Side by Side Comparison of: Nordic Ware vs Checkered Chef

Learned the hard way you can't put aluminum in the dishwasher. Bought these as a replacement and I will take care of them the right way! I have a 3/4 sheet from Nordicware as well - they feel pretty sturdy compared to other brands of aluminum pans I've purchased. I will say the 3/4 pan warped just a bit and started "bonging" after a few months, but it's really not a big deal. It's not at all to the point where it's making the pan too wavy. I highly recommend the Amazon silicone baking mats!!

Love these pans! I was so sick and tired of my cookie sheets, that sometimes tend to pop up on one corner. I have bought so many different kinds and still have never been happy with them, even with using parchment sheets. They never seems to heat evenly. So I saw these and took a chance and bought 2 of them. These pans are heavy. So far we have only used them to bake Christmas cookies. But what a difference. . .these pans distribute the heat evenly and round cookies came out perfectly. We were amazed that we no longer had guess at the length of bake time -- after the first couple of batches, we realized that we could then perfectly time the cooking to exactly 8 minutes per sheet for drop cookies, and 7 minutes for shapes. I will be going back to see if this company make other types of pans out of this same material. Hopefully I can then throw out every pie tin, cake pan, and sheet pan.

This is an update of my original review (if I left one). I have had these half sheet pans for about 10 months. I have bought so many high priced "commercial grade" cookie sheets in the past that I hesitated to buy these. HOWEVER... I am so happy with them that I don't think I will ever buy another brand - but also because I may never have to. The attached photo is what they look like today, after heavy use all summer (I sell baked goods every weekend from April through October.) I do always use a cookie sheet liner or a piece of parchment, but even so, I've never had pans look this good after this much use. They clean up like a dream and the NEVER do the "spring" thing in the oven. I can't give 10 stars, so I'll give 5.

The prefect pan to make Texas sheet cakes in!! So glad I finally found the right size I was looking for. I've made 3 different cakes in it and I just love it!!

I love the jelly roll size. Two of these fit perfectly in the oven on the rack. They are much easier to clean than one huge pan, plus easier to store inside cabinets. It is very well-made with measurements exactly as described. These are by far the most frequently used item in my kitchen.

I bought this pan for making pumpkin rolls. This pan cooks evenly distributes heat resulting in a perfectly cooked cake for my pumpkin rolls!! It's also very easily cleaned! It's a little lighter pan and its aluminum so it did scratch already, just a little scratch, but other than that I am super happy with it!! I might even buy another one because they're the perfect size for my pumpkin rolls and very reasonably priced! If I didn't notice a scratch the first time I used it, I would've given it a 5 star rating!Update: I just made my orange cookies and they cooked soo evenly!!! Every time I've ever made them on other cookie sheets, the bottom was always brown and cooked more! On this pan the bottoms were PERFECT!! They were the same color as the rest of the cookies!! So I am taking this from a 4 star rating to a 5 start!!! So what it had a stratch!!!

It helps food crisp when baked in the oven. I use it for bacon and chicken thighs but I'm sure there are many other uses I haven't tried. Although it doesn't see daily use, I still consider this a good purchase. I would say I use it at least once a week. It's difficult to clean after using. I usually place it in the sink with soapy water and let it soak then scrub it with a dish brush. That's probably why I don't use it more often :) FYI, I use this in my Nordic Ware half sheet pan and it fits perfectly, I see other reviewers had issues with theirs. I did not receive any discount for reviewing this product and paid full price.

I love this product. I've searched everywhere for a cooling rack that would fit perfectly into a half-size baking sheet. Most of them are made only as cooling racks covered with some kind of questionable coating and do not fit the sheets at all. This one is stainless steel, fits a half-sheet pan perfectly and is designed both for cooling and baking which makes it convenient to place underneath a broiler or on any of the oven racks. This allows me to roast or bake with the juices collecting in the pan, rather than having the food baking in liquid. This gives me crisper textures that are desirable for a lot of vegetarian cooking. I bought two of these a year or so ago and it seems they have made the new one even sturdier, though I was perfectly pleased with the first purchases. I definitely recommend this product!

bought it to put in a large cookie sheet to put bacon on.it fit perfectly. does just what we wanted it to, keep the bacon greaseoff the bacon. yes there is the aggravation of cleaning it,spraying it with hot water knocks most of the leftover off making it easier to clean.to us it was worth the trade off of having to drain the pan half way thruthe cooking process.

