Choosing the Best Cookie Sheet

AlamyIs there a difference between a cookie sheet, a baking sheet, and a jellyroll pan? That's the question you are most likely to hear in the baking aisle of any kitchenware store.

And it's an easy one to answer.

A bona fide cookie sheet has a shallow lip on one or two sides for ease of handling; the other two sides are flat so that you can slide freshly baked cookies onto a wire cooling rack. The rectangular baking sheet with an inch-high rim that may, confusingly, be marketed as a cookie sheet or cookie pan is actually designed for holding and shaping batter for the thin sponge cake used in a jelly roll -- that old-fashioned, fabulously squishy pinwheel filled with jelly or jam, lemon curd or flavored whipped cream. A rimmed baking sheet and a jellyroll pan are one and the same. Whether you prefer a true cookie sheet or a rimmed baking sheet, buy at least two of them; you'll be stunned at how efficiently you can crank out batch after batch of cookies.

Is a Cookie Sheet with a Traditional or Nonstick Finish Better?

I'm a big fan of baking equipment with a traditional finish. Nonstick finishes -- even light-colored ones -- wick too much moisture out of whatever you are baking. Another drawback is that cookies never seem to spread; their bottoms overbrown before the insides are fully cooked.

The Best Inexpensive Cookie Sheets

Wearever makes a basic rimmed baking sheet that sells for $14.99 from amazon.com. If you don't bake cookies often, this will work just fine; just be quick and careful when transferring cookies to cooling rack (for my idea of the ultimate cooling rack, visit my site, janelear.com). This pan also comes in handy for bar cookies; toasting nuts, bread crumbs or croutons; and for roasting vegetables.

Chicago Metallic's Commercial Traditional Jelly-Roll Pan is another option. It's extremely well made and cookies never seem to stick. A set of two will run you $26.50 at amazon.com .

The Best Moderately Priced Cookie Sheets

As a rule, I don't like insulated cookie sheets, which sandwich air between two thin layers of metal: Although they provide even, gentle heat, cookies simply refuse to brown, and you must take great care to prevent the interior of the sheets from getting wet. One exception is the sheet made by Wilton ($21.99 at wilton.com. It yields beautiful cookies, and you can wash it in the dishwasher; the heat during the dry cycle causes any water trapped between the two layers to evaporate.

I am a huge fan of the Doughmakers cookie sheet ($19.99 at thebakersplace.com, famous for its signature "pebble pattern," which allows air to flow underneath baked goods for more even browning. All I know is that the sheet turns out perfect cookies every single blessed time. I'm also a sucker for the heartwarming story behind the Indiana company; it was founded in 1996 after Bette LaPlante and her husband, who owned a metal-working business, first made the textured sheet in the garage as a fundraiser for their son's Cub Scout troop.

For about the same price, the Vollrath's Co. Cookie Sheet also has its die-hard fans ($22 from amazon.com).

If Expense is No Object

I have absolutely no idea why any sane person would spend $85 on a cookie sheet, but, if you insist, then the All-Clad Cookie Sheet (available from chefsresource.com) fits the bill. It is heavy, though, and be sure to use parchment paper or a Silpat-type liner.

A note from Jane Lear: I don't accept free products or consider products for inclusion in these columns on the basis of press releases or marketing campaigns. My suggestions are based on my years as a food writer and home cook.