There are certainly worse ways to test new bakeware than standing in a kitchen next to Nancy Silverton making her “life-changing” peanut butter cookies.
Yet that’s exactly how I got my first look at HexClad’s new Hybrid Bakeware collection. The $399 6-piece set, available as of October 1, is the brand’s first attempt at transferring the same stainless steel-meets-nonstick technology from its very recognizable frying pans to the oven.
The new 6-piece Hybrid Bakeware Set includes a 10 x 15-inch medium baking sheet, a 9 x 13-inch rectangular pan, an 8 x 8-inch square pan, two 9-inch round cake pans and a stainless steel cooling rack.
Look, this is not casual bakeware. And I am, at best, a casual baker. So I wanted to know whether HexClad’s hybrid construction actually makes a noticeable difference in the oven — and, more importantly, whether it feels worth the premium.
What makes HexClad bakeware different?
HexClad Bakeware uses the same general hybrid concept popularized by the brand’s high-heat pans, featuring stainless steel peaks sitting above nonstick valleys. (Although the bakeware has a medium-gray finish rather than the distinct darker surface used on HexClad’s cookware.)
As with the cookware, you can use metal baking tools directly on the surface without worrying about scratching the pan, but HexClad says they also lift food ever so slightly off the surface. The idea is that this creates a tiny amount of airflow underneath whatever you’re baking, helping heat circulate more evenly and reducing the chance of scorched bottoms.
The tri-ply construction also gives the pans a nice heft, while the curved handles are designed to be gripped more comfortably while wearing oven mitts. In other words, these do not feel like the flimsy sheet pans you accidentally bend and warp while pulling them out of a jam-packed kitchen cabinet.
And these pans can take some heat. They’re oven-safe up to 900°F, which is obviously far beyond anything you’d need for cookies, but does make them useful for everything from cakes to high-heat roasting and focaccia.
Putting HexClad Bakeware to the test with Nancy Silverton
A lot of the use-case suggestions came from Nancy Silverton during our demo session. The chef, baker, restaurateur and frequent Top Chef guest judge (which I only mention as it is my all-time favorite reality TV show) released her cookbook The Cookie That Changed My Life in 2023 inspired by the very peanut butter cookie we baked on HexClad's sheet pan.
The cookies came out evenly golden across the batch, including on the bottoms, with nicely baked edges and soft centers.
Although the taste is, quite arguably, life-changing, what impressed me even more was how easily they came off the pan. Cleanup was equally painless.
HexClad specifically said not to use PAM or other aerosol cooking sprays on its bakeware. Those sprays can build up a residue and compromise the nonstick performance. If you do need to grease the pan, HexClad said to use a stick with butter or a neutral oil instead.
Is HexClad bakeware worth $399?
There's no doubt that this is expensive bakeware. So if you bake twice a year and your current sheet pan is doing just fine, I don’t think you suddenly upgrade your gear.
But I can see the appeal for someone who bakes or entertains often and is tired of buying pans that warp, scratch or lose their nonstick coating with regular use. Furthermore, if I were making any kind of gift registry, I'd add this immediately.
The whole collection feels substantial and extremely well made, and the combination of easy release, metal-utensil compatibility and HexClad’s lifetime warranty gives it a much stronger longevity argument than your average nonstick baking set. After actually baking with it, I understand the appeal more than I expected to.
HexClad says it plans to expand the collection, too. There’s no Bundt pan on the roadmap right now, but personally, I think that needs to change.
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