Unless you are a professional pastry chef, then owning a muffin pan is almost impossible– at least a few years back. Now, homeowners can conveniently buy their own muffin pan.

But because it’s so accessible, it can be a challenge to find the right one for your needs. But fret not because this article focuses on giving you everything you need to know to pick the right muffin pan for your cooking needs.

Why Get A Muffin Pan?

If you’re a seasoned baker, you know that cupcake liners will do the job just fine. So why should you get a muffin pan? Well, it’s actually simple.

The reason why muffin pans exist is that they guarantee flawlessly round, perfect risen muffins every time you bake. On top of that, they are quite handy in the kitchen because you can also use them to make other pastries like dinner rolls to toast cups. With all that covered, let’s see which muffin pan is perfect for your baking needs!

1. Best Overall: USA Pan Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan

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Specs:
Material: Alloy Steel | Brand: USA Pan | Color: Aluminized Steel | Shape: Rectangular | Dimension: 15.75 in x 1.3 in x 1.33 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.8 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.8 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.8 / 5

When it comes to durability, ease-of-use, and heat distribution ability, nothing can beat this Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan.

This pan is made from solid aluminized steel and has a built to last a lifetime.

The pan is made by Bundy Family Company, which is known to have manufactured the best quality Bakeware in the U.S.A.

It has a unique fluted design, which is ideal for heating evenly and increasing airflow.

The corrugated surface enhances the nonstick properties and prevents warping.

The Americoat Plus Silicone Nonstick Coating is free from PTFE and PFOA. This nonstick quality lets your muffins out effortlessly after baking. The nonstick quality also makes it easy to use and clean the pan.

Pros
  • Excellent nonstick coating
  • Plenty of size variations
  • Lifetime warranty
Cons
  • Doesn’t come with a hole at the top for hanging

2. Best 12-Cup: Keliwa’s 12 Cup Silicone Muffin Pan

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Specs:
Material: Silicone | Brand: Keliwa | Color: Red | Shape: Round | Dimension: 6.4 in x 3.94 in x 0.43 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.5 / 5
Heat Resistance: 4.9 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.6 / 5

This Baking Pan is made from silicone. It is lightweight and flexible.

The silicone gives the pan a soft texture and offers resistance to heat.

The 100 % food-grade level silicon is safe and free from toxic chemicals, and it does not affect the taste or quality of the food.

The pan comes in a vibrant red colour, which is eye-catching and serves as a beautiful addition to the kitchenware.

When looking for muffin pans, nonstick coated pans are essential since they do not let the cupcakes or muffins stick to the cups. Keliwa Muffin Baking Pans have a nonstick quality, which will save both your time and oil.

The nonstick quality also makes it easy to clean. Thanks to the silicone material, the Keliwa Muffin Baking Pan is both dishwasher and microwave safe.

Pros
  • Aesthetically pleasing design, thanks to its bright red color
  • Easy to clean and toxic-free silicone coating
  • Lightweight and flexible body
Cons
  • The muffins tend to rise lower compared to metal pans

3. Best Silicone: Trudeau Structure Pro Silicone Muffin Pan

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Specs:
Material: Silicone | Brand: Trudeau | Color: Grey/Pink | Shape: Cylindrical | Dimension: 10.8 in x 17.1 in x 1.6 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.8 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.7 / 8
Sturdiness: 4.8 / 5

Both stability from metal pans and easy full surface cleaning of a traditional silicone tin can be found in the Trudeau Structure Pro.

Looking closely at the outer edge of the pan is where you will see that it’s integrated with steel topped with a flash of easy to grip silicone in pink. But the inner portion of the pan is where you will see a single piece of seamless silicone.

The entire design of the pan lets you cook without a cookie sheet, saving you the hassle while ensuring you’ll have evenly-cooked muffins without the sheets. Because the surface is made of nonstick silicone, cleaning up will be easy.

Since the muffin pan isn’t limited to grey and pink colours, you can choose your preferred colour combination that fits your kitchen utensil theme. Among the colours you can choose from range from confetti/blue, confetti/Fuschia, confetti/red, grey/mint, tropical, and more.

