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Nothing ruins the joy of waking up to freshly baked muffins more than the struggle to pry them out of the muffin pan. Then, trying to clean baked-on food debris stuck on old, ineffective muffin pans almost makes you want to give up altogether. With the best muffin pan, you can easily remove your muffins, intact and beautiful, without suffering a hacked-up, crumbling baked good.
We chose five of the best muffin pans to include in our guide based on their non-stick qualities (for both releasing muffins and cleanup), baking performance, and how easy it is to hold the pan. Our top pick is the USA Pan Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan thanks to the effortless release and heavy-gauge construction. If you want a more budget option, the Rachael Ray Oven Lovin' Non-Stick 12-Cup Muffin and Cupcake Pan has extended handles for an easy grip and is just over $20.
Our top picks for the best muffin pans
Best overall: USA Pan Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan - See at Amazon If you are tired of your muffins sticking to the pan and find baking cups to be wasteful, the USA Pan Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan is an outstanding nonstick pan that will last you for years to come.
Best silicone: Silpat Silicone Muffin Pan - See at Amazon The Silpat Silicone Muffin Pan is made by a heritage brand we trust and produces evenly baked muffins that slide out without sticking every time.
Best high-end: Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Nonstick Muffin Pan - See at Williams Sonoma If you are looking for a stylish cupcake tin that bakes evenly and you don't mind spending a little extra, consider the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick Muffin Pan.
Best secure grip: Rachael Ray Oven Lovin' Non-Stick 12-Cup Muffin and Cupcake Pan - See at Amazon With the silicone grips of the Rachael Ray Oven Lovin' Non-Stick 12-Cup Muffin and Cupcake Pan, you can ease your fears of dropping baked goods all over the floor.
Best for even baking: OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Muffin Pan - See at Amazon The gold finish of the OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Muffin Pan produces evenly baked treats that are easy to remove from the tin.
Best overall: USA Pan Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan
Pros: Excellent nonstick coating, several size variations, lifetime warranty
Cons: Doesn't come with a hole at the top for hanging
The USA Pan's Bakeware Cupcake and Muffin Pan is made of heavy-gauge, commercial-grade aluminized steel and covered with Americoat, which is a patented nonstick silicone coating free of BPA, PFOA, and PTFE. Each cup is 1.38-inches deep by 2.13-inches in diameter on the bottom and 2.75-inches in diameter at the top.
You should not wash the USA Pan in the dishwasher. Instead, use hot water, a mild detergent, and a gentle sponge or brush. In addition to the standard 12-cup tin, this pan is available in nine other styles, including Mini Cake – 6 Well, Mini Cupcake – 24 Well, and Texas Sized Muffin – 6 Well. Each comes with a lifetime warranty.
Without greasing or spraying the slots, users have found that the muffins just pop out every time.
Best silicone: Silpat Silicone Muffin Pan
Pros: Easy to clean, lifetime replacement guarantee, durable
Cons: Somewhat floppy, quite expensive
Silpat makes our favorite baking mats and is known in the restaurant world for producing superlative nonstick bakeware, so there's no doubt its silicone muffin pan is absolutely top-notch. The muffin pan, like all of Silpat's offerings, is constructed from a unique textile fiberglass core coated in food-grade silicone making it flexible yet heat-resistant up to 500 degrees. It's also microwave-, freezer-, and dishwasher-safe.
Insider Reviews senior editor Sally Kaplan tested it in her kitchen and ranked in among the best muffin pans. "My recent batch of lemon poppyseed muffins glided out of the Silpat mold so effortlessly and smoothly I almost started crying! I know this sounds dramatic (because it is) but honestly, I'm not the best baker in the world — so any time something turns out perfectly, I get emotional about it," she wrote.
Because it is made of silicone, you can easily pop muffins or cupcakes out of the wells and cleaning up afterward is a breeze. Muffin and cupcake crumbs don't stick to silicone as fiercely as they do to metal.
