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These Are the Best 9x13 Baking Dishes for Cakes, Casseroles, and so Much More

They're handy for big-batch breakfasts and nostalgic desserts.

9x13 Pan
Photo: Williams Sonoma

Every kitchen needs a 9x13-inch baking dish, even if you're not a serious baker. In fact, it doesn't matter if you've never even made a cake from a store-bought boxed mix; it's a good idea to have this workhorse of a pan in your cabinets.

Why? These large baking pans can hold and cook almost anything you'd want. You can bake chicken or make breakfast for a crowd. Of course, they're clutch during holiday cooking, and you surprise everyone with a dessert casserole too. And yes, you can make a cake from a mix, though we suggest you try this easy chocolate cake recipe instead.

Our Favorites

Our Top Pick: Made In French Porcelain Rectangular Baking Dish

Made In Rectangular Baking Dish

Courtesy of Made In

Why It's Great: Naturally nonstick; durable; can go from freezer to oven

Grain of Salt: Metal utensils can scratch the porcelain finish

Made In cookware is used in some of the world's best kitchens, including Michelin-starred restaurants and top-rated hotels, and is developed in partnership with premier chefs from all over the globe. It's no wonder its products are continuously among our favorites, and the 9x13-inch baking dish is no exception.

This line of porcelain bakeware is handmade in France, and while you may think of porcelain as a very fragile, delicate material, it's actually the exact opposite: quite substantial and very durable. Porcelain is also great for baking because it conducts heat evenly and consistently while being naturally nonstick. We appreciate this pan's high walls, which are great for everything from lasagnas to crumbles.

These pans are oven-safe up to 650°F and are microwave- and freezer-safe, too. In addition to all that, these beautiful babies are thermal-shock resistant, meaning they can go directly into a hot oven from the fridge or freezer (and vice versa)! That's a total game-changer for make-ahead meals—no more worrying whether you remembered to defrost tonight's dinner.

The Details: Porcelain; 650°F oven-safe temperature; dishwasher safe, but hand-washing is recommended

Best Budget: Pyrex 3-Quart Easy Grab Baking Pan with Lid

Pyrex Easy Grab 3-Quart Baking Dish With Lid

Pyrex

Why It's Great: Oversized handles are easy to grip; comes with a lid; won't stain or absorb odors

Grain of Salt: Not thermal-shock resistant

It was hard to decide specifically how to award this versatile baking dish, but at the end of the day, "best value" seemed like the right way to go. Why? First off, this glass dish has some of the biggest handles on the market, which can help any cook feel more confident maneuvering a piping hot, full pan from oven to table, even with bulky oven mitts.

Secondly, this dish comes with a lid. This means it's great for traveling to a potluck (it's lightweight, too!), and it can be left on a picnic table without fear of a bug (or worse) ruining your dish. Having a cover is also great for storing leftovers (fewer dishes, yes!) and reducing waste (no need for plastic wrap or aluminum foil). Additionally, it's Pyrex, one of the best names in the biz. That means quality is guaranteed. And all for around fifteen bucks. You can't even see a movie at that price anymore!

One thing to note: This baking pan is microwave and dishwasher-safe, and it's fine to use in a preheated oven (so long as the pan is at room temperature when you put it in and not straight from the refrigerator). It isn't, however, rated safe against thermal shock, so you can't take it from the freezer to a hot oven (or vice versa).

The Details: Glass; 450°F oven-safe temperature; dishwasher safe; microwave safe

Best Covered: Staub Stoneware Rectangular Covered Baker

Staub Stoneware Rectangular Baker

Williams Sonoma

Why It's Great: Heirloom-quality; durable; can be used as the serving dish

Grain of Salt: Expensive

Staub's glass-porcelain-glazed stoneware baking dish is as functional as it is elegant. Its stoneware construction means it cooks evenly and retains heat well, and it won't absorb moisture (which helps keep your dish from drying out). It's dishwasher and freezer-safe, and because it's thermal-shock resistant, the pan can go directly from the refrigerator or freezer to the oven or microwave (and the other way around).

But it's this pan's vibrant, multi-coat porcelain enameling that is truly the show-stopper. Available in white, sapphire, and cherry, this casserole dish becomes the focal point of the table when used as a serving dish (and less to clean up, too!). Plus, each comes with a fitted lid (which is also oven-safe up to 425°F), which helps keep your dish warm on the table. And with all the oohing and ahhing that your guests will be doing, that's a good thing!

