I am not a muffin person. But, I find the idea of making Texas-size muffins more appealing.  I am shopping for a 6-cup pan but my favorite bakeware, Magic Line, does not make one.  I prefer aluminum for the way it bakes.

How big should a jumbo muffin pan be to bake according to most recipes? The size range I’ve noticed is from 6-8 oz.

Chicago Metallic Professional line has been replaced by a pan lined with silicone. The Chicago Metallic in Bed, Bath and Beyond is just like Baker’s Secret, aluminized steel. Wilton has 2 jumbo pans..one is their “King” size which looks too deep and not wide enough.  The have an aluminum tin in Walmart but it is back ordered.  Williams Sonoma has a Gold Touch pan which has loose bottoms. Unfortunately, they do not know the size of the cups; but, from the image, they really don’t look Texas size at all.

Does anyone have a muffin pan they love?

I don’t think you’ll find a muffin tin that isn’t aluminized steel.  I know the Oneida at Wal-Mart says “aluminum”, but I’m skeptical.  It looks like stamped steel, suggesting the ubiquitous aluminized steel.  Aluminum pans probably need to be much thicker than steel to have enough rigidity to function well as cookware, but that doesn’t lend itself to bakeware with intricate shaping.  For instance, I don’t see any bundt pans that are solid aluminum either.  Instead, you only see solid aluminum for simple shapes like round and rectangular layer cake pans, or cookie sheets.

I hate aluminized steel, because it will rust if water is allowed to remain in contact with it.  That said, I haven’t had a problem with the non-stick coated aluminized steel, because I presume that the coating helps protect the underlying steel from much water contact.  I think you’ll find the performance of the aluminized steel just fine, so I wouldn’t refrain from buying it on that account.

Thank you for your very informative response, as always. Does it matter if the aluminized steel is dark or light? 

These are the pans offered by Wilton:

http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-6-Cup-Jumbo-Muffin-Pan/dp/B000NBSI32/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1336248019&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Cup-Kingsize-Muffin-Pan/dp/B000NBQFUU/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1336248133&sr=8-16

http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Aluminum-6-Cup-Jumbo-Muffin/dp/B0000VMFJI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S?ie=UTF8&colid=36WP5A80KXE4P&coliid=I38FAE5XTZ49MS

Fat Daddio’s entry:

http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Daddios-6-Cup-Jumbo-Muffin/dp/B001IZZGMI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S?ie=UTF8&colid=36WP5A80KXE4P&coliid=I2ERY00TPGHWEQ

Chicaog Metallic:

http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Non-Stick-6-Cup-Muffin/dp/B003YKGRDM/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1336248262&sr=1-1

Williams Sonoma:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-nonstick-large-muffin-pan-6-well/?pkey=ccupcake-muffin-pans

And Wasserstrom’s Chicago Metallic light version in a 12 cup pan:

http://www.wasserstrom.com/restaurant-supplies-equipment/Product_117308

Any preference?

The Fat Daddio’s and one of the Wiltons actually do appear to be solid aluminum, upsetting my nice analysis.   But the comments in the Wilton suggest it’s flimsy, which is what I would expect.  The lightness of both pans would reduce the amount of browning you’d expect to get on the muffins.  Whether this is a drawback or not depends on how brown you like your baked products.  I have a USA Pans muffin pan, which is tremendously sturdy, even though Cooks Illustrated downrated it for warping, which I haven’t experienced.  But that pan is light colored compared to most of the other non-stick pans and I find its browning adequate.

The Fat Daddio’s has an anodized coating. One of the Wilton pans does seem as though it is not coated but flimsy, as you said. 

Do you remember I was looking for loaf pans? I had the USA loaf pan and felt it didn’t bake well compared to Magic Line due to the silicone coating. You advised me to get the William Sonoma Goldtone loaf pan, which is excellent and I am so glad I took your advice.

I believe the WS Goldtone has the same coating as the Professional Chicago Metallic once had. The Pro CM is recommended in RHC. When I first started, I bought both the 9” round and the loaf in ProMC. They are great and very substantial.

What do you think of the WS muffin pan? Do you like that it has a loose bottom for ease of removal?  I wish someone knew the size of the wells.

I don’t always agree with Cook’s Illustrated. For instance, they don’t like light colored baking pans; they say the end results are too pale.  I think just the opposite and so do the authors of most of the cookbooks I use. I think Magic Line is fantastic.

The loose bottoms of the WS don’t do anything for me.  I’ve found that spraying the wells pretty much always makes them release just fine.  Perhaps there are other types of baked goods which need a push from the bottom to help them release.  The wide rim around the pan is an advantage, though. Seems like my thumb is always damaging one muffin when I remove the pan from the oven.

I have one fat daddio’s pan, which I haven’t used, and I have a hard time believing that the rather rough anodized surface would release well.  Perhaps it does.

The USA pan that I have is built like a tank and browns evenly, if not deeply.  I’m skeptical that the silicone coating affects the baking qualities one way or the other, but I probably said that way back when .  I use it weekly and the non-stick still works (I guess), although I always spray the wells, and I throw it into the dishwasher when I’m done.

My objection to non-stick coatings is more one of principle; I know they won’t last forever and I’d rather have a solid, well-built piece of equipment that has a forever sort of feel to it.  The USA Pan has that sort of feel, but I know it’s doomed because of 1) the non-stick coating, and 2) the aluminized steel construction.

I just called WS to inquire about the size of the well. A really nice customer service rep could not find any info for me but took the time to measure the picture of the pan and deduce, by the space on each side, the approximate width of the well to be 2.5 inches. That, to me, makes it unacceptable anyway because it is too narrow.

The USA pan does not make a jumbo sized muffin pan as far as I know.  But, having read your opinion of the pan, I will give my USA loaf pan another try  

So that leaves Wilton (flimsy) or Chicago Metallic (dark).  I have seen both in the store and I like the size, shape, depth and breadth of the CM.  The Wilton I saw in the store was the Recipe Right, not the uncoated.

Go with the CM?????

Flour Girl - 05 May 2012 07:13 PM

Go with the CM?????

I’ve generally been pleased with the CM stuff I’ve bought in the past.  To me, it seems to be the highest quality you can generally find in the bricks and mortar stores.

BTW, one that didn’t make your list is Calphalon:

http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Classic-Bakeware-Nonstick-Muffin/dp/B0009EYIZ0

I have two of their 12-cup muffin pans that I use for cupcakes.  They seem very well constructed and maybe not quite so dark as some of the others.

I didn’t notice that one on Amazon but, now that you mention it, I have seen it in Bed Bath and Beyond.  They carry both the Calphalon and the CM.

Thanks so much Charles. I’ll compare both brands and select one of them.

I really appreciate your help and value your opinion immensely. Thank you.