Pros
  • Easy to clean
  • Lifetime warranty
  • Cooks evenly
Cons
  • Some food residue sticks

4. Best 6-cup: Wilton Recipe Right Non-Stick 6-Cup Standard Muffin Pan

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Specs:
Material: Plastic | Brand: Wilton | Color: Silver | Shape: Stadium shape | Dimension: 2 in x 5 in x 9 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.6 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.5 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.7 / 6

If you’re a seasoned baker, Wilton is a brand you will have definitely heard of (and trust!). Their set of 2 classic silver non-stick muffin pans are solidly built from the ground up and allow you to make small batches of 6 muffins at a time instead of 12.

Because the surface of the fan is nonstick, you can choose to use muffin liners or not and it will still cook the muffins evenly because it has really good heat distribution capabilities. On top of that, the material allows you to clean them in your dishwasher.

If you’re looking for a 6-cup muffin pan that delivers, then Wilton’s Recipe Right Non-Stick 6-cup muffin pan is the perfect choice for you. Not only do they give you evenly-cooked muffins but the construction also makes it easy for you to clean them up after use.

Pros
  • 5-year warranty
  • Easy to clean
  • Dishwasher safe
Cons
  • Requires extra grease to prevent sticking

5. Best Mini: Wilton Advance Select Premium Nonstick 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pan

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Specs:
Material: Alloy Steel | Brand: Wilton | Color: Silver | Shape: Stadium Shape | Dimension: 1.1 in x 10.31 in x 16.33 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.7 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.6 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.8 / 5

For those who are looking to make plenty of muffins in one go, Wilton’s Advance Select Premium Nonstick 24-cup is the perfect pan for you.

The design of the cups is smaller compared to the rest of the muffin pans on our list, allowing more muffins to be cooked at once. The weight of the steel is also thick enough to ensure that heat is evenly distributed but isn’t too thick to risk the muffins from burning. You can cook with or without muffin liners with these, so you can choose to do so whichever way you prefer your muffins to be cooked.

Because the pan has nonstick properties mixed with silicone, taking the tiny muffins out will be easy. Moreover, the pan has an extended out handle from the pan so you can grip the pan comfortably.

The coating of the pan is scratch-resistant as well and is also designed to be dishwasher-friendly for easy cleanup. Since it comes with a lifetime limited manufacturer’s warranty, you can ensure your investment will be worth it.

Pros
  • Has 24 cups
  • Easy to clean
  • Dishwasher safe
Cons
  • Requires extra grease to prevent sticking

6. Best for a secure grip: Rachael Ray Yum -o Nonstick Bakeware 12-Cup Muffin Tin

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Specs:
Material: Anodized Steel | Brand: Rachael Ray | Color: Gray with Orange grips | Shape: Rectangular | Dimension: 15.5 in x 10.5 in x 1.5 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.7 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.7 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.7 / 5

Are you an adventurous baker who loves a little flair in their kitchen? Then you will definitely love Rachael Ray’s Yum-o 12-cup muffin tin. It has silicone handles for a solid hold and is made of solid materials to last you a lifetime.

It is made of heavy gauge steel for everyday use and has a very sturdy build that resists warping. Basically speaking, this will literally last you a lifetime.

The pan features a nonstick property that allows you to easily take the muffins out. Moreover, cleaning them should be just as easy as taking the muffins out from the pan since there will be no stains after using them.

Cooking under high temperatures as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit shouldn’t be a problem since the muffin pan is made of anodized steel. Overall, the muffin pan is durable, easy to clean, and distributes heat evenly. And in case you fancy other colour options, you can choose from grey with marine blue, orange, and red grips.

Pros
  • Brightly coloured silicone non-slip handles
  • Wide handle for better handling
  • Easy to clean, dishwasher safe
Cons
  • The non-stick surface coating wears off after a while

7. Best Jumbo: Cuisinart 6-Cup Jumbo Muffin Pan

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Specs:
Material: Alloy Steel | Brand: Cuisinart | Color: Silver and black | Shape: Rectangular | Dimension: 15 in x 1.75 in x 11 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.7 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.7 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.6 / 5

Are you looking for a muffin pan that makes jumbo-sized muffins? Then the Cuisinart Jumbo Muffin Pan is for you.

