Do you really need to search for the best baguette pans in order to make delicious baguettes at home?
The truth is that you don’t. If you don’t have the space to store another pan or you simply don’t want to spend the money on a new pan, then you can bake your baguettes on a baking sheet.
The problem for most of us is that we can’t shape the dough to resemble a very delicious-looking baguette.
That’s why looking for baguette pans is a good ideea. If we have to shape the dough by hand and bake it on a baking sheet, then the baked loaf won’t look like a proper baguette.
Still, if you want to give it a go and learn how to shape a baguette that will be then baked on a simple baking sheet, you can watch this video.
Also, don’t forget that if you want to bake a proper-looking baguette, you need to use a bread lame or a very sharp knife to cut the dough after the proofing is done, right before baking. Those ridges are 100% part of the charm and the only way you can get them during baking is to cut the dough before putting it in the oven.
Best Baguette Pans: Top Picks
1. Overall best: Chicago Metallic Perforated French Pan
I love the Chicago Metallic Perforated French Pan. There are actually two options: one with 2 lots and another with 3 slots. It depends how many baguettes you want to bake at the same time. No matter which size you choose, you’ll get one of the best baguette pans for one of the cheapest prices.
2. Ceramic baguette pan: Emile Henry Baguette Baker
If you’re in the mood to get a heavy, fancy baguette pan that costs 7 times more than the one from Chicago Metallic, then you should check out what Emile Henry offers. It also comes with a lid so we’ll bake French baguettes like we bake boule in a Dutch oven. What I really like is that it has 3 slots.
3. Good deal: Fasmov 2 Pack Perforated Baguette Pan
Not only we get a pan with 4 slots, we actually get 2 pans for the price of one Chicago Metallic. In total, we get 8 slots. Or you can gift the second one.
5 Best Baguette Pans Reviews
Let’s see which are some of the best baguette pans for those of us who really don’t like the idea of baking them on a baking sheet.
You can use them to bake sourdough baguettes, classic French baguettes, batard bread, and ficelle.
1. Chicago Metallic Perforated French Pan – Overall the Best Baguette Pan
The Chicago Metallic Perforated French Pan is one of the most popular and one of the best baguette pans that we could get.
2 slots
Dimensions: 16 x 8 inches.
Make sure that it will fit your oven and the length of your baguettes.
It has 2 slots but it can be perfect for a lot of people. I don’t think that there are many of us who want to bake 4 baguettes at the same time.
Still, if you have a bigger family, this Chicago Metallic with 2 slots might not be what you’re looking for.
Material
What I love the most about this pan is the fact that it’s made from heavy-weight aluminized steel.
This material is supposed to offer superior heat conduction and even baking.
Moreover, the perforations also help us with baking a crispy bottom crust. And we can achieve a uniform color.
It’s also dishwasher safe but I prefer washing my pans by hand to ensure that they last longer.
It’s non-stick so it won’t be any hardship washing it by hand.
One last thing that I should mention is that it isn’t supposed to be used above 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, you don’t need to worry. Users have mentioned that even at 400 degrees Fahrenheit the baguettes will be baked quickly and they will have that delicious crust that all of us love.
Moreover, this is a non-stick dual coating that has the chance to last for years of regular baking.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
2. Chicago Metallic Perforated French Pan – One of the Best Baguette Pans with 3 Slots
Chicago Metallic also has a pan with 3 slots.
The price difference between the two is not considerable, the 3-slot is only more expensive by a few dollars.
So, if you need a pan with 3 slots and you want very good quality, I recommend this one from Chicago Metallic.
The only difference between these two Chicago Metallic models is their number of slots.
This one with 3 slots also measures 16 x 9 inches.
Other than that, they’re made from the same material and both bake some of the best baguettes.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
3. Emile Henry Baguette Baker – Ceramic Baguette Pan
From one of the most affordable and amazing pans we jump to one of the best baguette pans that costs a lot.
Basically, we could buy 7 Chicago Metallic Perforated French Pan for the price of a single Emile Henry Baguette Baker.
Well, this is an Emile Henry product so it’s not like we should expect a cheap pan. It’s pretty much like expecting KitchenAid to make cheap stand mixers. It’s not going to happen.
So, what makes this baguette baker so special?
Pan with a lid
The first thing you’ll notice is that this doesn’t look like a classic baguette pan.
Frankly, it looks gorgeous.
And it has a lid.
Thanks to the lid, steam is created during the first part of the baking. After that, the lid is removed and the crust gets that beautiful color.
It imitates a Dutch oven, both work based on the same principle.
The lid has holes to help create a thin, crispy crust. But you still need to remove the lid for the last part of the baking if you want to get that awesome crust.
For example, one user bakes the baguettes with the lid on for 25 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit and then with the lid off for another 12 minutes or until you get the desired color for the crust.
There are also holes in the base to get a crispy crust all over.
3 slots
I love that this Emile Henry has 3 slots. Many people will appreciate the 3 slots.
Dimensions: 15.4 x 9.4 inches.
These are expected dimensions for a 3-slot pan.
Material
It is made in France from all natural materials, using Emile Henry’s proprietary Flame technology.
This is a ceramic pan so it’s heavier than metal pans.
You should be careful not to drop it.
There are also ribs on the base to ensure that the dough will not stick.
The impressive thing is that its maximum temperature is 500 degrees Fahrenheit so you can preheat and bake at whatever high temperature you want.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
4. USA Pan Bakeware French Baguette Bread Pan
We already know that USA Pan is a fantastic manufacturer, they’re the ones that make one of the most popular loaf pans on the market.
