Stainless, Chrome or Nonstick? The Best Baking Pan and Rack

A sheet pan with a wire rack set inside it is one of the most useful pieces of equipment in any kitchen, and one of the least glamorous. Raised on a rack, chicken wings and bacon crisp on all sides because hot air moves underneath them and the fat drips away. Breaded cutlets and chiles rellenos stay crunchy while they wait. Cookies and cakes cool without going soggy on the bottom. Take the rack out and you still have a sheet pan for roasting vegetables.

Restaurant kitchens keep stacks of sheet pans and racks for exactly these jobs: holding fried food, resting grilled meat, cooling trays from the oven. The pair only works, though, if the rack fits the pan, stands up to oven heat and does not sag in the middle. This guide looks at matched pan-and-rack sets with that in mind, using each maker’s stated materials and what America’s Test Kitchen found when it tested rimmed baking sheets and wire racks.

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Quick verdict: which sheet pan and rack set to buy

The table compares the five sets we would point most cooks to first. All eight picks are reviewed in full below it.

Five pan and rack sets side by side

One pick for each kind of cook, with pan material, rack material and heat limits as each maker or listing states them.

Product images from Amazon. Materials, sizes, heat limits and care are as stated by each maker or its Amazon listing; check the listing before you buy.

What a pan and rack actually do together

On its own, a rimmed sheet pan holds food flat against hot metal. That is what you want for roasted vegetables, but not for anything you want crisp all over. Food sitting on the pan fries in its own fat on the bottom and steams where it traps moisture. Set a wire rack inside the pan and the food sits in moving hot air instead: the underside browns, fat and juices drip into the pan, and nothing needs turning.

The same rack does a second job out of the oven. Cookies, cakes and breads cool faster and stay crisp underneath on a rack because steam can escape from below. Fried or breaded food stays crunchy on a rack instead of going soft on a plate or paper towel. And for glazing, icing or dusting with sugar, the pan underneath catches the drips.

Why matched sets are worth it

America’s Test Kitchen warns that some sheet pans will not hold a standard rack well, and that stainless pans in particular often need the maker’s own rack. A rack that slides around a pan is a burn risk when you carry it full of hot fat; one that sits too high lets food roll off; one that sits too low leaves little room for drippings. Buying the pan and rack together, from a maker that sizes one to the other, avoids all three.

Our picks for the best baking pan and rack

These eight picks cover the main ways to buy a pan with a rack: bare aluminum with stainless, clad stainless, nonstick, a crisping tray, a small quarter-sheet set, a budget set with two pans, an all-stainless pair, and a rack on its own for the pan you already have. Each lists the same eight specifications, taken from the maker or the Amazon listing.

How to choose a sheet pan and rack

Five things decide whether a pan and rack set earns its place. In order of importance:

1. A rack that fits the pan

America’s Test Kitchen says a good rack should fit snugly inside the baking sheet, and preferred racks that sit about 5/8 inch high so food stays contained. Matched sets solve this; if you buy separately, compare the rack’s outside size with the pan’s inside size before you order.

2. Rack material: stainless, chrome or nonstick

Stainless racks have no coating to wear and, per ATK, can go under the broiler. Chrome-plated wire is cheaper; ATK recommended one chrome rack but it was not dishwasher safe. Nonstick racks release food easily, but ATK left them out of its testing because they would not be safe under the broiler. Read the listing: makers state the rack material, and that tells you how hot you can go.

3. Pan material and acid

Bare aluminum is ATK’s default for even browning, but it reacts with tomatoes, citrus and vinegar. Stainless does not react and suits acidic food and the broiler. Nonstick releases food easily and resists acid but should stay at or below 450°F, per ATK and the makers here.

4. Support under the grid

A rack with too few cross supports sags under a tray of wings. ATK looks for at least three support bars. A tight grid also keeps small pieces, like diced potatoes or chile strips, from falling through.

5. Size and care

A half sheet is the most useful size because recipes and racks are built around it; quarter sheets suit small households and countertop ovens. Then check care: most aluminum pans are hand wash only, most stainless racks go in the dishwasher, and nonstick lasts longer washed gently by hand.

How we chose these eight pan and rack sets

We started with what a working kitchen asks of a sheet pan and rack: a rack that fits and stands firm, materials that handle the heat you cook at, and pieces that are easy to clean. We searched for pan-and-rack sets sold on Amazon in the United States, checked each one’s availability with Amazon’s product data, and kept only in-stock items from makers we could identify. Specifications, including each rack’s stated material, come from the maker’s site or the brand’s Amazon listing; where neither gives a figure, we wrote “Not stated.” Independent findings come from America’s Test Kitchen’s reviews of rimmed baking sheets, nonstick baking sheets and wire racks, which we read directly. Checkered Chef’s matched set was out of stock and we found no Vollrath pan-and-rack set on Amazon, so we covered those makers with a rack-only pick and a link to our vegetable roasting guide. We have not cooked with these sets for this guide.

Baking pan and rack questions, answered

What is the best baking pan with rack?

For most kitchens, an uncoated aluminum half sheet with a stainless rack, like the Ultra Cuisine set. Choose the Hestan stainless set if you broil often or roast acidic food, the USA Pan set for nonstick release, and the Nordic Ware quarter sheet set for small batches.

Can a cooling rack go in the oven?

Only if the maker says so. The racks in this guide are all described as oven safe, but their limits differ: USA Pan’s coated rack is rated to 450°F, Nordic Ware’s uncoated quarter-sheet rack to 500°F and broiling, and ATK lists its stainless Checkered Chef pick at 500°F. Check before you put any rack under the broiler.

Is a stainless steel rack better than chrome?

Stainless has no plating to wear and usually goes in the dishwasher; ATK lists its stainless picks as dishwasher safe and its recommended chrome rack as hand wash only. Chrome racks cost less. Either works if it fits the pan and has enough support bars.

Can I use a wire rack in a nonstick pan?

You can, but carefully. ATK advises keeping wire racks out of nonstick sheet pans where possible because they can scratch the coating. If you use one, set it down gently, do not slide it, and consider a coated rack like USA Pan’s.

Why use a rack for wings and bacon?

Raising food on a rack lets hot air reach the underside and lets fat drip into the pan, so the food crisps on all sides without turning. On a flat pan, the bottom sits in rendered fat and the top dries out.

Our final pick for a pan and rack

Buy the Ultra Cuisine set if you want an uncoated aluminum pan with a stainless rack for everyday roasting, crisping and cooling. Choose the Hestan for the broiler and acidic food, the USA Pan set for nonstick, the Nordic Ware Oven Crisp tray for wings and fries, the Nordic Ware quarter-sheet set for small batches, the Chicago Metallic set for two pans on a budget, the Wildone pair for an all-stainless, dishwasher-safe kit, and the Checkered Chef racks if you already own the pans.

This guide is part of our roasting and baking pan series, led by the best roasting pan guide. For pans to roast on, see the best roasting pan vegetables need, and for coated sheets, the best baking pan non stick picks. Lining your pans instead? Read about baking pan liners, or build a full kit with baking pan sets. If you are crisping leftovers on that rack, our guide on how to reheat Mexican leftovers has the method. Or skip the oven: see the menu and call to order.