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I need a warp-less half sheet pan

post #1 of 55
4/28/11 at 8:44pm
Thread Starter 

I see that Cook’s Illustrated is one of the sponsors here, and I have been trying to find an “Essential Kitchen Equipment” item (Aug 2009 issue), the Lincoln Foodservice 13 gauge half size heavy duty sheet pan.  I thought I found it at Amazon.com, but the thing warped so bad the first time I used it (375 degrees in a home electric oven, not a good thing when roasting off bacon).  I used to have a half sheet pan from Williams-Sonoma, fabulous!!  But it was starting to wear (the finish was starting to come off) and they have changed their design, that one warps too!! 

Maybe someone can give a home cook some suggestions where to find a heavy gauge half sheet pan that will not warp?

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post #2 of 55
4/28/11 at 9:08pm

any restaurant supply place will have what you need at the fraction of the cost of W-S. don't know where you are in arizona, but there are quite a few choices in tuscon and phoenix, which even if a long drive from where you are, is usually worth it..you don't have to own a restaurant to buy at one, and once you are there, look around at all the other great stuff they have to offer...great saute pans, stock pots, utensils, little stuff too...just be careful to look at the sheet pans as there are different grades...also, most restaurant supply places have a website so you can surf a bit beforehand, or even buy online for that matter, but its fun to into the showroom/warehouse if you never have. if you are in the tuscon area i can give you the name of a few places...google is your friend as well...hope this helps a bit

joey

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post #3 of 55
4/29/11 at 3:29am

Go on line  EDWARD DON>COM  Chicago Il.

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post #4 of 55
4/29/11 at 9:24am
Thread Starter 

ok, so I go to the restaurant supply place , what do I want to look for?  I mean, what brand, gauge, etc.  I surley don't want to buy it, get home, put in the hot box and I hear this loud, POP, and there she blows!! Hot bacon fat is wicked man!!  Also, is there a difference in sizing between commercial and retail stores products?  Long ago, I seem to remember a friend going to some restaurant supply place and buying this half sheet and it didn't fit in her oven....

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post #5 of 55
4/29/11 at 11:29am

See if you can buy used ones. The older ones are much heavier then todays pans.

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post #6 of 55
4/29/11 at 3:23pm

as the gauge # increases, the thickness decreases..i usually get 13 gauge. don't get glazed(coated)...use parchment paper..half sheet pan size is 18x13, full is 18x26. there is also a quarter pan size, but what's the point of that one there should be no problem fitting the half sheet into a normal sized oven.....the supply store should be able to help you out with brand names...i use NSF generally.....as chefed advises look for a used one as they are heavier, which is better. go online and have a looksee around...you can contact them with any questions by email or calling their tollfree number...good luck!

joey

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post #7 of 55
4/29/11 at 4:07pm
Thread Starter 

funny thing, i had a nsf 18 gauge and it warped at 350 degrees...

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post #8 of 55
4/29/11 at 4:34pm

vollrath is another brand to look at, but remember,the lower the gauge, the thicker the steel.... its the heavier gauge that makes the pan tougher, more durable...the heavier the gauge, the heavier the workload. the lighter the gauge, the lighter duty it's made for...so while an 18 gauge is fine for cookies and bicuits,and cooking quiches on, its not as durable, thick or tough as a 13 gauge..or a 12..that's all i know, i swear!

joey

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post #9 of 55
4/29/11 at 9:13pm

You might laugh at this, but Walmart has some heavy duty aluminum sheet pans that don't warp. I've even broiled on them, and they stayed flat. The price is right, too, under $10 each.

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post #10 of 55
4/29/11 at 9:46pm
Thread Starter 

Oh my Granny Smith, really?  Is there a "brand" name on it?  Shot, I was a Wal-Mart just this afternoon.  I am just desperate to find a good half sheet that is going to stay "flat" even at a higher temp in the oven.  I got the 17 x 12 inch cooling rack recommended by Cook's Illustrated and the Lincoln food service half sheet pan was a bust, so now I need a pan to go along with the rack.  If you have already tried this pan from Wal-Mart, I WANT ONE TOO!! 

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post #11 of 55
5/4/11 at 7:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaneohegirlinaz View Post

ok, so I go to the restaurant supply place , what do I want to look for?  I mean, what brand, gauge, etc.  I surley don't want to buy it, get home, put in the hot box and I hear this loud, POP, and there she blows!! Hot bacon fat is wicked man!!  Also, is there a difference in sizing between commercial and retail stores products?  Long ago, I seem to remember a friend going to some restaurant supply place and buying this half sheet and it didn't fit in her oven....