The pan is designed to only fit 6 muffins at a time and that is because this is the perfect size to achieve level temperature throughout without over or undercooking your muffins. On the surface, the design is very simple yet they are also well-made to perfectly cook jumbo-sized muffins or cupcakes.

Cleaning should also be a breeze like the rest of the muffin pans on the list since the pan is manufactured with nonstick aluminized steel. This means cleaning shouldn’t be hard since the pan is dishwasher-friendly.

The weight of the pan and the thickness is just enough to not warp while distributing the heat evenly– not just in the center. This muffin pan ensures you will avoid having muffins with brown muffins in the center while having muffins that aren’t cooked enough on the outside area of the pan.

Pros
  • Very robust material
  • Does not warp under hight temperature
  • Easy to clean
Cons
  • The material is quite substantial
  • Need to use a bit little spray of oil and butter

8. Best for even baking: OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Professional-Grade Muffin Pan

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Specs:
Material: Alloy Steel | Brand: OXO | Color: Gold | Shape: Rectangular with square-rolled edge | Dimension: 16.5 in x 12 in x 1.25 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.7 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.8 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.8 / 5

OXO brings more than just amazing baking to your home. Featuring a two-layer non-stick ceramic-reinforced coating, you can ensure easy cleaning. Because it has heavy-grade aluminized steel, you can guarantee it will handle prolonged usage and will last a lifetime.

The pan is professionally-made to ensure you get a uniform temperature in all wells. This means you will get level colours on all your muffins when you take them out of the oven.

In addition to the two-layer non-stick ceramic-reinforced coating, it is also resistant to warping, scratches, and corrosion. Some of you might be concerned about the coating– don’t worry. The coating is PFOA free, which means there are no dangers of getting toxins to your baked goodies.

If you’re going to cook muffins for the family, 12 muffins at a time should be more than enough. But if you need more, you can always buy 2 of these.

Compared to the rest of the products on our list, this one has a stylish design with square rolled edges, making them safe around kids.

One cool feature about OXO’s muffin pan is its micro-texture pattern that doesn’t seem to help as much but actually helps in promoting better airflow, which results in faster baking. A few seconds doesn’t seem much but actually saves you a lot if you’re going to be cooking regularly for the next few years.

Needless to say, you get premium-grade results every time you use this to bake muffins for the kids and the family.

Pros
  • Two layers of ceramic coating for easy baking
  • Heavy-gauge aluminized steel to ensure optimum heat distribution
  • Square-rolled, anti-warp edges
Cons
  • A bit heavy

9. Best Top Pan: Chicago Metallic Professional Non-Stick Muffin Top Pan

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Specs:
Material: Alloy Steel | Brand: Chicago Metallic | Color: Grey | Shape: Egg | Dimension: 15.75 in x 11 in x 0.5 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.8 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.8 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.7 / 5

The Chicago Metallic top pan is the perfect pan for those of you who are looking to get that perfectly cracked muffin top.

Unlike most of the muffin pans on our list, this muffin pan is considered best when it comes to baking that scrumptious flawlessly browned, crispy crown. Unfortunately, there are only six wells available, so it is a small batch at a time. But because they are reasonably priced, you can easily get 1 more pan to make a dozen at a time.

The pan itself is super durable and is made by using food grade heavy-weight carbon steel. It also heats the entire pan evenly and quickly compared to other steel pans. The pan is also coated with a non-stick surface.

However, the coating is prone to scratches so be careful when wiping off crumbs when cleaning. Overall, cleaning shouldn’t be a problem with the pan because they are dishwasher safe. Even so, Chicago still recommends you use handwashing to extend the life span of the product.

Pros
  • Shallow cup design for perfect muffin tops
  • Anti-warping heavy-duty carbon steel pan
  • Non-stick coating
  • Dishwasher safe
Cons
  • The coating is prone to scratches

10. Best Ceramic Pan: GreenLife Bakeware Healthy Ceramic Nonstick, Muffin Pan

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Specs:
Material: Ceramic | Brand: GreenLife | Color: Turquoise | Shape: Round | Dimension: 15 in x 11 in x 1 in

Rating:
Easy to Use: 4.5 / 5
Heat Distribution: 4.6 / 5
Sturdiness: 4.5 / 5

The GreenLife Bakeware Muffin Pan is one of the best non-stick ceramic bakeware in the market today. Its thermion ceramic coating guarantees non-stick baking and easy cleaning. The lining is also toxin-free, so you can be sure that it will not release toxic fumes while baking.

