Anyone who takes the time to make cookies from scratch obviously wants them to turn out perfect and taste delicious. Ingredient mixing is almost unheard of these days, as almost everything is available in pre-mixed or pre-made packets. Most people just buy a roll of cookie dough, slice it up, and pop it in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes. However, for people who still take the time to make their own cookie dough, it’s important to know the differences between all the types of sheets available in stores today. There are a multitude of them, and believe it or not, they all produce different results.

Insulated Nonstick Sheet

Most insulation sheets are made to be non-stick, and because insulation sheets are sometimes more expensive, they tend to resist scratching, chipping, and peeling. Insulated cookie sheets are basically two sheets that have been connected around the edges, creating a small pocket of air that cannot escape. The air inside the pocket is heated to the set temperature of the oven when the sheet is placed inside.

Insulated cookie sheets are very reliable for evenly baking cookies. Because the air inside the tray is heated to oven temperature, it allows all the cookies on the tray to cook and brown at the same rate. The evenly heated air prevents the foil from getting hotter in certain spots, which is common with normal foils. In addition to delicious cookies, most insulating sheets are easy to clean thanks to their non-stick surfaces.

Aluminum

Aluminum cookie sheets are widely used. Aluminum conducts heat well, so baking sheets made from this material usually produce an evenly baked cookie. The only downside to aluminum is that it sometimes prevents cookies from reaching the perfect shade of brown.

Cookie sheets made of aluminum are very strong and will not rust even if they have to be soaked in water for a long period of time. Heavy aluminum baking sheets are better to use than the thin types that are available for less money. Thin sheets of aluminum can bend and/or warp in a hot oven, which can cause cookies to cook unevenly.

Nonstick Cookie Sheets

When nonstick cookie sheets were invented, a whole new world of baking emerged. The ease of cleaning a cookie sheet with a nonstick surface is amazing and virtually eliminates the need to butter the sheet before cooking. Washing a nonstick sheet is a breeze, requiring hardly anything more than a quick scrub.

Non-stick sheets have a surface coating that makes them easy to clean, but they can still make delicious cookies. Keep in mind that the darker the nonstick surface, the faster the cookies will brown. Therefore, it’s important to read the instructions that came with the blade to find out if the manufacturer recommends lowering the oven’s cooking temperature to compensate. It may be necessary to lower the oven temperature about 25 degrees.

In conclusion, cookie sheets can be made from different types of materials, or even a combination of materials. Each sheet will produce a different end result for the exact same cookie recipe. The darker the sheet, the faster the cookies will brown because a dark sheet absorbs heat more easily and transfers the heat directly to the cookies. Aluminum cookie sheets are good conductors of heat, but they are not good at ensuring that your cookies brown. Insulated baking sheets will ensure that the cookies bake evenly no matter how they are spaced on the sheet. For best results, test a cookie recipe on all three types of sheets and determine which produces the desired results.