Non-Toxic Bakeware: Glass, Stoneware and Stainless

Clear glass has nothing on its surface to wear or leach, and it lets you see browning on the sides and bottom. Pyrex's parent company says it routinely tests Pyrex products for lead and cadmium at third-party laboratories, and that current products use lead-free enamels for any decoration. This dish is undecorated.

The Deep 9 by 13 is 2.75 inches deep, which Pyrex says is up to half again as deep as its basic dishes, so a lasagna does not boil over. The BPA-free plastic lid is for storage, and goes in the freezer, microwave and top rack of the dishwasher, but not the oven.

Glass does not like sudden temperature changes. Keep it off the burner and out from under the broiler, do not add cold liquid to a hot dish, and set it down on a dry towel or rack.

The catch. Sensitive to thermal shock, and not for the broiler or stovetop.

Aluminized steel is steel coated with an aluminum alloy to resist rust and spread heat. USA Pan finishes its pans with Americoat, its own silicone release coating, which it describes as PTFE, PFOA, PFOS, PFAS and BPA free, and lead free. That is a clearer statement than most nonstick bakeware offers.

The half sheet has a corrugated bottom that helps air move under cookies and stiffens the pan. The baking surface is 17.25 by 12.25 inches, and USA Pan has made bakeware in the United States for more than 60 years.

The coating is still a coating. Keep metal spatulas and scouring pads off it, and do not expect it to take the broiler night after night the way bare metal does.

The catch. A coating wears eventually, and the corrugations make bar cookies harder to cut.

Nordic Ware's Naturals half sheet is uncoated aluminum with a galvanized steel rim sealed inside the rolled edge to prevent warping. There is no nonstick layer to ask about, and the pan browns evenly and does not rust. The listing says it is made in America of domestic and imported materials.

Bare aluminum reacts with acidic food left to sit on it, which can discolor the pan and the food. Line it with parchment for tomatoes, citrus or vinegar marinades, and for anything sticky; with parchment it rarely needs scrubbing.

It darkens with use, which does no harm, and it dulls in the dishwasher, so wash it by hand.

The catch. Reacts with acidic food on bare metal; use parchment.

Stainless steel has no coating and no glaze, and a tri-ply pan, stainless around aluminum, spreads heat far better than thin stainless alone. All-Clad's 9 by 13 baker is designed in Pennsylvania and made in China, per the listing, with a polished interior and integrated handles.

It is oven and broiler safe to 600 degrees Fahrenheit and metal utensil safe, so it can go from roasting vegetables under the broiler to a pan of brownies without a thought. All-Clad recommends hand washing.

Skip it for sticky cakes unless you line it with parchment; bare steel grips batter. It also costs several times what glass does for the same size.

The catch. Batter sticks to bare steel; line it for cakes and bars.

Most sheet pans are aluminum or coated steel. Hestan's OvenBond is tri-ply stainless steel around an aluminum core, which the listing says is engineered to resist warping at high heat. The cooking surface is a full 18 by 13 inch half sheet, with wide handles that bring the overall length to about 21 inches.

At about 3.6 pounds it is much heavier than aluminum, which is part of why it stays flat. The brushed stainless surface will show marks with use, which the maker notes do not affect cooking.

Skip it if your oven is narrow; check that 21 inches with handles fits. For most bakers the Nordic Ware does the everyday work for a quarter of the price.

The catch. Heavy, costly, and the handles need oven room.