The best pan for loaves and more

The best pan for loaves (and so much more)

Lisa McManus Executive Editor, ATK Reviews

The humble “loaf pan” needs a better name. It just doesn’t hint at the huge range of recipes that this versatile rectangular baking pan can tackle. Loaf pans are not just for baking homemade sandwich bread, though they do excel at that. They’re also the best vessel for banana bread, zucchini bread, pound cake, and more intricate baked goods like brioche and babka. A loaf pan is even your secret weapon for no-churn ice cream and chocolate terrine. And a loaf pan is just right for small-batch cooking and baking, including dishes like Lasagna for Two or a half-batch of blondies, where all the pieces are edge pieces (my favorite!).

We recently tested a new lineup of loaf pans to find the best. We chose co-winners, and both are excellent performers, browning and releasing beautifully. They’re also quite budget-friendly options.

For a loaf pan that makes baked goods with crisp, professional-looking edges, we love the USA Pan 1 lb Small Loaf Pan. We also highly recommend the USA Pan 1 lb Seamless Loaf Pan. While some people felt that its rounded edges made slightly less impressive-looking loaves, this pan was especially easy to clean.

Read our full review of loaf pans.

Pan size matters. Our favorites were 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75 inches and created tall cakes and breads (right) that looked like they came straight out of a bakery case. Slightly larger pans made baked goods that still tasted great, they were just shorter and wider (left).