They don’t yield the same results. Choose wisely or adjust baking time accordingly!
You know we love our 9x13s. And our sheet pans. And we’ve even discussed using real 9x13s. But you may have realized that some recipes turn out differently depending on whether the pan used was real or disposable.
There are a couple of things we can all agree on. Vegetables should always be roasted on a real sheet pan. Disposables should always be used when you’re stocking the freezer. No debates on these points.
In general, though, food will cook more quickly in a real pan because they retain heat better than a disposable (notice how they never really get so hot to the touch compared to a real pan?).
Let’s discuss brownies. Particularly, the no-mess 9×13 brownies in Dinner Done. Using a real metal pan vs a disposable 9×13 yields an entirely different result. In general, baking times are longer when baking in disposable aluminum pans. You can see here the difference in readiness at 25 minutes of baking time for these brownies.
But after the disposable pan was returned to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, the texture of the brownie was still very different. The 25-minute real pan brownie has a much cakier and crumbier texture than the 35-minute disposable pan brownie. Baking that one longer still resulted in a gooier brownie. So, it’s really about how you prefer your brownies!
The most important thing to keep in mind is baking times. When a recipe calls for 20-30 minutes in the oven, if you’re using a real pan, you might want to start checking in at 17 or 18 minutes, but with disposable pans, you shouldn’t be surprised if you need a few minutes past the 30. And don’t forget that different ovens can have different results. Learn your oven and plan your baking accordingly!
Looks amazing
can’t wait to try it out
So, which type of pan (real or disposable) are the recipes in Dinner Done assuming you’re using? For all the cake types specifically
Thank you!
It’s up to you. Most recipes do show a range of baking times to allow for various types of baking pans.
Would you recommend using an oven thermometer to gauge the temperature on your oven?
Absolutely. It’s good to check it every once in a while. We like this thermometer.
That thermometer says it’s for fridge or freezers and is only good for up to 80°
Oops! Posted the wrong one. This is the oven version. https://amzn.to/3nMXmxg
So interesting. My husband likes brownies baked in a Pyrex, how do you compare that to metal?
Should be Cooked 25 degrees less hot oven than metal. Sides pull away easier when baking. Tend to have a sugary cust and soft middle…where metal is more uniform.
When I use my real cookie sheets I find it helpful to put two layers of parchment paper instead of one, so the bottom of the cookie doesn’t get too well done…
Based on this post, I made the brownies in a disposable 9×13, because we like them gooey. I used the instructions for fudgier brownies and baked them for 35 min (again based on the post) and when I cut them a bit later when the pan was cool, the brownies were totally still just messy batter. I ended up baking them for an additional 20 minutes and then they were the proper fudgy brownie consistency…the cookbook says bake 25-30 minutes. What could I have done wrong?
When I use my real cookie sheets I find it helpful to put two layers of parchment paper instead of one,