I Tested 10 Loaf Pans and Found 5 Worthy of Your Bread, Cakes, and Meatloaf

A quality loaf pan is about as useful in a home kitchen as a sturdy sheet pan—which is to say, you need one. Loaf pans can be used to make a variety of baked foods, including simple quick breads, pound cake, and even classic meatloaf. You can make mini casseroles, like shepherd's pie or lasagna, in a loaf pan, too. Mine even sees occasional use for organizing produce in a packed fridge during holiday or party prep. Though I'm a professionally trained baker, I got most of my loaf pans from thrift stores. This made it faster to send an extra banana bread loaf home with a friend (no need to worry if it came out easily), but it also left me wondering why some loaves came out better (i.e., taller, more tender) than others. 

In a quest to finally have a few proper loaf pans to hold onto, I put 10 of the most popular pans to the test in my home kitchen. We last tested loaf pans in 2023, so it was time for a retest. After making nearly a dozen loaves of white bread, 10 batches of banana bread, and enough meatloaf to feed a soccer team, I found five loaf pans that distribute heat evenly, so even the simplest dishes bake up beautifully. These winning loaf pans don’t require a ton of effort to release your loaves or lots of elbow grease for cleaning. 

The Winners, at a Glance

This loaf pan is commercial-bakery-quality at a home baker's price. The aluminized steel construction is nonstick and dishwasher-safe. It perfectly holds a one-pound loaf of bread or six cups of cake batter, as well as enough meatloaf to feed a family of four. 

Fans of OXO products already know that its bakeware products are beloved for being reliable and well made. Like the other two nonstick winners, this pan has a standard one-pound or six-cup capacity and is made from robust aluminized steel. Unlike the USA Pan or William Sonoma Gold Touch, this pan has rounded corners that produce a more homey-shaped loaf of bread or cake. 

Similar to the USA Pan, this pan from William Sonoma is durable while also distributing heat evenly along all sides of whatever you’re baking. This means even rise on bread dough and crisp sides on meatloaf or lasagna. 

I was delighted by the results of this cast iron pan—each item baked beautifully and came out easily. Despite being the heaviest pan I tested, the generous handles made it easy to load and unload from the oven and helped me to release hot dishes, like white bread, without additional tools. 

Ceramic loaf pans are wonderful for baking meatloaf and casseroles, as stoneware retains heat well and won’t scratch from serving utensils or knives. Of the ceramic loaf pans I tested, this one from Le Creuset produced the most evenly baked banana bread and didn’t need a hot, soapy soak before cleaning. The sturdy handles are an added bonus. 

The Tests

• Simple White Bread Test: I prepared the dough for The Simplest White Bread Ever. I followed the directions and prepped each loaf pan with just a bit of cornmeal. I noted how long each loaf took to bake, how easy the loaves were to remove, and how evenly browned each loaf came out. 
• Banana Bread Test: I mixed up banana bread and prepared each pan with a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of flour for coating. During baking, I noted the fullness of each loaf pan as well as its rise in the oven. I let each loaf cool slightly before removing it from the pan. 
• Durability Test: You know how you might casually store a banana bread loaf in the loaf pan, cutting into it with a knife or butter knife to retrieve a slice? I did that with each loaf pan, scraping a butter knife along the bottom of the pan to test for durability, noting any scratches. 
• Meatloaf Test (Winners Only): My six favorite loaf pans from the other three tests were filled with a batch of meatloaf to see how each pan held up to greasy, sticky foods like a meatloaf topped with ketchup and brown sugar. 

What We Learned

Pan Depth Impacts Bread Height More Than Pan Shape 

A standard loaf pan should hold a one-pound loaf of bread dough or about six cups of batter, and the interior usually measures 8.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, and 2.75 inches tall. While almost all the pans I tested fit these standards, there were a few outliers like the Williams Sonoma Essential Stoneware Loaf Pan and Nordic Ware Treat Nonstick Loaf Pan, which had slightly different heights and widths. The taller and narrower shape of the Williams Sonoma Essential Stoneware Loaf Pan caused bread to rise above the rim of the pan, while banana bread batter spilled over into the oven. The shorter, wider Nordic Ware Treat Nonstick Loaf Pan baked up breads that were stout and squidgy. 