I bought this to use with the Nordic Ware pan I bought at the same time. I use it for "air frying" chicken nuggets, fries, fish sticks etc. I also use it as a traditional cooling rack for breads and cookies. The crossbar reinforcement on this rack allows it to support large pieces of meat (whole ham, large standing roasts, whole turkey) without sagging. This rack was just what I was looking for. rch

Checkered Chef Cooling Rack Baking Rack. Stainless Steel Oven and Dishwasher Safe. Fits Half Sheet Cookie Pan ReviewWhen my old one started to rust, i needed a new cooling rack. This one fit the bucket. It has the extra set of feet in the middle, this is something i need for both eight or nine inch cakes that i am cooling most of the time. My old one sagged in the middle. So far this is working great, nothing is sticking to it and it cleans easy.Pro’s• Middle foot for extra stability• Easy to clean• Dishwasher safe!Con’sSo far so good, none found.ConclusionFor a simple cooling rack this is a good choice. Its dishwasher safe and fits a nice size square or round cakes. Used for cupcakes as well and fix 2 dozen. A good buy.

As baking racks go, this one is great. I ordered it because I bake a pound of bacon all at one time, and I like to have the slices sit up out of the grease that collects, and this rack fits nicely over my baking pan. I like that it has wires both directions so that the slices (or anything else I bake or broil) can't slide down off the side as they would with a rack that had wires going in only one direction. I coat the wires with oil before laying the bacon slices on it so that clean-up is easy.

These pans are pretty good. I bake a LOT of cookies and use them often. I haven't found a use for the lids though. I thought I would use them for storing cookies before I decorate them, but I find it better to bag the cookies and store in Rubbermaid containers so they stay fresher. One strange thing I noticed is that they creak when I take them out of the oven and allow them to cool. I've never experienced that with other pans.

I actually bought this pan, because I bought the Vremi 3 Piece Silicone Baking Mat Set and wanted a new pan that the largest mat would perfectly fit into. I've used it several times already (with the mat) to make keto pizza (chicken crust, cauliflower crust, and fat head crust) and sausage & cheese stuffed jalapenos and sweet peppers. I have not had any problems with it. It's the perfect size for my oven and cooking needs and it cleans up easily and still looks brand new. I'm considering buying other sizes of this brand, if available.

sigh...not the dimensions listed in product description; can only conclude that these pans have been changed to improve profit margin (similat to canned goods that no longer are full size by ounzes, but priced the same or higher). These pans are nearly an inch less wide in width and length than described..they are 11.35 x 8 inches as described on attached label and 1 inch deep. Had hoped for the bit larger size, as I have a spacious counter oven, but won't quite fit a half sheet. Will make do. Of course they are lovely pans, they are NordicWare.

I really have no complaints for the jelly roll pan. It has never buckled. My only real complaint is the marks left behind by the sticky stuff used to affix the label. It leaves a dark mark that cannot be washed or scoured off. Oh, and for those who have never cooked or baked with aluminum from "back in the day", aluminum will scratch when used and it may get "chalky" if run through the dishwasher. That is just the nature of the metal.

I bought two of these. The first was so that we would have two half sheet pans and another after getting the first and realizing what we had prior was not half sheet. I did not use it to bake cookies, but fried chicken. Wife has celiac disease so I decided to fry up some chicken because she had been craving it. Used the pan and a wire rack in the prep. Worked out well.Used them again to finish cooking the chicken in the oven after frying them. Cleaning in between prep and baking was easy. The pan is lightweight but very sturdy. I'm very pleased to have a fine product manufactured here in the USA. Wife should be baking cookies using these soon!

Fantastic baking sheet that conducts heat (and cold if left in the refrigerator) amazingly well. I bought the half-sheet and quarter-sheet. Be aware that these items' finish will scratch fairly easily. I accidentally used a heavy-duty Scotch-Brite pad on the quarter-sheet, and the finish is now heavily scratched. However, this does not affect its use - only its look. So, I still highly recommend this product.I do not wash this item in the dishwasher. The product information that you receive with the item says that while you can wash them in the dishwasher, it will cause discoloration but will not affect it's cooking ability. So, if you want a dishwasher safe baking pan that will look brand new after several washings, do not buy this product.

It's not a very heavy gage of metal. I was expecting it to be more hefty. It does what its supposed to do. I have washed it in the dishwasher several times and no rust. That definitely a plus. It fits a jellyroll pan perfectly.

Durable, sits flat, small holes to keep things from falling through, and holds up in the oven. Sits a little lower than I like but works so well and clean up is simple I would order another one.

