Nordic Ware Sheet Cake Baking Pan with Cover, 13 by 18 by 2 Inch

I love these NordicWare pans, with helpful plastic covers fitting bases of all sizes. These new pans here, the latest offering in the series, are exactly a double-cake-pan size (yes, they hold 2 cake mixes worth of cake, for a large-sized presentation for birthdays, barbecues, whatever...). And the wonderful plastic top is very high -- can easily accommodate most decorations.

But these are not just for cakes! Their greatest value is as easily transportable storage for all sorts of food.

Example: two weeks ago, my husband and I were asked to bring 800 (!) finger sandwiches to help feed 200 people at a huge reception for new ministers, with ministers from 5 states coming to honor their colleagues' commitment ceremony. We had done a similar but smaller event many years ago and struggled mightily getting less than half that much food to the reception site in one piece (not entirely successfully, I might add), and we'd sworn we'd never do it again, let...Read more

Whether it is cake, brownies, or a casserole, this pan can do twice the amount of the 9x13 pans. I have used it for casseroles for church suppers and family gatherings, and baked up half sheet size brownies and cakes for receptions and showers. It is a sturdy, quality pan and I have been impressed with how evenly my cakes and brownies bake in it. Having a lid is an added bonus--no more plastic wrap sticking to the frosting, or having to stick toothpicks in the cake to prevent it from doing so. If I mix up a casserole in advance and store it in the fridge before baking, the lid makes it so I can stack lighter things on top of it and use my fridge space more efficiently. You can't do that with foil wrapped over the pan. A friend of mine who had been a caterer loaned me a pan like this to use once and when I returned it to her I knew I had to get one of my own. I don't know what I did without it.

I was looking for a larger baking pan with a lid. I have pyrex, but wanted an aluminum pan for my specific needs and definately needed a lid to keep my baked goods fresh. The other benefit with this pan/lid set is that the lid is raised in a fashion that if you bake an item that rises to the top of the pan, then frost the top, the lid will not rest on your baked frosted masterpiece ruining all of your hard work. The pan seems to be good quality aluminum as well.