Because of the glazing, this versatile pan is naturally low-stick, and most food residue can be rinsed off with water. If there is a stubborn stain, avoid steel, wood, and other abrasive cleaners, opting instead for a nylon scrubbing pad or sponge. With the right care, this pan will easily become a family heirloom.

The Details: Stoneware with glass porcelain enamel finish; 570°F oven-safe temperature (425°F with lid); dishwasher safe

Best Ceramic: ​Emile Henry Modern Classics Large Rectangular Baker

Emile Henry Large Rectangular Baker

Amazon

Why It's Great: Timelessly classic; retains heat well; thermal-shock resistant

Grain of Salt: Pricey

Emile Henry's high-quality, heirloom-worthy ceramic bakeware and cookware have been made in France since 1850. The family-owned company's signature high-fired Burgundy clay heats quickly and evenly and retains heat well, a feature that's especially helpful when you're taking this pan from the oven to the table and want the second helpings to be as warm as the first.

Oven-safe up to 520°F, this pan is also thermal-shock resistant, so you can go from microwave or oven to fridge or freezer—and back again—without fear of flying debris. The ceramic casserole dish's glazed finish creates an easy-to-clean surface that needs only to be rinsed and lightly scrubbed.

And if all of those qualities weren't enough to convince you that this ceramic casserole dish is one worth adding to your kitchen, consider this: Emile Henry products have a 10-year warranty guarantee that the company will honor if your product shows signs of manufacturing defects in its first decade of use.

The Details: Ceramic; 520°F oven-safe temperature; dishwasher safe, but hand washing is recommended

Best for Travel: OXO Glass Baking Dish With Lid

OXO Glass Baking Dish with Lid

Amazon

Why It's Great: Large handles help with transit; tight-fitting lid; thermal-shock resistant

Grain of Salt: Can crack if put in cold water when hot

Are you the first on your block to greet a new neighbor with a "Welcome!" casserole? Or maybe you've been attending a lot of family gatherings or potlucks? Then you need a baking dish with a lid. A solid, tight lid that allows you to confidently transport a dish from point A to point B. OXO's 3-quart baking dish is precisely what's needed.

OXO is known for its high-quality kitchen storage solutions, so it only makes sense that this also has a great, lidded, 9x13-inch baking dish. There's more: this unit is made from thermal-shock-resistant borosilicate glass, so you can prep your dish ahead of time, pop it in the freezer for a bit, and then cook it straight away without worrying about defrosting it. The large, full-length handles also help boost our confidence when carrying the pan to its final destination. Now, we can only hope the recipient doesn't try and steal it away for themself!

The Details: Borosilicate glass; 450°F oven-safe temperature (if moving directly from freezer to a preheated oven); dishwasher safe

Best Deep: Pyrex Deep Glass Baking Dish

Pyrex-deep-9-x-13-inch-rectangular-glass-baking-dish-with-lid

Walmart

Why It's Great: 3 inches deep; easy to clean; comes with a lid

Grain of Salt: Not resistant to thermal shock

This is Pyrex's second time on this list of the best 9x13 baking dishes, but it's because few pans can do what it can when it comes to high sides and a deep interior. And with some dishes, that's the only thing that'll get the job done — we all have that one recipe that fills up every centimeter of space in our existing 9x13 pan.

We particularly love this pan for lasagna. Pyrex says the 3-inch depth is 50 percent deeper than the average pan, which leaves room for more layers of ingredients and cheese, and less mess if anything splatters while baking. Pick up one of these so you can have a little breathing room and avoid an unnecessary mess.

The Details: Glass; 425°F oven-safe temperature; dishwasher safe

Most Colorful: Caraway Home Rectangle Pan

Amazon Caraway Rectangle Pan

Amazon

Why It's Great: Lightweight; nonstick ceramic coating; wide handles

Grain of Salt: Ceramic can chip or wear

We're suckers for cute kitchenware, but it has to perform well, too. Luckily, this 9x13-inch baking dish from Caraway passes muster. These rectangular pans are made from aluminized steel and finished with a non-stick ceramic coating (with stainless steel handles), so they're durable, lightweight, and naturally non-stick. (Have you noticed a ceramic coating trend yet? Yep, it's that good!). They're available in nine fun, mod colors, including marigold yellow, sage green, and a lovely dusty-rose color called "perracotta."