It's nice, and I hope it holds up through lots of use.

difficult to clean - do yourself a favor and order a brass or very stiff plastic brush. love that it's oven safe, unlike similar racks. Excellent multipurpose rack.

Fits the half sheet pans I have. The square matrix grid is much better that the parallel grid on the on my old ones. Keeps food from falling between the wires, always a problem with the old ones. Wish all three of mine were this type. A little less robust the others (lighter gage wire), which is why I rated 4 not 5 star.

These seem to be good quality cooling racks and much better than my old Teflon ones. They are sturdy due to the extra support wire in the middle. I bought these to cook my steaks in the oven and it does the job. However, they don't fit perfectly on top of my cookie sheets. Perhaps I am due for new cookie sheets as they may possibly be warped for the new cooling racks. I only use cooling racks a few times a year so it fits my needs and I'm happy knowing that I'm baking safely on stainless steel.

IF I'm using a silpat mat or a rack for roasting - this sheet pan is fine. IF however, I want to bake directly in this pan - for brownies or a sheet cake, then there are the dings - one of them pretty significant - that need to be considered. And so I always resort to my old sheet pan instead of this 'new' replacement. This is the sort of thing I should have kept in mind before ordering. Sometimes items ordered are pristine & work wonderfully from the get go.. and sometimes you get something FAR from it. This sheet pan is one of those 'far from it' items. I won't buy another sheet pan online, but will shop in a store for a replacement - probably from another brand since I don't know who allowed for a dinged up pan to be sent out in the first place. Disappointed.

I love sheet pans similar this and have owned many in my lifetime. Everyone else I know must love them too, as my supply of five sheet pans had dwindled down to two. I needed more - so I ordered these since they were so well reviewed. When they got here I was really disappointed in two things: specifically they feel a little lighter weight than the ones I've owned in the past, and they have a sizable raised logo that stretches across about a third of the bottom of pan – which is exactly what I don't want – I don't want one more place for gunk to get stuck.

This would have got 5 stars if not for the dents and there are a few, before purchasing I read in reviews that others have received them dented as well but I figured I might get lucky, didn't happen! The dents are not from shipping so your guess is as good as mine. I would have returned it but for the price its not worth the hassle. This would be a nice product if not for dents but again... reviews indicate many have received this item dented. I would recommend to others looking at this item to look elsewhere, preferably locally where you can actually see the item.

This fits my Breville Toaster Oven (Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven Breville BOV800XL Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ, Silver) just right and I like the heft of the pan -- it is the kind that won't warp. My problem is: when my husband accidentally put this into the dishwasher, the metal darkens and now have spots from Silpat that I use on top of it. I don't know if I should toss this away but I wouldn't bake anything without the silpat on it, so I figure my food won't touch the metal directly. For this, I deduct 2 points -- truly, it is very easy to toss everything in the dishwasher and I'm sure we are not the first/last person to have done so.

I am disappointed by how thin this pan is. It's only 20-gauge. While the pan has wire embedded in the rim to prevent or reduce warping, the thin gauge is not so good for even heat distribution. My other sheet pans vary from 12-gauge to 14-gauge.

New pan, perfect pan, no scratch, just has one bend pan, and amazon replace it for me, thank you amazon for being polite, hope someday nordic ware produce 3inch deep round cake panupdate 23 september 2016 after several times use the quarter sheet, the 3rd times uses the pan start make sound like warped i don't know why, and im using fan oven (turned off the fan) / 375F for bake burger bun, im not sure if this pan change the shape or not later , the pan always make sound until now im using it..Update 13 dec 2016And the pan discoloring now 1 pan after im using aubain marie methode, luckily it is replacement pan so im still have 3 panupdate 24 april 2017after several times use the quarter sheet the pan wrap and the bottom not so flat anymore if u test it, but if u see by eyes u will not realize it, now i can make sure the pan changed shape a bit only, im not sure if it is worth it or not this pan

Not the sturdiest but how can you tell when it's on-line?

I was wanting another cooling/baking rack like one I bought a few months back (which is no longer available). This one was what was referenced and, though it had a larger-spaced grid, I ordered it. Because of the spacing and the thiner wires, it couldn't easily be used for a lot of the baking and roasting I do, but it's fine as a cooling rack at its price point.

Maybe the pans I have are a strange size, I haven't measured them but this rack is slightly too wide for a cookie sheet. The rack ends up being slanted in the pan so be careful when you're taking bacon or whatever out of the oven.

