Any recommendations for Muffin pans?

[storybookstory]

I bought a stack of Betty Crocker Muffin coupons for $1/2 , AND Shaw's has them on sale for $.88, AND if you buy 10 you get $5 off, so I'm going to have about 30 bags of muffin mix by the end of this week . But I don't have a good muffin pan. Those BC bags are small, so I'll combine two or three bags at a time. Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent muffin pan? I've looked at the silicone ones, but something about baking in rubber turns me off.... When I use the foil baking cups they sometimes burn on the bottom. And I don't like the quality of Ecko or Baker's Secret.

What's a good pan to buy?

Thanks!

 

[prncess674]

I like the Wilton pans. They have wide grips on the end which makes them easy to remove from the oven without poking your finger into a cupcake.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14748539&RN=876&

 

[TiggerMomNine]

I know you said you had considered the silicone baking pans and decided against them.

I agreed with you - they just seemed wrong. But last week, my mom & I were teamed up doing Once A Month Cooking, and we were short muffin tins, so we ended up using the silicone ones. I had received them as part of a set a couple of Christmases ago.

Well, we used them for mini meatloaves, and they worked so well! We did have to place the silicone muffin pan on a cookie sheet for stability, but the loaves browned just like normal, and cleanup was SO EASY!!!!

Today, I made little carmel rolls in it, and even the carmelized sugar cleans off with NO SCRUBBING - just a little soap and water, and it's good as new.

So, now, I'm all for the silicone baking pans. My other excellent find is parchment paper - NOTHING sticks to it - I use it whenever I bake anything on cookie sheets - you don't even need tor spray it!

Good luck.

 

[daisyduck123]

I have AirBake muffin pans & LOVE them.....no burning!

 

[C.Ann]

The reason your muffins are burning on the bottom when you use liners is because your oven temperature is "off".. I had the same problem with my stove here at the lake (use the same pans here as I do when I'm living with my DD's family part-time).. Bought an oven thermometer (cheap) and found the temp was way off.. Now I adjust it accordingly and have no problems..

I have no-stick; old aluminum; and some other heavy kind I purchased in a garage sale.. Doesn't matter which ones I use - now that I have the temperature adjusted correctly..

 

[disneysteve]

My first choice would be silicone. Nothing beats it.

Second choice would be a good quality metal pan, not the crappy ones they sell in Target or WalMart like Ekco brand garbage. Go to a kitchen supply store (or online) and get Chicago Metallic Commercial series items.

Here's one:
http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metal...9?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1223510025&sr=1-9

 

[storybookstory]

Tell me about the silicone - why are they really good? I would think they would leave a strange taste or something.

 

[storybookstory]

My first choice would be silicone. Nothing beats it.

Second choice would be a good quality metal pan, not the crappy ones they sell in Target or WalMart like Ekco brand garbage. Go to a kitchen supply store (or online) and get Chicago Metallic Commercial series items.

Here's one:
http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metal...9?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1223510025&sr=1-9

Thanks - that's what I needed - some rec's on what are good brand names. I do have a kitchen outlet store nearby - I'll check that out. Or at TJ Maxx too. Although I bought a CuisineArt heavy cookie sheet at TJ mAxx thinking it would be great and it tends to burn on the bottom.

But maybe I do have a temperature issue and should start using my convection option on my oven....

 

[Vacation Lover]

Great info here because I need new pans too. We bake muffins almost every weekend and my cheap pans are getting rusty--yuck! One tip I have--instead of baking 12 big muffins, we bake 24 mini ones. The tops get big and fluffy and there's only a tiny bottom--very tasty.

 

[Princess-in-Training]

I have to say I adore my Pampered Chef stoneware ones. Never a burnt bottom, perfect every time, and easy to clean. Expensive, but worth every penny, IMHO.

 

[pk1959]

I have AirBake muffin pans & LOVE them.....no burning!

For some reason my muffins in my AirBake pans NEVER CROWN. No matter what kind of muffins I am making, they are always flat on the top.

 

[daisyduck123]

For some reason my muffins in my AirBake pans NEVER CROWN. No matter what kind of muffins I am making, they are always flat on the top.

Hmm...I have never had that problem. I wonder why in the world your are like that.

Anyone have an answer?

 

[disneysteve]

Tell me about the silicone - why are they really good? I would think they would leave a strange taste or something.

Silicone imparts no taste to the food.
They are naturally non-stick so there is no need to grease the pan.
Clean up is a snap. They are easy to wash and are dishwasher-safe.
They are easy to store because you can bend them, fold them or squash them to make them fit where they need to go.
It is easy to get the muffins, cupcakes, cakes, etc. out of the pans because you can bend the pan. No need to stick in a knife and cut around and loosen the muffin to pry it out. Just twist the pan a little and push in from the bottom and pop it out.

 

[C.Ann]

For some reason my muffins in my AirBake pans NEVER CROWN. No matter what kind of muffins I am making, they are always flat on the top.

---------------------

I collect muffin recipes - have thousands of them - and I'm always trying new ones..

Two things - (1) Could be you are stirring your batter too much.. Just
stir till ingredients are moistened - not thoroughly mixed and wet.. Fold in fruits and nuts - do not "stir" them in.. (And don't let the batter sit around - bake the muffins immediately..)

(2) Check your baking powder and baking soda.. If they're too old, you won't get the proper rise..

Happy muffin baking!

 

[teedisney]

I have to say I adore my Pampered Chef stoneware ones. Never a burnt bottom, perfect every time, and easy to clean. Expensive, but worth every penny, IMHO.

I totally agree. I have both sizes. about once a year they put stone on sale. I love all of it. I think I have 8 pieces.

 

[burberryplaid]

I'm all about the Calphalon Non-Stick pans. They have a lifetime guarantee against defects. If something happens to the pan, just send it to them and they'll send you a new one. It's worth the money.