I've been that route already. You won't find the Lincoln Ware recommended by CI anymore. Vollrath took over that company. I ordered, what I was told was the Lincoln pan from 3 different vendors.  One vendor swore Vollrath was a sister company and I would receive the Lincoln Ware. Well, I received the Vollrath and it was warped in the box! One of the vendors contacted Vollrath and was told they "ARE AWARE OF A WARPING PROBLEM". This was a few months ago so maybe it has been resolved. 

 

I have the original Lincoln Ware pan and wanted another but cannot get it anymore :(

 

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post #12 of 55
5/4/11 at 8:27am
Thread Starter 

I know, right !?  The same thing happened to us.

My generous husband got down my CI issue with all the good stuff listed and ordered EVERYTHING for Christmas for me.  Same thing, the pans were not the Lincoln brand, but they insisted they were the same company.  Fortunately we got a refund, so now I am on a quest. 

I had to make Sunday Brunch which included bacon this week in my really old, beautiful heavy quarter sheet pans, times two instead of just one half sheet.

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post #13 of 55
5/4/11 at 10:29am

If you find Lincoln Ware, please let me know. I only have 1 Lincoln Ware and there is NO comparison.  I have one of the Vollrath because the company let me keep the warped one. The more I use it, the more one of the ends reaches for the ceiling and doesn't touch the counter. 

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post #14 of 55
5/4/11 at 10:52am

I use about thirty (30) NordicWare half sheets regularly and have NEVER had one warp!

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post #15 of 55
5/4/11 at 3:44pm
Thread Starter 

Chef Peter McCracken,

Did you get your pans at a Restaurant Supply place?

What gauge are they?

And lastly, how hot have you used your pans at? (My home oven will get to 550 degrees, so just thinkin')

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post #16 of 55
5/4/11 at 3:47pm
Thread Starter 

Well Sweetie Pie,

I hope to get to the restauraunt supply store next week and take a look around, then my last resort will be to take suggestion given by chefedb and look for used pans.

I keep you up dated...

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post #17 of 55
5/4/11 at 5:38pm

NordicWare was from COSTCO, but I have 20 or so from Smart & Final restaurant supply.

 

I've used them in both convection and conventional ovens to 425°F consistently and occasionally higher

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post #18 of 55
5/4/11 at 9:11pm
Thread Starter 

Chef Peter McCracken,

The pans from the restaurant supply are also NordicWare?

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post #19 of 55
5/5/11 at 7:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kaneohegirlinaz View Post

Chef Peter McCracken,

The pans from the restaurant supply are also NordicWare?

Not that I can see, they are "Made in the USA" but there is no label. BTW, they are slightly larger than the NordicWare, maybe 1/2" each way. Smart & Final does have a "store brand", Chef's Choice I believe, for a number of items of cookware.

 

Both have a "wire rim" which I'm certain minimizes warping.

 

BTW, the NordicWare (COSTCO) came with plastic snap-on lids, which I really find helpful.
 

 

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post #20 of 55
5/5/11 at 8:17am
Thread Starter 

Thanks ChefPeteMcCracken!

Dang, and you know I just made my bi-monthly trek to Costco this past Sunday (it's not all that close to our house).

 

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post #21 of 55
5/6/11 at 1:01am

There is a wide range of pans available in the market and you want a warp less half sheet pan.You can make your move towards the shop or place where these items were sold or you can go at some restaurant places because some of the restaurants are having this facility so that you can buy.Well before going to purchase keep some of the aspects in mind that is of gauge,heavier gauge makes a pan durable , and also look out for the size , i think there are two sizes available so you can check the best one according to your requirement.

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post #22 of 55
5/6/11 at 5:31pm
Thread Starter 

Ok, so let me make sure I have all this right.

I want a lower gauged half sheet pan (tray), maybe 12 or less, because that means it’s heavier.

I want a wire rimmed pan for more stability.

If I can find it, I want Lincoln Foodservice.

If all else fails, look for used.

I say all of this because today is Friday and sometime this weekend, I am going to the Restaurant Supply store that is WAY FAR AWAY from my house.

Wish me luck everyone!!

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post #23 of 55
5/8/11 at 9:01pm

Hey best of luck kaneohegirlinaz. As the weekend is over so i hope you purchased a pan of your choice.If u already purchased the pan so please tell me the gauge of that pan its heavier or lower.

I am interested too for purchasing the pan.

