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What are the pros and cons of cast iron and stainless steel cookware for baking things in the oven?

  • I want to get a muffin pan for baking muffins, but eventually might get a pan for baking cakes, then a baking tray (for baking cookies and vegetables), etc. I'm looking for a better understanding of the pros and cons of cast iron vs stainless steel so I can make an informed decision about what to buy. Or is there another material you suggest I look into? (Pros and cons of said material would be great. Don't say non-stick, or any other non-stick coated cookware... I don't wish to play toxic gasses out-gassing roulette when there are better alternatives). Edit: from one answer I gather there are established conventions re: what material to use for things. That matters less to me than the pros and cons of the materials for what I want to do with them. E.g. One can find stainless steel or cast iron muffin pans (or muffin tins, if that's what you call them; same thing). What are the pros and cons of each type of material?

  • Answer:

    I gather you are new at this. Muffin tins are different than baking pans.  I'm not sure how you plan on making muffins in either a roasting pan, cake pan or sheet pan? Vegetables aren't baked; they are roasted. You want a stainless steel sheet pan from a restaurant supply store for cookies and other flat dished foods.  I honestly have no idea why anybody would buy anything other than that if they knew what they were doing.  Every restaurant kitchen basically uses the exact same kind of sheet pan which can be found easily at any restaurant supply store. But for higher sides. Enamelware: Enamelware is cast iron without the downsides of needing to season etcetera. le Creuset I wouldn't consider myself an expert by anymeans on muffin tins.  I have a stainless steel one that I use and I can't recall seeing a cast iron muffin tin although they have to be out there.  Basically the reason people like cast iron is generally because it's a huge heat sink (it's good at browning and browning evenly because of all the heat wrapped up in that thick layer of metal).  Cast iron implements need to be kept seasoned though (fancy way of saying impregnated with a layer of oil), unless they are wrapped in a layer of enamel.  Cast iron is also expected to lend a subtle layer of flavor to the food (past meals and such).  This is probably noticeable given enough time (I'm remembering a test somebody did on the noticeable flavor that accrued in a barbeque pit and that is similar); there's actually a chef in New Orleans who likes to brag that his cast iron skillet has been used for gumbo for 100 years and has all that flavor. For the things you shouldn't bother to use cast iron for (flat sheet pans basically) stainless steel is a cheap and easy alternative which is used all over.

Sam Brickell at Quora Visit the source

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Cast iron will last forever, but requires some maintenance. Stainless steel is usually better for baking. Don't waste your money on aluminum or tin bake ware unless you don't plan to use it much. Tin will rust. I like my muffin pans with a non-stick surface. I still spray pan coating in them if I'm not using cupcake papers, but I appreciate being able to pull muffins out of the pan, without paper liners, and have them stay in one piece. Sheet pans and jelly roll pans are the same thing, and they're different than cookie sheets, but can be used for cookies. They come in standard professional sizes (full sheet - 18x26, half sheet which I use the most - 18x13, and 1/4 sheet - 9x13). They are defined as having a 1" high side, so you can bake thin sheet cake layers in them, or cookies, or roast vegetables, etc. A cookie sheet, on the other hand, has no sides, or has one short side for grasping but is otherwise completely flat. I don't bother with cookie sheets because my sheet pans can be used for cookies. Buy stainless steel 1/2 sheet pans in any cookware store, online, or in warehouse stores like Costco. Avoid the aluminum or other cheap ones -- they won't last. Cake pans and roasting pans can vary quite a bit. rectangular cake pans are traditionally 9x13 inches, the same as a 1/4 sheet pan, but cake pans have 2 inch sides. A standard cake mix is often baked in a 9x13 pan, as are a lot of main dish recipes, so it's a versatile pan that you'll use often. A roasting pan tends to be larger and heavier. This is where cast iron would be a reasonable choice because it retains heat so well. Enamel-coated cast iron is easier to maintain than plain cast iron, but is pretty pricey. Stainless steel is much lighter weight but certainly works. Some folks swear by their ceramic roasting pans (and cake and pie pans, for that matter). I don't care for ceramic -- it takes up too much room in my cabinets. I have one large, heavy roasting pan that I use for turkeys, prime rib, and large roasts. All my other pans are stainless steel. There's a new trend of silicon baking pans, which are soft and flexible and seem too flimsy to bake in, but they do work.

Susie Snortum

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