured this tray delivers. It roasted, baked and cooked everything I threw at it with ease with no muss or fuss left behind.

With two layers of non-stick coating, trust mewhen we say no food will get stuck. I cooked a tray full of burgers and, despite the grease that came off them, not a single one fell apart. Better still, the tray came out of the dishwasher looking brand new and, because there are no rolled edges, no water or soap was trapped and left behind so there’s less chance of rusting meaning it should hopefully last for years.

The handles on this made it incredibly easy to hold on to and, though it’s made of thick carbon steel, it was incredibly lightweight. This is also an incredible size and could handle cooking multiple meals at once and even helped us to food prep for the week ahead.

Dunelm is the home of homeware for a reason. This heavy gauge model is perfect for serving up a supper for the whole family. My food – sausages and potato wedges this time – cooked brilliantly and evenly, and didn’t stick despite the grease they left behind. The coating means it has superb resistance to any abrasions and it has an outstanding non-stick performance. I was also glad to see that it cleaned up effortlessly and lived up to those ‘easy clean’ statements it made.

Two of the four edges of this tray are slightly wider, but that’s all part of the genius – it allows you to easily get it in and out of the oven, which makes for a much easier cooking experience. I also love that we can pop this one in the fridge, freezer and even the microwave making it supremely versatile. For just £8 (currently £6.40 in the sale) this is a great size tray that can get the job done well.

There’s one item that gets cooked time and time again in my house and that’s bread. From homemade loaves to part-baked rolls and garlic bread, it’s essential that any baking tray I own can give our rolls/baps/cobs the royal treatment. And GreenPan’s cookie sheet became my go-to for this task.

No matter how many times I used it, it didn’t warp. The handles made it really easy to get in and out of our new hide-and-slide ovens, and the PFAS-free surface gave me real peace of mind. The heat distribution was excellent and ensured our rolls browned nicely while remaining light and airy on the inside – Paul Hollywood would be proud. The non-stick coating really impressed me and any liquid left behind pooled straight off which, compared to our old trays, was a real treat and meant it always washed up like new.