This pan also features 12 wells, so it is easy to bake batches. Its design is also stylish and will fit a minimalist’s kitchen. Unfortunately, this muffin pan is not dishwasher safe, and the coating is easily scratched when scrubbed too hard. So, make sure to be careful when cleaning.

Pros
  • Inexpensive
  • Dishwasher safe
Cons
  • Needs hand-washed to last long

Things You Should Know Before Buying Best Muffin Pans

There are tons of choices to choose from. So how can you pick the best one for you? We have listed the factors that you have to consider when buying a muffin pan below.

Construction

When buying muffin pans, the material used for construction is vital. Remember depending on the choice of materials, your muffins, and other baked goodies turnouts may vary—for example, baking time, crusting, and taste.

Know the Material: Aluminum

These pans are the most common and the commercial standard for muffin pans. Aluminum is an excellent heat conductor and can bake goodies really fast. However, aluminum is not great for browning as it reflects light and radiation from the oven. Also, most aluminum pans are not non-stick, so it’s hard to pop baked goods from them.

Know the Material: Cast Iron and Steel

These pans are heavy but extremely durable. They don’t easily warp and can serve you for a really long time. However, it is hard to heat them up, so baking is considerably slower. But if you want a beautiful crust and achieve that perfect browning, then these pans are your guy.

Know the Material: Silicone

These pans have gained popularity in the past few years. Silicone pans are more lightweight and flexible compared to their peers. It also does not have any sharp edges and is virtually toxic-free. Unfortunately, because it is not that solid enough, the muffins don’t rise as much as metal pans.

Know the Material: Capacity

The pan’s capacity is also essential when picking the right muffin pan for you. You need to ask yourself how big your household is. Do you bake just for yourself? Only you and a loved one or for an extended family? Choose the best muffin pan that can cater for how many muffins you are planning to bake.

Unique Add-Ons

Does it come pre-coated with natural oil? Or perhaps it is equipped with rubber grips? Whatever it is, it is best to buy a muffin pan with extra features.

FAQs

What is the best material for a muffin pan?

Aluminum: While it’s true that there are many types of material for a muffin pan, aluminum is probably the most popular material because they are lightweight, conduct heat smoothly, and produce evenly baked muffins.

Is there a difference between a muffin pan and a cupcake pan?

Muffin pan and cupcake pans are the same. They can be used to bake cupcakes, muffins, and even eggs but they are all the same although they are generally called muffin pans.

What should I look for in a muffin tin?

Although it greatly depends on what you need, it is recommended to use a muffin pan that can hold up to 6, 8, 12, 24, and more muffins at a time. Moreover, the muffin pan has to yield 3.5 oz of batter in each cup.

In case you are looking to make mini bite-sized muffins, then opt for a pan that can yield 2 ⅛ oz of batter and one that can hold up to 24 muffins at a time.

Is silicone muffin pan safe?

Contrary to popular belief, silicone muffin pans are safe. Moreover, they are heat-resistant and safe for the oven and freezer so, they won’t release odours that might affect the taste or the quality of the food in any way possible.

Summary of the Best Muffin Pan

1. Best Overall: USA Pan Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan
2. Best 12-Cup: Keliwa’s 12 Cup Silicone Muffin Pan
3. Best Silicone: Trudeau Structure Pro Silicone Muffin Pan
4. Best 6-cup: Wilton Recipe Right Non-Stick 6-Cup Standard Muffin Pan
5. Best Mini: Wilton Advance Select Premium Nonstick 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pan
6. Best for a secure grip: Rachael Ray Yum -o Nonstick Bakeware 12-Cup Muffin Tin
7. Best Jumbo: Cuisinart 6-Cup Jumbo Muffin Pan
8. Best for even baking: OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Professional-Grade Muffin Pan
9. Best Top Pan: Chicago Metallic Professional Non-Stick Muffin Top Pan
10. Best Ceramic Pan: GreenLife Bakeware Healthy Ceramic Nonstick, Muffin Pan

5/5 - (1 vote)

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