Being this cute does come with a few caveats. These pans also retain heat a bit differently than what you're used to from pans made of other materials, so keep an eye on things the first few times you use them. Since they're made of metal, they can't go in the microwave, and they're also not thermal-shock rated, so they can't handle wild, fast temperature changes. They also can't be used under the broiler.

The Details: Aluminized steel with a ceramic coating; 550°F oven-safe temperature; hand-washing recommended

Best Retro: Great Jones Hot Dish

Great Jones Hot Dish

Great Jones

Why It's Great: Fun, throwback style; 3-inch depth; optional lid available for purchase

Grain of Salt: Broiler-safe only for short periods of time

We love this 9x13-inch ceramic baking dish from Great Jones, and not just for aesthetics. Does it help that this oven-safe and dishwasher-friendly pan features a funky, retro-inspired squiggle design in fun colors? Absolutely. But we're also here for the deep, 3-inch side walls (perfect for seven-layer taco dip), consistent heat distribution, and easy-to-grip handles.

And it gets better: Great Jones is all about helping people fall in love with cooking, regardless of skill level. Customers can call the company's cooking hotline, clearly called the "Potline" (1-878-POTLINE) for real-time cooking advice, recipes, and ideas.

The Details: Ceramic; 500°F oven-safe temperature; dishwasher safe

Our Takeaway

Made In's rectangle baking dish is our top choice because it's durable, well-made, and timeless. Looking for something you'll love baking in, but might "get lost" during your next meal train? Pick up the Pyrex 3-Quart Easy Grab Baking Pan with Lid.

How to Pick the Right 9x13-inch Baking Dish

Material

Baking dishes come in a variety of materials, including glass, stoneware, ceramic, metal, and porcelain. The type of material you should buy is largely a personal choice. Metal baking dishes tend to be thinner and lighter, which may be appealing to individuals with restricted mobility or grip issues. They're also more affordable. On the flip side, some thin metal pans also heat unevenly, which can cause hot spots (areas that cook faster than others). Ceramic and porcelain are often preferred for their natural nonstick or low-stick properties.

Ease of Cleaning

Most baking pans are dishwasher-safe, though certain finishes shouldn't be put in a dishwasher. Many of today's best 9x13-inch baking pans are naturally nonstick, so cleanup is little more than a thorough rinse. If food does become baked-on, scrubbing with a little baking soda paste tends to do the trick and won't harm the finish. Consult a product's specific instructions for anything more abrasive.

Design

While most of our picks for the best baking dishes take into consideration both function and form, aesthetics are truly a matter of personal preference. Among the more practical and universal design elements are handle size (those with mobility/grip issues will especially want to test this out), weight (also important in how easy it is to lift), and storage (are you looking for something to nest away in a cabinet, or is it going to be out in plain sight).

Common Questions

Which material is best for baking?

There's no one right or wrong answer to this question. Which material is best for baking depends highly on what you'll be cooking and what you like to bake. If you plan on doing a lot of braising and roasting, you might prefer a heavier pan that retains and distributes heat well, like stoneware or ceramic. If you're planning to mostly bake cakes or other simple sweets, a less expensive metal or glass pan might do the trick.

How do you clean baking dishes?

Different materials have different needs, so it's best to consult the instructions that came with your baking dish when learning how to clean it. Most baking dishes are dishwasher friendly, but hand washing is recommended to prolong their life.

What size is a 2-quart baking dish?

Many 8x8-inch square cake pans have a capacity of two quarts. If an 8x8-inch pan is called for but all you have is a 9x13-inch, here's how to convert recipes between 9x13-inch and 8x8-inch pans.

How many quarts is a 9x13 baking dish?

Great question! The average 9x13 rectangular baking dish holds 3.5 to 4 quarts. However, the number of quarts varies based on how deep the dish is—some of our deeper recommendations hold up to 5 quarts. Recipes that cook in a 3-quart dish or Dutch oven can be cooked interchangeably in a 9x13-inch baking dish. You may need to adjust cook time for thickness, however.

Why Take Our Word For It?

Allrecipes is a community-driven brand for home cooks to find kitchen products, crowd-pleasing recipes, and cooking tips. Contributor Erin Scottberg selected the best 9x13-inch baking pans based on their brand reputation, construction and durability, design, and style. An alum of Saveur, Modern Farmer, and Domino magazines, among others, Erin has been covering food, kitchenware, and the people who work in and adjacent to kitchens for nearly a decade.

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