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post #24 of 55
5/9/11 at 8:59am

you could call the restaurant supply place before driving there, and you can go online to their website and have a look see yourself....yes, please let us know how your experience was and what you ended up with.

joey

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post #25 of 55
5/9/11 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 

WOW, totally forgot that it was Mother's Day... got a little busy and didn't make it this weekend...

I will keep 'ya posted...

BTW: Durangojo, I think that Durango is a really cool town, went there last fall...

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post #26 of 55
5/17/11 at 4:40pm
Thread Starter 

Ok, went to the restaurant supply place, after having called first and asked specificly "do you have lincoln foodservice 13 gauge half sheet pan, and do you sell to the public?"  "Yes we do". 

This place was such a disappointment!  SO little inventory, when I ask the guy sitting behind the counter for help, he has no idea.  He takes me over to the only sheet pans they have (only 2), not Lincoln but Beacon.  So I ask, what gauge is this?  He doesn't know, he has to go look it up on his computer.  I tell him what I want, he says "Yeah, I can get that for you, a dozen right?" NO!  Just two please. 

I come home and get back on the computer to research again, then I find this forum and come to find out that Lincoln is NOT WARP-LESS!!

I am back to square one.

 

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post #27 of 55
5/18/11 at 7:39pm
Thread Starter 

So, my saga continues…

I was out today in town and stopped by this home furnishing shop that also carries some kitchen essentials.  Naturally, as I walk in the door I hear, “Can I help find something?”  I explain my quest to find a warp-less half sheet pan.  This nice woman guides me towards a well organized rack with beautiful pans galore.  She tells me that she has used this one, it’s made by Cuisinart.  I washed it by hand and dried it lovingly, but I don’t have a use for it right now, so I’ll need to wait to see if the claim of “warp resistant” is true. 

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post #28 of 55
5/20/11 at 5:50pm
Thread Starter 

It’s about an hour before supper time.  I’ve started to put together dinner, composed of chicken Scaloppini ala Bolognese, roasted herb potatoes and greens.  I started with the potatoes on my brand new half sheet pan from Cuisinart.  The oven is set for 400 degrees, I put the tray into the hot box, I set the timer for 30 minutes, I start to prep the chicken and what do I hear? POP!  I turn around and the dang thing is warped!!  I cannot begin to express how deeply upset I am.  It might seem so silly that I am going to all this trouble over a pan.  You might be thinking to yourself, what’s the big deal, it doesn’t affect the quality of the product if your tray warps, but you know what?  It does matter to me, I don’t get as even of a say a roast on the potatoes, or the bacon fat en masse isn’t going to spill.  I am really frustrated!!

Can anyone out there please help a home cook find a specific pan that is not going to warp at a minimum of 400 degrees?

 

 

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This goes back tomorrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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post #29 of 55
6/1/11 at 6:08pm
Thread Starter 

So my quest continues.  Finally I was able to make it into town yesterday and return my last half sheet pan that didn’t work out.  They were very pleasant about the return, no third degree or anything.  They did show me another brand that they carry, but it was so flimsy that I could twist it no problem, nope not for me, thanks though.

So I went to the Google search engine and tried a different approach.  I found, of all things, Rachael Ray’s store site and these bakers were touting this pan that was great for more than cookies. 

Baker’s Half Sheet Pan with Storage Lid Natural Commercial Bakeware by Nordic Ware.  I ordered it and it should arrive June the 10th. 

I have my fingers crossed, Again!!  

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post #30 of 55
6/4/11 at 5:36pm
Thread Starter 

Oh joy [dancing around the kitchen] I’m sooooo happy!  [Queue Linus Van Pelt on his little piano]

My new half sheet pan came while we were at the Pool this afternoon, it’s early!

I carefully freed by beauty from its box, as I had read from other forums that the packing was not great and arrived damaged in some cases.

 [shrieking and more dancing]   My husband says, “You have OCD!  I never saw anyone obsess over a stupid pan”.   

Well…

We need to try this baby out, pronto. 

On goes the hot box to 375°…

Tin foil goes down (I’m showing my age) to insure non-stickage…

Thick sliced bacon is next (clubhouse sandwiches for lunch of course)…

BEEP BEEP BEEP, the oven says it’s ready…

Drum roll please…

In she goes, 5 minutes go by, 10, then 15…

Houston, we have arrived!!

No warp, no buckle, and no popping.  As an added bonus, this model, #43103, comes with a ridged plastic cover for storage and transport of goods. 

This sheet pan is rated up to 400°, so we will give it another test by roasting potatoes tonight for dinner (along side Scaloppini ala Bolognese) say maybe 425°.

So, the winner is, Baker’s half sheet Natural Commercial Bakeware by NordicWare.

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