Metal, Glass or Edge Pan? The Best Baking Dish for Brownies

1. USA Pan Nonstick 8-inch Square Cake Pan – Square Corners, Standard Size

Best overall

The 8 x 8 square is the size most brownie recipes are written for, and this is the one we would buy first.

USA Pan makes this 8-inch square pan from commercial-quality aluminized steel, with a corrugated surface that the maker says helps air circulate for quick release and even baking. It is finished with USA Pan’s clear silicone nonstick coating, is oven safe to 450°F, and has straight sides and square corners for tidy edge pieces. The listing says it is made in the USA from globally sourced materials and carries a limited lifetime warranty.

America’s Test Kitchen reviewed 8-inch square pans by baking yellow cake and brownies in each, slicing them in the pan and washing each pan repeatedly. It named a sister pan, USA Pan’s American Bakeware Classic 8×8, its Best Buy; that version was not in stock when we last checked. ATK did not review this standard USA Pan model, so we cannot pass its findings on. In that review, the American Bakeware Classic pan scratched slightly when brownies were cut in it, which is typical of nonstick pans.

That last point is worth acting on: lift the slab out on parchment and cut it on a board, which protects any nonstick pan.

Why we like it

• Straight sides and square corners
• Oven safe to 450°F, per USA Pan
• Silicone nonstick coating for easy release, per USA Pan
• Made in the USA, per the listing
• Limited lifetime warranty

Why we recommend it

It suits anyone baking a standard brownie recipe or box mix. It is the size the recipe expects, its light metal bakes evenly without the over-browned edges a dark pan can give, and its square corners give neat pieces.

Skip it if you double recipes or bake for a crowd. An 8-inch pan holds one standard batch, and a 9 x 13 pan such as the Fat Daddio’s is the better fit for more.

Pros and cons

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2. Wilton Gold Non-Stick 8 x 8-inch Square Pan – Easy Release, Low Cost

Budget pick

Wilton sells this 8 x 8 pan as a brownie pan by name, and it is the lower-cost square that America’s Test Kitchen also recommended.

The listing gives the pan as 8 x 8 x 2 inches, in steel with a scratch-resistant nonstick coating that Wilton says is made without PFAS. It is oven safe to 450°F, has extended handles, resists warping according to the listing, and is sold as dishwasher safe.

In the America’s Test Kitchen review of 8-inch square pans, the Wilton Gold pan was recommended: it released baked goods effortlessly, its molded construction was easy to clean, and food baked in it came out a slightly deeper brown than in lighter-colored pans. For brownies, that deeper color usually means a firmer edge, which many people like.

The gold finish is a coating, so treat it the way you would any nonstick pan: no metal knives in the pan, and no abrasive scrubbers.

Why we like it

• Recommended by America’s Test Kitchen; released baked goods effortlessly
• Nonstick made without PFAS, per Wilton
• Oven safe to 450°F
• Dishwasher safe, per the listing
• Extended handles

Why we recommend it

It suits someone who wants a reliable square brownie pan for less, with a nonstick surface that went into the dishwasher in the maker’s own description and released cleanly in an independent review.

Skip it if you prefer pale, soft-edged brownies. The darker finish browns a little more, and an uncoated aluminum pan such as the Nordic Ware below gives a lighter result.

Pros and cons

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3. Nordic Ware Naturals 9 x 9-inch Commercial Square Pan – Plain Aluminum, Made in USA

Best uncoated

A plain, uncoated aluminum square that Nordic Ware makes in the USA, and the pan to choose if you want no coating at all.

Nordic Ware gives the interior as 9 x 9 x 2.5 inches and the exterior as 9.75 x 9.75 inches. It is made of pure aluminum that the maker says will never rust, with an encapsulated steel rim to prevent warping, and Nordic Ware says it is made in the USA. Hand washing only, per the listing.

A 9-inch square holds about a quarter more batter than an 8-inch square at the same depth, so an 8-inch recipe baked here comes out thinner and bakes faster. That suits people who like a thinner, chewier brownie, or a recipe written for 9 x 9. King Arthur Baking, which tests its recipes in metal pans, describes a light-colored pan made from an efficient heat-conducting metal as the ideal vessel for most baking.