The only downside of having a silicone pan is that it's a bit floppy, so popping it into the oven when it's full of uncooked batter can be challenging. We suggest placing the pan on the oven rack and then filling it with batter or sitting it in a baking sheet to transport it.
Best high-end: Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Nonstick Muffin Pan
Pros: Even baking, easy release of baked goods, secure rim
Cons: Should not be used with metal utensils, listed maximum temperature of 450 degrees
The Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick Muffin Pan is made of commercial-grade aluminized steel, which is celebrated because it distributes heat evenly and quickly. A durable nonstick coating is applied to the pan to make it easy to use and resistant to scratches. We tested a Goldtouch baking sheet in our guide to the best cookie sheets, and found it to be near-impossible to scratch.
The cups are standard-sized and have a 3.8-ounce capacity (a little less than half a cup). The overall dimensions of the pan are 5.75 by 11.25 by 1.25 inches. With an over safe temperature of 450 degrees F, you should be well-equipped for the majority of recipes. As with any nonstick pan, try to avoid metal and only use plastic, silicone, and wood utensils on it, lest you scratch the coating.
The Goldtouch Pan is technically dishwasher-safe, but hand-washing will extend the longevity of one of the best muffin pans.
Best secure grip: Rachael Ray Oven Lovin' Non-Stick 12-Cup Muffin and Cupcake Pan
Pros: Silicone grips that are easy to grab with oven mitts on, terrific nonstick properties, effortless clean-up
Cons: Silicone grips still get hot in the oven
The Oven Lovin' Non-Stick 12-Cup Muffin and Cupcake Pan from Rachael Ray is made of durable steel and features a nonstick coating on the interior and exterior. The handles are extra wide and have silicone grips. The entire pan is dishwasher safe and oven safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Though the silicone does add some grip, be aware that the handles still do get hot. You won't be able to remove the pan from the oven without the protection of some good oven mitts.
It's the most affordable muffin pan on our list. As an added bonus, the pan comes with an exclusive Rachael Ray cookbook, so you can check out some great recipes to make. And, a portion of the proceeds for the pan go to the chef's Yum-O organization, which educates kids and their families about healthy cooking habits and encourages youngsters who want to become chefs.
Best for even baking: OXO Good Grips Non-Stick Pro Muffin Pan
Pros: Bakes evenly and releases baked goods effortlessly
Cons: Not dishwasher safe
The OXO Good Grip Non-Stick Pro Muffin Pan is made of heavy-gauge aluminized steel, which is great for even heat distribution. The steel is covered with a two-layer coating that is ceramic-reinforced and Swiss-engineered to protect against corrosion, staining, and scratching. And, the non-stick, micro-textured pattern on the surface increases airflow and decreases surface contact.
The overall size of the pan is 16.5 by 12 by 1.2 inches, which is much larger than any of the other pans in our guide. As with all of its products, OXO offers a satisfaction guarantee on their best muffin pan.
In an article entitled "This Pan Changed My Muffin-Baking Life," Claire Saffitz of Bon Appétit took a feature-by-feature look at what makes the OXO Good Grips Muffin Pan great, including the effective nonstick coating, the textured surface that releases baked-on batter, and the light color of the pan, which allows for even baking.
What to look for in the best muffin pans
Material: Shop for one of the best muffin pans that's made of metal and has a non-stick coating. Aluminum, or aluminized steel, is great at conducting heat, which will lead to more even cooking and rising. Most of the pans on our list are made of heavy-gauge aluminum steel. Silicone muffin pans are easy to release, too, but they don't conduct heat as well as metal and can lead to uneven cooking.
Coating: Metal pans with nonstick coatings are the best bet for getting muffins out in one piece. The silicone makes it easy to release the muffins while utilizing the metal conduction to keep things cooking properly. Ceramic coating helps with release, too, but is a bit more resistant to scratches and damage than regular ole' non-stick coating.
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