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🧁 What's a Baking Tray?
It's just a flat pan you stick in the oven to bake or cook stuff.
It spreads the heat evenly and lets air flow around so things get crispy and brown.
⚙️ Types of Baking Trays
* **Flat Baking Sheet:** Totally flat with one edge you can grab. Great for cookies, pizza, and pastries.
* **Rimmed Baking Tray (Sheet Pan):** Has raised edges (like a little wall) to keep liquids from spilling. Use it for veggies, meat, fish, or cookies.
* **Deep Baking Tray:** Has deeper sides. Good for lasagna, brownies, and roasting meat.
* **Perforated Tray:** Has holes for better airflow and crisping. Try it for bread, pizza, or fries.
* **Enamel-Coated Tray:** Has a metal inside with a smooth coating that’s easy to clean. Use it for roasting when you want an easy cleanup.
* **Non-stick Tray:** Food won’t stick to it. Great for everyday baking or if you’re trying to use less oil.
* **Silicone Baking Mat or Tray:** Bendy and heat-safe. Cool for sticky stuff.
* **Glass/Ceramic Dish:** Stays hot longer. Good for cooking things slowly and evenly, like casseroles or desserts.
🔩 What They're Made Of
* **Aluminum:** Heats up fast, light, and cheap. Can get bent out of shape at very high heat, and it reacts to acidic foods.
* **Stainless Steel:** Strong and lasts a long time. Takes longer to heat up and might not cook evenly if it’s too thin.
* **Carbon Steel:** Lasts, holds heat well, makes things brown nicely. You need to season it so it doesn't rust.
* **Cast Iron:** Holds heat like crazy, great for roasting. But it’s super heavy and you have to take care of it.
* **Enamel-Coated Metal:** Easy to clean and doesn’t react with food. But the coating can chip if you drop it.
* **Silicone:** Nothing sticks to it, bendy, and you can put it in the dishwasher. Doesn’t brown food as well.
* **Glass/Ceramic:** Heats evenly and looks nice for serving. But it can break and takes longer to heat up.
🔥 Sizes (About)
(Can be different depending on where you live and what kind of oven you have)
* **Quarter Sheet:** 24 × 18 cm - For small ovens or single servings.
* **Half Sheet:** 33 × 23 cm- A normal size for baking at home.
* **Full Sheet:** 46 × 33 cm - For big ovens or when you're baking a lot.
* **Deep Roasting Tray:** 40 × 30 × 5 cm - For meats or lasagna.
*Tip:* Measure your oven inside to make sure the tray will fit.
🍪 What to Use Them For
* Cookies, bread, cakes, pizzas.
* Veggies, meat, potatoes, fish.
* Catching drips from pies.
* Freezing fruit.
* Toasting nuts.
🧽 How to Clean Them
* Let it cool before washing – if not, it can bend.
* Wash by hand if you can – dishwashers can ruin non-stick coatings.
* Don’t use metal stuff on non-stick.
* Use parchment paper to keep the tray clean.
* Get rid of baked-on gunk with baking soda and vinegar or soap.
* Dry it completely to keep it from rusting.
* Put a little oil on carbon steel after cleaning to protect it.
⚖️ What to Pick
* If you want crispy edges (fries, cookies): Use aluminum.
* For juicy roasting (chicken, veggies): Use a rimmed, deep tray.
* For delicate desserts: A non-stick or silicone tray.
* For browning: Use carbon steel.
* For easy cleanup: Use an enamel or silicone tray.
🧁 Extra Tips
* Use baking paper so food lifts without sticking.
* Leave space so things get crispy.
* Rotate the tray to help even the cooking.
* Put a bowl of water in the oven for extra steam (bread or pastries).
* Alternate trays halfway for even cooking.
It's just a flat pan you stick in the oven to bake or cook stuff.
It spreads the heat evenly and lets air flow around so things get crispy and brown.
⚙️ Types of Baking Trays
* **Flat Baking Sheet:** Totally flat with one edge you can grab. Great for cookies, pizza, and pastries.
* **Rimmed Baking Tray (Sheet Pan):** Has raised edges (like a little wall) to keep liquids from spilling. Use it for veggies, meat, fish, or cookies.
* **Deep Baking Tray:** Has deeper sides. Good for lasagna, brownies, and roasting meat.
* **Perforated Tray:** Has holes for better airflow and crisping. Try it for bread, pizza, or fries.
* **Enamel-Coated Tray:** Has a metal inside with a smooth coating that’s easy to clean. Use it for roasting when you want an easy cleanup.
* **Non-stick Tray:** Food won’t stick to it. Great for everyday baking or if you’re trying to use less oil.
* **Silicone Baking Mat or Tray:** Bendy and heat-safe. Cool for sticky stuff.
* **Glass/Ceramic Dish:** Stays hot longer. Good for cooking things slowly and evenly, like casseroles or desserts.
🔩 What They're Made Of
* **Aluminum:** Heats up fast, light, and cheap. Can get bent out of shape at very high heat, and it reacts to acidic foods.
* **Stainless Steel:** Strong and lasts a long time. Takes longer to heat up and might not cook evenly if it’s too thin.
* **Carbon Steel:** Lasts, holds heat well, makes things brown nicely. You need to season it so it doesn't rust.
* **Cast Iron:** Holds heat like crazy, great for roasting. But it’s super heavy and you have to take care of it.
* **Enamel-Coated Metal:** Easy to clean and doesn’t react with food. But the coating can chip if you drop it.
* **Silicone:** Nothing sticks to it, bendy, and you can put it in the dishwasher. Doesn’t brown food as well.
* **Glass/Ceramic:** Heats evenly and looks nice for serving. But it can break and takes longer to heat up.
🔥 Sizes (About)
(Can be different depending on where you live and what kind of oven you have)
* **Quarter Sheet:** 24 × 18 cm - For small ovens or single servings.
* **Half Sheet:** 33 × 23 cm- A normal size for baking at home.
* **Full Sheet:** 46 × 33 cm - For big ovens or when you're baking a lot.
* **Deep Roasting Tray:** 40 × 30 × 5 cm - For meats or lasagna.
*Tip:* Measure your oven inside to make sure the tray will fit.
🍪 What to Use Them For
* Cookies, bread, cakes, pizzas.
* Veggies, meat, potatoes, fish.
* Catching drips from pies.
* Freezing fruit.
* Toasting nuts.
🧽 How to Clean Them
* Let it cool before washing – if not, it can bend.
* Wash by hand if you can – dishwashers can ruin non-stick coatings.
* Don’t use metal stuff on non-stick.
* Use parchment paper to keep the tray clean.
* Get rid of baked-on gunk with baking soda and vinegar or soap.
* Dry it completely to keep it from rusting.
* Put a little oil on carbon steel after cleaning to protect it.
⚖️ What to Pick
* If you want crispy edges (fries, cookies): Use aluminum.
* For juicy roasting (chicken, veggies): Use a rimmed, deep tray.
* For delicate desserts: A non-stick or silicone tray.
* For browning: Use carbon steel.
* For easy cleanup: Use an enamel or silicone tray.
🧁 Extra Tips
* Use baking paper so food lifts without sticking.
* Leave space so things get crispy.
* Rotate the tray to help even the cooking.
* Put a bowl of water in the oven for extra steam (bread or pastries).
* Alternate trays halfway for even cooking.