
It performed to the high levels that we’d expect of a best overall pan, but the $60 price point is an investment, and it might not be right for everyone. We really loved this pan’s solid baking performance, and it’s easy to see why it’s a favorite among professional chefs and bakers. This pan also comes with a limited lifetime guarantee. The pan is oven safe to 450 degrees F, making it ideal for those times when you want to start baking at a higher temperature to create extra lift in your baked goods.

The pan is hand-wash only, but the non-stick finish helped ensure easy clean-up. Another important feature is the pan’s shape, which allows plenty of room for the lips - the side areas around the cups - so, you can easily grip the pan with oven mitts when transferring it to and from the oven without worrying about sticking your mitts in the cupcake batter or smooshing the muffins. The pan’s textured finish also gives it added heft in the hand, suggesting durability. The pan’s label claimed that the pan’s textured bottom improved air flow for even baking, which we found to be true given even baking results and consistent browning on the muffins’ sides and bottoms.

The coating is eco-friendly and free of PTFE, PFOA and PFAS. This meant thorough development of a non-stick, silicone-based coating that easily released baked goods. Since this pan was developed as part of Food Network’s Performance Series bakeware, it had to live up to its name. This carbon steel muffin pan earned top marks for its non-stick performance, durable construction, thoughtful design, and modest price tag.
