Small Rimmed Baking Sheet (Quarter-Sheet Pan)
How We Tested
Rimmed baking sheets, also known as half-sheet pans, are the MVPs of our test kitchen. We stock about 950 half-sheet pans and call for them in more than 1,500 of our recipes. We use them for roasting, baking, and toasting and for resting meats and cooling fried foods. We even use them as makeshift baking stones, pizza peels, and grilled cheese presses.
Half-sheet pans, which have a cooking surface of 16½ by 11½ inches, are the standard size in most home kitchens, but many of our test cooks have an affinity for smaller quarter-sheet pans. The size of these pans, which have a cooking surface of 8⅛ by 11½ inches (about the size of a sheet of letter copy paper), makes them ideal for small tasks such as baking a few cookies or scones, draining fried shallots, making a half batch of granola, roasting one or two fish fillets, and toasting nuts or seeds. A smaller pan means less to clean, and quarter-size pans fit easily in small sinks or dishwashers.
In our review of rimmed baking sheets, the Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet received our highest recommendation for its sturdy, warp-resistant design. Could we also recommend its quarter-size version? To find out, we tested the Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet and used it to bake and broil bone-in chicken breasts, roast cauliflower, and make a half batch of focaccia.
We loved the sturdiness of this pan. Its straight sides made it easy to grip and slide into and out of the oven, and its 1¼-inch rim kept food corralled when tossing the cauliflower and flipping the chicken. Like the half-sheet version, the quarter-sheet pan is made of aluminum with an encapsulated steel rim; a feature Nordic Ware says helps prevent warping. (Though some warping is inevitable as the pan is subjected to temperature changes, we did not notice any warping during testing.) The chicken, cauliflower, and focaccia all cooked within the times called for in our recipes and all emerged from the oven evenly browned and pleasantly crispy.
If you frequently cook only one or two portions of food or want to avoid hauling out a large baking sheet for small tasks such as toasting nuts or roasting chicken for two, we highly recommend the Nordic Ware Naturals Quarter Sheet. Its compact size and light weight make this quarter-size model easy to clean and easy to store, especially in smaller kitchens.
Methodology
We tested the quarter-size version of our top-rated rimmed baking sheet, using it to broil chicken thighs, roast cauliflower, and bake focaccia. We rated how evenly cooked and browned the three foods were and also noted how easy the sheet was to handle. The price listed is what we paid online.
RATING CRITERIA
Baking: We baked focaccia and evaluated if the bread was evenly and appropriately browned on the bottom and sides within the times stated in the recipe.
Broiling and Roasting: We broiled chicken thighs and roasted cauliflower, observing how evenly both foods cooked and browned.
Warping: We observed whether the sheet could withstand the high heat generated during broiling and endure rapid temperature changes without warping.
Handling: We evaluated how easy the sheet was to maneuver into and out of the oven.
The Results
Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12"
Our old winner arrived with the slickest preseasoned interior and only got better. Broad enough to cook two big steaks, it browned foods deeply, and its thorough seasoning ensured that our acidic pan sauce picked up no off-flavors. Though its handle is short, the pan has a helper handle that made lifting easy. It survived abuse testing without a scratch. An excellent pan, at an excellent price, that you’ll never have to replace.
Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12"
Our old winner arrived with the slickest preseasoned interior and only got better. Broad enough to cook two big steaks, it browned foods deeply, and its thorough seasoning ensured that our acidic pan sauce picked up no off-flavors. Though its handle is short, the pan has a helper handle that made lifting easy. It survived abuse testing without a scratch. An excellent pan, at an excellent price, that you’ll never have to replace.
Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12"
Our old winner arrived with the slickest preseasoned interior and only got better. Broad enough to cook two big steaks, it browned foods deeply, and its thorough seasoning ensured that our acidic pan sauce picked up no off-flavors. Though its handle is short, the pan has a helper handle that made lifting easy. It survived abuse testing without a scratch. An excellent pan, at an excellent price, that you’ll never have to replace.
Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12"
Our old winner arrived with the slickest preseasoned interior and only got better. Broad enough to cook two big steaks, it browned foods deeply, and its thorough seasoning ensured that our acidic pan sauce picked up no off-flavors. Though its handle is short, the pan has a helper handle that made lifting easy. It survived abuse testing without a scratch. An excellent pan, at an excellent price, that you’ll never have to replace.
Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12"
Our old winner arrived with the slickest preseasoned interior and only got better. Broad enough to cook two big steaks, it browned foods deeply, and its thorough seasoning ensured that our acidic pan sauce picked up no off-flavors. Though its handle is short, the pan has a helper handle that made lifting easy. It survived abuse testing without a scratch. An excellent pan, at an excellent price, that you’ll never have to replace.
Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12"
Our old winner arrived with the slickest preseasoned interior and only got better. Broad enough to cook two big steaks, it browned foods deeply, and its thorough seasoning ensured that our acidic pan sauce picked up no off-flavors. Though its handle is short, the pan has a helper handle that made lifting easy. It survived abuse testing without a scratch. An excellent pan, at an excellent price, that you’ll never have to replace.
Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12"
Our old winner arrived with the slickest preseasoned interior and only got better. Broad enough to cook two big steaks, it browned foods deeply, and its thorough seasoning ensured that our acidic pan sauce picked up no off-flavors. Though its handle is short, the pan has a helper handle that made lifting easy. It survived abuse testing without a scratch. An excellent pan, at an excellent price, that you’ll never have to replace.
Lodge Classic Cast Iron Skillet, 12"
Our old winner arrived with the slickest preseasoned interior and only got better. Broad enough to cook two big steaks, it browned foods deeply, and its thorough seasoning ensured that our acidic pan sauce picked up no off-flavors. Though its handle is short, the pan has a helper handle that made lifting easy. It survived abuse testing without a scratch. An excellent pan, at an excellent price, that you’ll never have to replace.