Material Impacts Browning

Loaf pans come in a variety of materials, including aluminized steel, cast iron, and ceramic stoneware. Each material bakes up recipes a little differently and has its own set of pros and cons. For example, aluminized steel pans like the USA Nonstick Loaf Pan,  OXO Good Grips Nonstick Pro Loaf Pan, and Great Jones Breadwinner, all had the exact same bake time in both the banana bread and white bread tests. These pans browned meatloaf better than ceramic pans, like Le Creuset Heritage Stoneware Loaf Pan and Williams Sonoma Essential Stoneware Loaf Pan. Ceramic pans took longer to make most things—only five to 10 additional minutes, depending on the test—because they are thicker and conduct heat more slowly. This slower heating is great for getting a tall rise on bread, but slightly annoying when you’re trying to finish meatloaf for dinner and it takes longer than you planned. Cast iron pans, like the Lodge and Le Creuset Cast Iron Classic Loaf Pan, were also slower to bake but gave the best browning in the meatloaf tests. Ultimately, which material you choose for your loaf pan will come down to what you want: If you want something easy to clean, a nonstick-coated aluminized steel is best. Looking to avoid nonstick together? Choose cast iron. Ceramic loaf pans are beautiful and great for going from oven to table, too. 

Avoid Metal Utensils on Nonstick Pans to Make Them Last 

While three of my five winning pans are aluminized steel with nonstick coating (they baked beautiful loaves of bread and meat without sticking), it is important to note that not a single nonstick pan made it through the durability test without some scratching. Over time, these scratches can erode the nonstick coating completely, so if you opt for nonstick, stick to wood, silicone, or plastic for cutting directly in the pan to help the loaf pan last longer. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Loaf Pan

Look for a one-pound loaf pan measuring 8.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, 2.75 inches tall; this is the most versatile size, and what most recipes are developed to use. The pan should be able to hold at least six cups of batter. The choice of material is up to you, but I like aluminized steel with a nonstick coating for the most even bake and no-sweat cleanup. Some loaf pans made from cast iron or ceramic bake well, even if they need slightly more time in the oven. Ceramic has good heat retention, so it’s good for serving casseroles. 

Our Favorite Loaf Pans

What we liked: This pan is professional quality at home-baker pricing. It’s a standard size and has crisp corners that make even the most humble loaf of pound cake look like it came from a bakery. It’s also lightweight and heats evenly for a consistent rise on bread loaves and cakes. The nonstick coating requires little pan prep and cleans up beautifully. This was one of our winners in previous tests, and it’s still great. 

What we didn’t like: Water can get trapped in the rolled rim of the pan. This is easily remedied by drying it right side up and then upside down after washing. Nonstick coatings are prone to scratching, and this pan had some of the most obvious marks of the pans I tested.

Key Specs

• Weight: 1 pound 
• Materials: Aluminized steel with nonstick coating 
• Interior dimensions: 8.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, 2.75 inches tall
• Max temperature: 450ºF
• Care instructions: Hand-wash only 

What we liked: One of the many things that OXO designs incredibly well is its bakeware—see its sheet pans as an example—and this loaf pan is no exception. Like my other two nonstick winners, the OXO pan is made from aluminized steel, which helps baked goods heat evenly and browns the sides of meatloaf well, even in a low-temperature oven. This pan has rounded corners, rather than squared-off ones, so it bakes up bread loaves with a slightly more homey look. 

What we didn’t like: The bottom of the pan is a ridged platform that’s made to bake foods more evenly, but it caused the white bread and banana bread to stick a little.

Key Specs

• Weight: 13.75 ounces 
• Materials: aluminized steel, ceramic-reinforced, 2-layer coating
• Interior dimensions: 8.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, 2.75 inches tall
• Max temperature: 450ºF
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe; hand-washing recommended to preserve nonstick coating

What we liked: William Sonoma promises this pan is nearly indestructible and can be cleaned up quickly thanks to its specialty “Goldtouch® Pro nonstick coating,” and it truly lives up to the hype. (It was our winner in previous testing, too.) In testing, it baked and cleaned up very well, and it also retained the fewest scratches in durability testing. It has the same tight corner design as the USA Pan, which creates bakery-like loaves of bread and cakes. 

What we didn’t like: Considering that it has nearly identical materials to the USA pan, it is a bit shocking that it’s almost twice the price. The nonstick coating worked so well that the meatloaf barely got a chance to brown on the sides. While that made for easy cleanup, I missed the caramelized bits on the sides of the pan.  

Key Specs

• Weight: 1 pound 
• Materials: Aluminized steel with nonstick coating
• Interior dimensions: 8.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, 2.75 inches tall
• Max temperature: 450ºF
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe; hand-washing recommended to preserve nonstick coating

What we liked: Cast iron is a wonderful material for baking in, but it can be heavy to maneuver in and out of the oven. That’s why I was surprised that Lodge’s Cast Iron loaf pan was almost a full pound lighter than other cast iron pans I tested. The baked goods coming out of this loaf pan had nice brown sides, and it was one of the few pans to actually brown the sides of the meatloaf. The petite handles on this pan are an added bonus. 

