The Best Donut Pan For Even Cooking
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USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Donut Pan -
Wilton Non-Stick 6-Cavity Donut Pans -
Norpro Nonstick Baking Donut Pan -
King Arthur Flour Standard Doughnut Pan -
Fox Run Mini Donut Pan -
Buyer's Guide
Fresh, homemade donuts are delicious but deep frying them in oil can make them one of the unhealthiest treats out there. Fortunately, there are specialized baking pans that can be used to make donuts in the oven. Baked donuts are just as light and fluffy as their fried counterparts, but don't have nearly as much fat. Once they're out of the oven, they can be topped with chocolate, caramel, or powdered sugar, just like store-bought donuts. For our list of these five best donut pans in 2022 , we chose pans that are made from high quality aluminum, steel, or cast iron that heat evenly and will last for years.
The Best Donut Pan Models of 2022 in Detail
USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Donut Pan - Best Donut Pan Overall
Our favorite donut pan is the one by USA Pans. This company is a long-time favorite of professional chefs and produces some of the best quality bakeware on the market. The USA Pans Donut Pans makes six traditional ring-shaped donuts. Made from aluminized steel, this pan heats up faster than many of its competitors, decreasing cooking time considerably. The surface is corrugated, which helps to keep the donut off the surface of the pan as it's cooking, decreasing the risk of burning. USA Pans also uses a special silicone-based coating on its pans that allows the donuts to slide right out of the pan once they're done.
Wilton Non-Stick 6-Cavity Donut Pans - Runner Up
Wilton is known for making bakeware in all shapes and sizes, and it's no surprise that their 6-Cavity Doughnut Twist Pan is a Best Pick in donut pans. This steel pan can make 6, full-sized, twist-shaped donuts at a time. Donuts cook quickly and evenly in this pan, and once they're cooked through, the non-stick finish makes it easy to slide them onto the cooling rack so you can decorate them. Wilton also includes a few recipes with the pan, in case you'd like to make baked donuts but you don't know how. Baked by a ten-year warranty, this pan is made to last, and can last longer than ten years with proper care. Wilton also makes pans for regular, mini, heart-shaped, and candy-cane shaped donuts.
Norpro Nonstick Baking Donut Pan - Honorable Mention
Norpro is one of the most-well known names in bakeware, and makes some of the best pans for the price. The 13-by-8.5 inch Norpro Nonstick 6 Baking Donut Pan is the perfect size for full or half-size ovens. This pan can be used to make six ring-shaped donuts at a time, each with a diameter of 3.5 inches. Once you're done baking for the day, the non-stick surface cleans up easily and can be put in the dishwasher, though frequent exposure to such high humidity can damage the pan over time. In case you're not sure how to bake a batch of donuts, Norpro also throws in a recipe so you can get baking right away.
King Arthur Flour Standard Doughnut Pan - Consider
For a no-nonsense donut pan that's easy to use and easy to clean, the King Arthur Flour Standard Doughnut Pan fits the bill. This pan makes six, 3.5 inch donuts at a time and is made from a high-quality steel with a slick non-stick surface. The pan heats evenly and browns the donuts nicely. It's also dishwasher safe, though it'll last longer if you wash it by hand. If you need some help figuring out the best donut recipe to use, King Arthur Flour also makes a few specialty mixes that are designed for use in this pan.
Fox Run Mini Donut Pan - Best Donut Pan
If you're looking for a pan that'll bake up donuts by the dozen, the Fox Run Mini Donut Pan is a great choice. This pan can bake twelve donuts at a time, each one two inches across, which are the perfect treat to start your day with. Made from a high-quality steel, this donut pan heats up quickly and evenly. It's also coated with a non-stick surface so there's no need to add any extra oil or grease the pan before you bake. Though the pan is durable and can be cleaned in the dishwasher, it will last longer if you wash it by hand.
Buyer's Guide
What is a Donut Pan?
A donut pan is a baking accessory that features numerous equal-sized molds that you can fill up with donut batter and pop into the oven for easy baking. Donut pans allow you to quickly make batches of donuts without putting any extra effort, and they also ensure that the end result is perfect in shape and consistency.
Usually, donut pans come with four or six molds, but you can also find bigger trays that even have up to 20 donut molds. Plus, they are also available in different materials, which impacts their quality and your overall baking experience.
