How the Five Compare on the Numbers
Every pan here is a 12 cup pan except where a maker sells a set of two. Amazon Basics and Bake Choice each publish a set of two 12 cup pans, so 24 cups total. Wilton, GoodCook and CAKETIME each publish a single 12 cup pan. The cup count is the same across the five, so the differences sit in material, weight and the stated oven limit.
On weight, CAKETIME publishes 0.48 pounds, the lightest of the five. GoodCook publishes 0.95 pounds, Wilton 1.27 pounds, Amazon Basics 1.85 pounds and USA Pan 3.8 pounds, the heaviest. On oven limits, Bake Choice, Wilton and USA Pan state 450 F, Amazon Basics states 428 F, and GoodCook publishes no figure at all.
The table does not tell you how any pan bakes. It records what each maker publishes and nothing more. Cup depth is given for only two pans, CAKETIME at 1.1 inches and USA Pan at 1.38 inches, so the well shape of the other three cannot be compared from the sheet. Where a cell reads not published, the maker states no figure.
Material and Handling
Rigid metal pans
Amazon Basics, Bake Choice, Wilton, GoodCook and USA Pan all publish metal construction. Amazon Basics states heavy weight steel. Bake Choice states high grade carbon steel. Wilton states a nonstick gold coating made without PFAS. GoodCook states heavy duty gauge steel. USA Pan states aluminized steel, a mix of steel and aluminum. Metal pans hold their shape without a support tray.
Weight separates the metal pans. GoodCook publishes 0.95 pounds, Wilton 1.27 pounds, Bake Choice 1.74 pounds, Amazon Basics 1.85 pounds and USA Pan 3.8 pounds. USA Pan publishes the heaviest figure of the five, and it is a set of two pans, so the published weight covers both. The maker does not break the figure down per pan.
Flexible silicone pans
CAKETIME publishes a silicone pan at 0.48 pounds, the lightest of the five. The maker states the pan is flexible and advises placing it on a metal tray or cookie sheet before filling. The maker also publishes a cup diameter top of 2.75 inches and a cup depth of 1.1 inches. Vinino publishes a silicone pan with a metal reinforced frame, which the maker states keeps its shape during baking.
Both silicone makers state a temperature range of -104 F to 446 F. CAKETIME states the pan is safe for oven, microwave, dishwasher, fridge and freezer. Vinino states the same range and adds oven, microwave and freezer use. Neither maker publishes a cup depth for the Vinino pan, so the two silicone wells cannot be compared on that figure.
Oven Limits and Cleaning
Stated temperature limits
Bake Choice, Wilton and USA Pan each state an oven limit of 450 F. Amazon Basics states 428 F, which is 22 degrees lower than the 450 F figure. CAKETIME and Vinino state a range from -104 F to 446 F. GoodCook publishes no oven temperature limit, so no figure can be given. A stated limit is a rating, not a record of use, and the maker’s instruction should be followed.
The gap between 428 F and 450 F is small in number but it is the only published difference of its kind among the metal pans. If a recipe calls for a temperature above 428 F, the Amazon Basics figure is the one to check against the recipe. The other metal pans state 450 F or publish nothing.
Cleaning instructions
Wilton states the pan is dishwasher safe and also recommends warm, soapy water for best results. GoodCook states the pan is dishwasher safe. CAKETIME states the silicone pan is safe for the dishwasher. Amazon Basics recommends hand washing. Bake Choice recommends hand washing with mild soapy water. USA Pan recommends hot water, mild soap and a gentle scrub brush or sponge.
The care instructions differ in wording but the split is clear: Wilton, GoodCook and CAKETIME publish dishwasher safe, while Amazon Basics, Bake Choice and USA Pan publish hand wash recommendations. The maker’s stated method is the one to follow, because a coating can wear if the stated care is not kept.
Which One Fits Your Kitchen
Buyer who wants two pans in one order. Amazon Basics and Bake Choice each publish a set of two 12 cup pans, so 24 cups total. Amazon Basics states 428 F and hand washing. Bake Choice states 450 F, hand washing and includes 100 liners.
Buyer who wants a dishwasher safe metal pan. Wilton and GoodCook both state dishwasher safe. Wilton publishes a 12 cup pan oven safe to 450 F and made without PFAS. GoodCook publishes a 12 cup steel pan at 0.95 pounds and states no oven limit.
Buyer who wants the lightest pan. CAKETIME publishes 0.48 pounds, the lightest of the five. It is silicone, rated -104 F to 446 F, and the maker advises a metal tray underneath because the pan is flexible.
Buyer who wants a reinforced silicone pan. Vinino publishes a silicone pan with a metal reinforced frame, which the maker states keeps its shape. The maker states a -104 F to 446 F range and dishwasher safe cleaning. The maker does not publish a pan weight.
Buyer who wants the heaviest published metal pan. USA Pan publishes 3.8 pounds for a set of two 12 well pans, the heaviest figure of the five. The maker states aluminized steel, a 450 F limit and a coating made without PTFE, PFOA and BPA.
What We Could Not Verify
Several figures do not appear on the fact sheet, and no estimate is given for them.
- A cup diameter for the Wilton pan, which the maker does not publish.
- An oven temperature limit for the GoodCook pan, which the maker does not publish.
- A pan weight for the Bake Choice and Wilton pans, which the makers do not publish.
- Outer pan dimensions for the CAKETIME silicone pan, which the maker does not publish.
- A cup depth for the Amazon Basics, Bake Choice, Wilton and GoodCook pans, which the makers do not publish.
- A per pan weight for the Amazon Basics and USA Pan sets, which the makers publish only as a set figure.