I'm torn on this rack. It's obviously made of good, although thin, stainless steel. However I'll be going back to using a regular rack with bars that only go in one direction to bake on because this one is impossible to clean. I scrub and scrub and still there are pieces of food stuck between the bars or in the spots that they are welded. This is probably a good tack to rest cakes on after baking etc because the squares are so small but not for actual baking of things look chicken etc

I had high hopes for this rack since I really like to make bacon in the oven. But the finish has not held up over the last 3 months of periodic use. Looks rusty all over. But I do use it in the oven and then wash it in the dishwasher, so I'm not exactly easy on it. I question the quality of the 'stainless steel' since it holds a magnet (something stainless steel usually won't do unless it is made with a different alloy.)

Unit arrived with deep scuffs that expose the material under the stainless steel plating. Doesn't appear to be due to shipping, probably a quality assurance mishap.Outside of that it seems very sturdy. Would probably be a great product.

Was looking forward to these pans since they fit perfectly side-by-side in my oven and they have great reviews. But after one dishwashing, they completely lost their lustre & smoothness. Not sure if the protective film came off or what but not the quality I expected when so many customers raved about them.As another reviewer put it "There were map-like spots" after the first wash and they never look shiny again. See pics to see what this means exactly.I still use them even though they look embarrassingly gross, but only because I use them with a cooling rack too, (Stainless Steel Cooling Rack - 10 Inches X 15 Inches Heavy Duty, Commercial, Metal Wire Grid Rack) so my food doesn't actually touch the nasty pans.

The first thing I cooked on this surface was a batch of 6 tortilla flats with pesto and ham toppings. Upon removing the cooked food, I noticed that the aluminum beneath had turned a rusty brown. I hand-washed it and was able to remove the stains, but they just continued to accumulate from other foods. Now, if I scrub off the brown stains, my wash pad is covered in black residue. The surface of the pan also "springs" when lifted. Considering the fact that I bought these to replace rusty steel sheets on which I could not cook without aluminum foil, this is absolutely wasted money.Never use these without a sheet liner. Not even once.

So disappointed! I had high hopes for this pan but it came dented!! Not happy at all - it wasn't the packaging - it was packaged great - has awesome reviews but...........

I ordered these for a gift initially. One of them had small dents in it so I didn't feel like I could gift it. Amazon replaced them and I kept them for myself as the event passed for the gift. When I washed them, one of the sheets appears as though the finish has come off in places. It is a darker gray and not shiny at all like the rest of the cookie sheet and the other one. I am afraid to use it now because I don't know what is underneath the finish. I would replace these, but cannot find a link to do so since these are already replacements. Very disappointed in this product and glad I didn't give it as a gift.

Let me start with saying I loved this pan at first. It was the perfect thickness and baked my cookies evenly. My purchase date was December 8th, 2015. Now, just over a month after ordering my pan SEVERELY warped. I was baking pizza in the oven and placed the pan on hot pads. It immediately warped. It was a pretty expensive pan, so I am disappointed. Overall, it has received excellent reviews, so I am kind of shocked it warped on me. Just a little disappointed.

If, like me, you ordered this based on America's Test Kitchen recommendation and link, you will be disappointed. This pan is not the one they reviewed which fit their best rated rack. I ordered both intending to give as presents, but the dimensions of this pan are not as large as the previous half sheet pan, so the rack doesn't fit inside the pan. I attempted to order this directly and via the America's test kitchen site, but the pan that arrived was the 'natural' version rather than the original half bakers sheet.

Arrived bent in 2 places. Cheaply made and made from small gage wire. Would not have held up anyway. Only good thing ? RETURNED.

I use it, but it's not quite what I was hoping for. I wanted a rack that would fit in my other cookie sheets for cooking without grease runoff and so on, but it's just quite the right size for that. Otherwise, it's a good cooling rack.

Not too flimsy but they need to file the edges. The snipped ends are jagged and dangerous. I snared my sweater and cut my finger right out of the box. If you buy this, make sure you have a metal file handy so you can make the product safe and usable.

Mine came bent. This is a very light weight, almost flimsy rack. I wouldn't use it to cool more than a cheesecake in weight. It is a very one note song. I think $6 would be appropriate is you were to only cool cookies and slew icing on it. I bought another rack at a local hobby/craft/diy-decor store, larger, better quality, for less.

So disappointed in the quality of this product. It is suppose to be steel, but it is only one step above wire--coat hanger wire. Of course they had to reinforce it. Is anyone else disappointed in the quality of products that say they are American but when you get them, the small print says "made in China"?