Uncoated aluminum needs help to release a sticky brownie. Line it with parchment, leaving a little hanging over two sides so you can lift the whole slab out.

Why we like it

• Uncoated natural aluminum, so there is no coating to wear
• Light color, the type King Arthur Baking prefers for most baking
• Encapsulated steel rim to prevent warping
• Deep 2.5-inch sides
• Made in the USA

Why we recommend it

It suits bakers who would rather line a pan than rely on a coating, and anyone whose recipes call for a 9 x 9. The light aluminum bakes evenly without darkening the edges.

Skip it if you want a dishwasher pan. Nordic Ware says hand wash only, and aluminum can discolor in a dishwasher.

Pros and cons

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4. Fat Daddio’s 9 x 13 x 2-inch Anodized Aluminum Pan – Sharp Corners, Doubled Batches

Best for a big batch

A straight-sided 9 x 13 pan for doubled recipes, bake sales and anything that needs crisp, square corners.

Fat Daddio’s gives the interior as 9 x 13 x 2 inches with a capacity of 9.5 cups, and the overall size as 10 x 14 inches. It is 16-gauge anodized aluminum, temperature-rated to 550°F, and the maker says it has no added chemical coatings, listing PFAS, PTFE and PFOA among the things it does not contain. It will not rust, peel or flake, according to the listing, which also names brownies and blondies among the bakes it is designed for. Hand washing is recommended.

The trade-off with an uncoated pan is release. In America’s Test Kitchen’s review of 8-inch square pans, the Fat Daddio’s square pan was recommended with reservations because brownies stuck when the pan was greased with butter alone. The answer is simple: line it with parchment, as you would most uncoated pans, and the sharp corners stay sharp.

Why we like it

• Straight sides and square corners, per the maker
• 9 x 13 x 2 inches, 9.5 cups
• Rated to 550°F
• No PFAS, PTFE or PFOA, per the maker
• Names brownies and blondies among its intended bakes

Why we recommend it

It suits anyone who bakes brownies for a crowd or doubles an 8 x 8 recipe. A 9 x 13 pan has about twice the area of an 8-inch square, so a doubled recipe fits at a similar depth.

Skip it if you do not want to line pans. Without parchment, an uncoated pan can hold on to a sticky brownie, as America’s Test Kitchen found with the square version.

Pros and cons

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5. Chicago Metallic Slice Solutions Brownie Pan, 9 x 13-inch – Eighteen Even Squares

Best pre-sliced

A 9 x 13 pan with a removable divider that bakes eighteen separate brownies, so there is nothing to cut.

Chicago Metallic gives the inner baking surface as 9 x 13 x 1.5 inches and the overall pan as 16 x 10 inches. The divider creates 18 brownies of about 3 x 2 inches each. The pan is heavy-weight aluminized steel with a silicone-based nonstick coating, heat safe to 450°F. The listing says it is dishwasher safe but recommends hand washing to extend the life of the pan, and warns against dishwasher detergent tablets, which it says will damage the nonstick finish.

The divider changes what a brownie is. Every piece has cut sides that set against metal, so every brownie gets some edge, and there are no crumbly cuts through the middle. Chicago Metallic also suggests the pan for blondies and lemon bars, and it suits individual toppings, since each square bakes on its own.

Why we like it

• Removable divider makes 18 brownies of about 3 x 2 inches
• No knife needed, so no ragged cuts
• Silicone-based nonstick, heat safe to 450°F
• Lifetime limited warranty, per the listing

Why we recommend it

It suits anyone baking for a bake sale, a lunchbox week or a party tray, where even portions matter more than a single slab.

Skip it if you like thick, fudgy brownies cut to your own size. The pan is 1.5 inches deep and the divider fixes the portion, so a tall brownie recipe may not suit it.

Pros and cons

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6. Baker’s Edge All Edges Brownie Pan, 9 x 12-inch – Two Edges on Every Piece

Best for edge lovers

The pan for people who fight over the corner pieces: a zig-zag channel that gives every brownie at least two edges.