Their baguette pan is not as popular but it’s still really good.
However, it’s a bit pricey, especially if we compare it with Chicago Metallic. The slightly higher price is actually the reason why it’s not among my top favorites. I can say that I still prefer Chicago Metallic.
3 slots
We get 3 slots, which is great.
Dimensions: 16 x 9.5 inches.
Material
It is made from aluminized steel. I think I saw a user review who mentioned that this is made from aluminum but the manufacturer’s website states that the material is aluminized steel.
We obviously get the perforated design for even heat circulation, faster baking, and crispy crust on the top and bottom.
The pan surface is coated with a patented Americoat that is made without PTFE, PFOA and BPA.
They have a great nonstick coating.
We are also warned to not exceed 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s not dishwasher-safe. Wash it by hand only.
All in all, if you’re looking for a 3-slot baguette pan and you’re willing to pay the slightly higher price, I think that this USA Pan can be absolutely wonderful. Some users claim that this is the best bread pan they’ve ever used.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
5. Fasmov 2 Pack Perforated Baguette Pan – Best Baguette Pan with 4 Slots
This is one amazing deal. We can actually get 2 pans for the price of a single Chicago Metallic. That’s an incredible deal.
4 slots
Each pan has 4 slots.
This is perfect for those who want to make more baguettes at the same time.
Dimensions: 15 x 13 inches. It’s obviously wider than 2-3 slots models but it’s the same length.
Material
It’s made from carbon steel.
It also has a nonstick coating.
The Fasmov is temperature resistant to 446 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s dishwasher-safe but hand washing is recommended.
Some users warn us to be careful when we take the pan out of the oven. When it’s full and weighted by 4 baked loaves, the pan can feel a bit flimsy. Just handle it with care and you’ll be fine.
Where to Buy?
Check Price and User Reviews Here
How to Choose the Best Baguette Pans
There really aren’t many things that you need to keep in mind when shopping for some of the best baguette pans. Let’s see what we need to look for.
Pan size
One of the first features you should look at is the size of the pan. After all, you need to make sure that it fits in your oven, otherwise it’s completely useless.
Usually, the length is somewhere around 15-16 inches.
The width will depend on the number of slots the pan has. However, the general measurements will be around 8-9-10 inches for 2-3 slots.
Those with 4 slots will have a bigger width, around 13 inches, while the length remains around 15-16 inches.
If you’re baking in a smaller countertop oven or all you have is a toaster oven, then you can’t buy any of the pans above.
In the case of a small oven, you can bake demi-baguettes on a baking pan that fits. In this situation, you’ll have to learn to shape the dough by hand.
How many baguettes you can bake
The size of the pan isn’t restricted only to length and width. It’s also about the number of slots that a pan has because each slot will fit one baguette.
Some people will only need 2-3 slots because they’re baking for a small number of people.
Others might entertain often so they’ll be looking for a pan that offers 4 slots.
Material
As it’s always the case with pans in general, baguette pans can also be made from a range of materials.
We have aluminum, aluminized steel, clay (ceramic), and silicone.
The ones made from metal are perforated. That’s done for two reasons: for a golden crust on the bottom and for even baking.
Clay doesn’t need as many perforations because it’s a porous material, while metal isn’t porous at all. Ceramic pans will still have a few holes but not as many as metal pans.
Heavy-weight aluminized steel is one of the best materials to choose. It’s non-stick, durable, and has perfect heat conduction for a perfect baking session. The baking is done uniformly and that’s exactly what we’re looking for.
A clay/ceramic baguette pan can also be wonderful because, due to clay being porous, it can result in a golden crust on the top and bottom. Clay also has even heat distribution, which can imitate the baking in a brick oven.
However, clay pans are a bit more difficult to handle, they’re heavier, and you must be careful not to drop them. Plus, they tend to be more expensive than the ones made from aluminized steel.
Some ceramic pans also come with lids, like the ones manufactured by Emile Henry. The lid is meant to create steam during the first part of the baking. For the other part, the lid is removed so that the crust is baked a beautiful deep-golden or dark, ruddy color.
These lidded pans can be fantastic if we want to get as close as possible to achieving the same results as professional bakeries.
I would gather that the baguette pans with a lid are inspired from a Dutch oven or bread cloche, both being excellent bakeware for sourdough and artisan breads.
Temperature resistance
Some recipes will require you preheat the oven to 475 or maybe 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the other hand, most baguette pans are only temperature resistant up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Well, each recipe can come with different instructions.
Some will require bakers to preheat the oven at 500 F and then reduce the temperature to 475 F for baking.
Other recipes preheat the oven at 500 F and then bake at 400 F.
While others both preheat and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
I would recommend checking out the temperature resistance for your pan and then bake at the temperature that it can withstand, which will more likely be 450 degrees Fahrenheit but there can always be exceptions.
Price
Generally, baguette pans are not too expensive.
If you have a lower budget, I recommend the Chicago Metallic Perforated French Pan. This model from Chicago Metallic is one of the best and it usually has a price under $20. The only thing some of you might have a problem with is that it only has 2 slots. Even so, it’s still my favorite and my top recommendation.
Chicago Metallic also has a model with 3 slots for pretty much the same affordable price.
If you have a really generous budget, over $100, Emile Henry Baguette Baker is one to check out. It’s made from ceramic and it comes with a lid. It’s very fancy. Some of you will love it as one of the best baguette pans for at-home baking that comes close to professional bakeries.