What we didn’t like: Despite being lighter than the Le Creuset Cast Iron Classic Loaf Pan, the Lodge is still quite heavy, especially when filled. The pan is completely cast iron (no enamel coating), so it does require care in washing and seasoning to keep it nonstick and free from rust. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 3.8 pounds 
• Materials: Cast iron 
• Interior dimensions: 8 inches long, 4.69 inches wide, 2.88 inches tall
• Max temperature: 500ºF
• Care instructions: Hand-wash only 

What we liked: Truthfully, I didn’t expect any of the ceramic loaf pans to make the winners list. Both ceramic and glass are good insulators, so they are slow to heat and take longer to bake. Still, Le Creuset’s stoneware loaf pan baked up nearly as well as the aluminized steel pans, even if it took a few extra minutes. Plus, it didn’t scratch at all during the durability test, so you can take it from the oven to the table without worrying about which serving utensil you use. 

What we didn’t like: Without a nonstick coating or the natural nonstick coating of well-seasoned cast iron, you will need to do proper pan prep—butter and sugar coating or nonstick spray—on this pan. The slow heating of the ceramic makes it slightly more prone to sticking, especially with wet batters like banana bread. The handles can be a little slippery since they are small.

Key Specs

• Weight: 2 pounds, 10 ounces 
• Materials: High-fired stoneware
• Interior dimensions: 9 inches long, 6.75 inches wide, 4 inches tall 
• Max temperature: 500°F
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe; hand-washing recommended

The Competition

• Great Jones Breadwinner: This incredibly cute loaf pan from Great Jones is so similar to my other two favorites from USA Pan and Williams Sonoma. The white bread, banana bread, and durability tests all pointed to it being a winner! But it baked up the greasiest meatloaf of all the pans despite having used the same recipe with the same ground beef (sirloin). I’m not sure if this has something to do with the darker pan color or the ridged bottom that helps prevent sticking. This pan is great for breads and cakes, but might not be as all-purpose as other pans. 
• Le Creuset Cast Iron Classic Loaf Pan: Here’s an example of a great loaf pan that didn’t meet my expectations. Shape-, material-, and style-wise, Le Creuset makes a great loaf pan that should have been a winner alongside its Heritage Stoneware Loaf Pan, but the cast iron interior was very sticky, even with proper pan prep. For the price of this pan, you could easily buy the Lodge and the Williams Sonoma.
• Nordic Ware Treat Nonstick Loaf Pan: Nordic Ware makes some of my favorite Bundt pans, so I was really excited to try its carbon steel loaf pan. The broader width of this pan made for loaves of bread that rose out instead of up, and it caused some sinking in both the white bread and banana bread tests, unfortunately. 
• Williams Sonoma Essential Stoneware Loaf Pan: While I absolutely adored the look of this pan, it was one of the few pans that spilled over in my banana bread test, and the white bread stuck in my other test. The Heritage Stoneware Loaf Pan is a much better buy from William Sonoma. 
• GreenPan Ceramic Nonstick Ovenware Loaf Pan: I understand that low-toxin nonstick is a priority for many home cooks, so I had high hopes for this pan. However, its wide shape and very nonstick sides prevented bread from rising properly. This resulted in dense white bread and banana bread. Plus, the pan collected a lot of condensation while the banana bread cooled, resulting in mushy sides even with just a brief amount of cooling. 

FAQs

What size is a standard loaf pan?

You’ll often see loaf pans labelled as “one-pound” loaf pans, and this means a pan that can hold a pound of bread dough. A standard loaf pan usually measures 8.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, 2.75 inches tall, and has a six-cup capacity. 

Should you grease a loaf pan?

This depends on what type of loaf pan you are using and what you plan to bake in it. For example, you can skip greasing a loaf pan if the recipe doesn’t call for it and you are using a nonstick-coated pan. Most banana bread recipes call for greasing, either with nonstick spray or butter and flour, as the batter is sticky but sturdy enough to rise even with heavy greasing. A parchment paper sling can be used in recipes where you might want to skip grease, say for an ice cream cake. 

What's the best material for a loaf pan? 

For most home bakers, we recommend an aluminized steel pan with a nonstick coating in a standard size. This is the pan most commonly used for recipes; plus, the metal helps bread and cakes bake evenly. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Meghan Splawn is a food writer and recipe developer who has worked in food media since 2006. 
• She worked for 10 years in the test kitchen with Alton Brown, where she regularly had the task of testing equipment. 
• For this story, Meghan baked 12 loaves of white bread, 10 loaves of banana bread, and seven meatloaves. She is probably still trying to pawn bread off on friends and neighbors as you read this. 
• We previously tested loaf pans in 2023, and the USA Pan, OXO, and Williams Sonoma were winners then as well.