2 stars because of the materials and design. 3 star demerit due to questionable ethics and poor quality control.There are criterion that certain products must meet to be considered 'better' than average. This rack does have a few merits - stainless steel construction and an ocean of material diligently spot welded into submission. It sat level without rocking on my countertop without needing to be manipulated.What it lacks is authenticity. The product I received had (too many) sharp/ragged edges exposed on the end cuts of the wire mesh - meaning when it comes time to wash it up dish cloths, scouring sponges, steel wool or towels will snag. The heavy gauge reinforcing wire which runs longitudinally down the center of the rack is not parallel to the mesh or the rim, skewing from centered from one end to decidedly uncentered at the other. Meh.The material, although stainless, is graded 18/0. Best practice would dictate stainless graded at 18/10 for oven use as it resists reactivity with acids better than 18/0. 18/0 is therefore also less likely to weather washing in a dishwasher without damage due to detergent additives (chlorine, for instance, and 18/0 stainless, are not compatible).I'm going to call Amazon on the carpet here, too. Their acceptance of reviews from individuals who have been given products in a promotional gimmick is a questionable, and in this case, unacceptable practice.

A friend of mine ordered one of these and I borrowed it and loved it so I decided to purchase one, however it came with some nasty stuff on the bottom I can't wash or scrub off without scratching the pan and it was completely covered in this gross dark black dirt that was really hard to wash off.

I don't understand why this product is so highly reviewed. I ordered it based on those recommendations, however, the product is a total disappointment - not nearly as well made as the reviewers and product maker suggest. Have used it 3 or 4 times and the bottom of the pan is completely scratched up. All I have done to it is wash it, take it in and out of the oven, and store it alone on a shelf. These scratches must be from taking it in and out of then oven, a normal process which all my other bakeware seems to survive unscathed.Furthermore, the pan it self isn't solid. That is to say, the bottom pops back and forth depending on which side you touch, like the pop up button on a bottled drink that let's you know if it's been tampered with. It has yet to bow in the oven but I'm sure that will come soon enough as I have only been using it at 375. I wish I could return it but it is out of date as I only bake once a month or so. I will be sure to recycle it. You have been warned.

Sent this back right away. After washing for the first time lots of silver material came off while drying it. After many washes and lots of dry wiping the silver residue persisted.

I bought these because of the high ratings. When i got the item it looked so promising. But, sad to say, after the first wash, it lost it lustre, smoothness and quality. There were map-like spots.

Horrible product! Used them each once and as soon as I tried to wash the sheets trays with a sponge it turned all nasty grey and tarnished looking as if the coating was coming off or something. They were too disgusting to cook on after that so I just threw them in the trash. Don't buy this product!

after wash, stains left on it. looks dirty, and can't wash away.

these racks do not fit standard 1/2 sheet pans, they are too large.

Not as advertised this was supposed to be stainless steel. This rack is the atracked by a magnet . This rack is not advertised in the shipment as stainless steel

This was my 2nd time I order these the first set was outstanding. Today my 2nd set arrived the minute I picked them up I knew very were different not happy should send them back.i even went though my back orders to order them again so I would get the same ones.Looks like it's time to find another company.

I bought two of these racks a week apart and started using them. One month later they have both been rusting! I feel like I have just thrown money down the drain, and it is past the 'deadline' from Amazon to return these. Now I am stuck with rusted racks that can't be used.

Well, used twice & there are rust spots in several places. Did not store wet. Should NOT rust.

cheaply made, sent them back without even using themthe ~$13 price tag is about all they are worth. every once in a while you hope you can buy something that is decent for a great price. if you're thinking that on these racks think again. one of the racks was "racked", so out of square it didn't fit the pan (see the pic). it had no apparent shipping damage to it or the box. both of them had "pits" all over the "stainless" (see the dark spots in the second pick close up). I put stainless in quotes because this material didn't seem like stainless with all of the surface imperfections. I sent them back the day I got them and spent almost twice as much to get something decent (304 stainless and high gauge wire, no sharp edge etc...nothing like this thing).don't bother buying this. disclaimer. UNLIKE the other DOZENS and DOZENS of people who got this at a discounted rate for their "unbiased" review... I DID NOT get a discount. I paid FULL PRICE... that said... it was worth about the $13 tops. maybe if it was that half price it would get it a 3 or 4 star review.EDIT: added pics. they did not attach the first time.