Baker’s Edge describes the pan as heavy-gauge cast aluminum with a double nonstick coating, at 9 x 12 inches, and says its patented single-chamber design lets heat circulate around all the edges. Because the batter is one continuous ribbon rather than separate cups, the maker says it spreads evenly and bakes at the same rate throughout. A custom spatula is included. The listing says the size works with most box mixes and most recipes written for a 9 x 13 pan.

The maker’s complete-set listing, for the same pan sold with a lid and a wedge, says it is oven and broiler safe to 500°F and can be hand washed or put in the dishwasher. This listing does not name the type of nonstick coating, so we cannot say more about it than Baker’s Edge does.

The wedge in that complete set converts the pan to an 8 x 8 size, which is useful if you bake half batches; the pan alone is the simpler buy.

Why we like it

• Every brownie gets at least two edges, per the maker
• Heavy-gauge cast aluminum
• Fits most box mixes and 9 x 13 recipes, per the listing
• Custom spatula included

Why we recommend it

It suits households where the edge pieces disappear first. It answers that one wish directly, and it holds a full 9 x 13 recipe.

Skip it if you love soft, fudgy centers. When every piece is edge, there are no middle squares left.

Pros and cons

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7. OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Ceramic-Coated 9-inch Square Pan – Light Coating, Easy Cleanup

Best ceramic-coated

A 9-inch square with a light-colored ceramic nonstick coating, rounded inside corners and wide rim handles.

OXO lists the inside as 9 x 9 x 1.96 inches and the outside as 10.10 x 10.10 x 2.03 inches. The pan is heavy-gauge aluminized steel with a ceramic nonstick coating that OXO says protects against scratching, staining, corrosion and abrasion. Its light interior color is chosen, according to OXO, for even browning, and its zero-draft walls are straight for uniform layers. The pan size is marked on the rim, which helps when you have more than one square pan in a cupboard. The listing title calls it dishwasher safe.

The rounded inside corners are the main trade-off for brownies. OXO designed them for easier cleaning, and they make the pan quick to wipe out, but brownies baked here will have softly rounded corners rather than sharp ones.

Why we like it

• Light ceramic nonstick interior for even browning, per OXO
• Expanded rim handles for a safer grip
• Rounded inside corners, easy to clean
• Size marked on the rim

Why we recommend it

It suits someone who wants a nonstick square that cleans up quickly and has a pale interior, so brownies brown evenly rather than darkly.

Skip it if you want sharp corners on your brownies. The rounded inside corners trade a crisp edge for easy cleaning.

Pros and cons

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8. Pyrex Colors 8 x 8-inch Glass Baking Dish with Lid – Bake, Cover and Carry

Best glass

A tinted tempered-glass square with a snug plastic lid, for brownies that travel to a potluck or keep on the counter.

Pyrex sells this as an 8 x 8-inch square dish in tinted tempered glass, with a BPA-free plastic lid. The listing says the glass can go from room temperature into a preheated oven, heats evenly, resists stains and does not absorb food odors, and that this line is designed and manufactured in the USA. The lid is listed as freezer, microwave and top-rack dishwasher safe; it is a storage lid, not an oven lid.

Glass bakes brownies differently from metal. King Arthur Baking explains that glass heats slowly and then holds that heat, so the center takes longer to cook and the edges can over-bake while it catches up. Its standard advice when using glass is to lower the oven temperature by 25°F from what the recipe says and allow up to 10 minutes longer. America’s Test Kitchen likewise found that a Pyrex 8-inch dish took a few minutes longer to bake brownies through than metal pans.

Pyrex’s own safety instructions apply: preheat the oven before the dish goes in, do not use it under a broiler or on a stovetop, avoid sudden temperature changes, and set the hot dish on a cooling rack, dry potholder or dry cloth rather than a wet or cold surface.

Why we like it

• Lid for storing and carrying brownies
• Tempered glass that resists stains and odors, per Pyrex
• Made in the USA, per the listing
• Dishwasher safe, per the listing

Why we recommend it

It suits anyone who bakes brownies to take somewhere, or who wants one square dish that also serves for small casseroles. The lid turns the baking dish into the storage container.

Skip it if crisp, even edges are your priority. Glass bakes more slowly in the center and harder at the edges, so a metal pan gives more predictable brownies.

Pros and cons

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