What is the Importance of a Donut Pan?
Having a donut pan in the house is always a good thing, especially if you host a lot of parties or have children. Everyone loves donuts, and when you can always bake them to perfection, you wouldn’t want to make any other type of dessert. One of the biggest advantages of having a donut pan is that you don’t have to worry about the shape of the donut, thanks to the molds present on the donut pan.
Another major reason why donut pans are important is because they save up a lot of your time, and also allow you to prepare a large number of donuts at the same time. Once you have baked all the donuts you need, you can start glazing them in different flavors, and everyone will be truly delighted by them.
Most donut pans that you find in the market have a non-stick quality, which means that the batter doesn’t stick to them and they are easier to clean than other types of bakeware. This makes post-baking cleanup a breeze for you. Therefore, donut pans are useful for you in different ways, and you can prepare dozens of donuts together much quicker.
How to Use a Donut Pan?
Using a donut pan is very easy and it doesn’t have any difficult parts or instructions that you won’t be able to understand. Once you have mixed the donut batter properly, you can start pouring it evenly into the molds present on the tray. Don’t fill the entire mold with the batter, because the donut will rise while baking and there should be sufficient room for it to do so properly.
Once you have poured the batter into all of the molds, you can place the donut pan into the preheated oven and bake it for the time specified by your recipe. Once they are done, you can use a mitten to take out the donut pan and turn it upside down on a tray, so that all of the freshly baked donuts pop out in a second.
Apart from baking donuts, you can also use donut pans for making different types of desserts for yourself or your children, such as mini cakes, ice creams, donut pizzas, and much more. You can always try out new recipes and ideas whenever you feel like it.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Donut Pan
Whenever you are faced with the task of choosing between different donut pans, it can be quite difficult to put a finger on the right one. However, there are certain factors that you can apply to make sure that you always get the best option for yourself. Let’s have a look at everything you need to consider before you buy a donut pan.
Material
The material from which the donut pan is made is one of the most important factors that you will have to consider while exploring different options. The material will determine how easy or difficult it will be for you to bake perfect and delicious donuts.
Normally, you can find donut pans that are made from two materials: silicone and metal. Both of them are highly popular among baking enthusiasts and have their pros and cons. For instance, metal pans are durable and solid, which means that they won’t bend or flex easily, and you also won’t have to worry about any spills or mess when you handle them.
Metal donut pans often come with non-stick abilities, but you can also use a non-stick spray to coat the molds before you fill them up. This also makes the pans easier to clean. Now let’s talk about silicone donut pans, which are softer and much more flexible and lightweight, which makes it easier for you to remove the donuts from them once baked.
Another benefit of using silicone donut pans is that they are generally non-stick, which makes cleanup easier and quicker for you. While both materials provide certain benefits, the choice is up to you.
Quality
Apart from the material from which the donut pan is made, you also need to determine whether the materials used are of a good quality or not. You need donut pans that are made from durable and food-safe materials, so that they are safe to use at high temperatures and don’t transfer any strange taste or harmful substances to the donuts you eat.
To find out about the quality of a certain donut pan, you can check out the customer reviews to see what people have to say about it.
Size
As mentioned above, you can find donut pans in various sizes, and they can bake anywhere between 4 and 24 donuts in one go. So, you have a wide variety of sizes to choose from, and you can make this choice by determining how many people are in your home, or how many people you normally host.
Moreover, you will also need to find out if a certain donut pan would fit inside your oven or not, because it would be unfortunate to buy a donut pan, only to find out that it can’t even fit inside your oven completely. Therefore, make sure to check out the dimensions of the donut pan you’re considering to buy.
FAQs
Q: How can I clean my donut pan?
A: Once you are done with baking, let the donut pan cool down and clean it with warm and soapy water, leaving it to dry properly before you put it away.
Q: How do you fill up a donut pan?
A: The best way to go about this is to get yourself a decorating bag and fill it up with the donut batter you have prepared. Then, you can cut the tip by 1 inch and gently pour the batter evenly in each mold.
Q: What can I use to grease a donut pan?
A: Before you pour the batter into the donut pan, you can use a cooking spray or non-stick spray to coat the molds, so that the donuts don’t stick to them once they are baked.
