6 Best Bread Loaf Pans, Tested by Experts
After testing 54 (!) pans, we're confident these are the best for making banana bread, pound cake, meatloaf and more.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
A good bread loaf pan will come in handy for many baking projects, providing loaves with evenly golden brown crusts and tender, moist interiors. They commonly come in 8-inch x 4-inch or 9-inch x 5-inch sizes, in a variety of bakeware materials and some even come with helpful features like handles or a lid for storage.
Whether it's banana bread, beer bread, zucchini bread or your favorite sourdough recipe you're after, we've found the best bread loaf pans with great baking performance and ease of use.
Our top picks:
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've tested more than 54 loaf pans since 2013 in multiple materials, including glass, ceramic, nonstick coated, aluminum and cast iron — with and without handles. When we evaluate loaf pans we assess factors like how long they take to a bake a banana bread, how evenly the crust browns and what the texture of the crumb is like. The best bread loaf pans churn out tender and moist breads, are easy to clean and are easy to maneuver with oven mitts.
Read on after our top picks for more info on how we tested bread loaf pans and what you should look for when shopping for them. Looking to upgrade your bakeware? Check out our guides to the best bakeware sets, casserole dishes and sheet pans.
Pros
- Microwave-safe, oven-safe, freezer-safe, dishwasher-safe
- Comes with a lid
- Baked up a banana bread with a fine crumb and tender crust
Cons
- Few large holes in the bottom of the banana bread during testing
OXO Good Grips Glass Loaf Pan with Lid is an affordable, durable and versatile loaf pan for a variety of baking projects. It's made out of borosilicate glass and is microwave-safe, oven-safe, freezer-safe, dishwasher-safe and according to the manufacturer it can even handle going directly from the freezer to the oven. It features wide glass handles and a lid for storing leftovers. We also appreciate that you can monitor your loaf's coloring and rise through the glass material.
In our Lab testing, it baked up a banana bread with some large holes on the bottom, but overall the loaf had a fine, moist crumb. The bread had evenly golden sides and top with a nice tender crust. Keep in mind that this loaf pan is a little larger than other pieces on this list and will make your loaf wider in shape.
| Material | Borosilicate glass |
| Dimensions | 6"x10" |
| Weight | 2.2 pounds |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
Wilton Recipe Right Medium Bread Loaf Baking Pan
Pros
- Baked up moist and flavorful loaves in testing
- Nonstick finish
Cons
- No handles
This inexpensive loaf pan is made of heavy gauge stainless steel and has a light-colored nonstick finish, which makes it easy to remove loaves from the pan. While it doesn't feature handles, it boasts an extended rim for transportation out of the oven.
In our Lab tests, the Wilton Recipe Right Medium Bread Loaf Baking Pan baked pound cakes and banana breads that were moist and flavorful. At under $10, you can also buy a couple of these and simultaneously bake a few loaves at the same time. While Wilton says this piece of bakeware is dishwasher-safe, they also recommend hand washing to retain the nonstick coating.
| Material | Nonstick stainless steel |
| Dimensions | 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" |
| Weight | 8.8 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes, but hand wash recommended |
GreenPan Nonstick Loaf Pan
Pros
- Produced a moist banana bread in testing
- Broiler-safe and dishwasher-safe
Cons
- Handles are slippery
GreenPan Nonstick Loaf Pan is a cast aluminum bread loaf pan that is coated a with ceramic nonstick coating. Banana bread slid right out of the pan after baking. It produced a moist banana bread that had some bigger air holes, but the crumb was pretty consistently fine in texture.
The bottom of the loaf was darker than other loaf pans tested. During testing, we did almost drop the loaf pan from the hot oven because the handles are slippery, so we recommend using grippy oven mitts for this loaf pan. This loaf pan is also broiler-safe up to 600˚F if you want to melt cheese or caramelize the top of a loaf quickly. Plus, it's dishwasher-safe for easy clean up.
| Material | Nonstick cast aluminum |
| Dimensions | 10" x 5" |
| Weight | 15 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
Pros
- Baked up one of the best loaves we tested
- Comes in a variety of colorways
Cons
- Heavier than others tested
Our Place's bread loaf pan only comes in their ovenware set, but it's a great way to add new bakeware pieces to your kitchen. It features a ceramic coated oven pan with a silicone oven mat and three glazed stoneware bakers: main bake, side bake and a loaf pan, all in different sizes for different baking projects.
The ovenware set also comes in six different colorways to match the aesthetic of your kitchen. While the included bread loaf pan has a different, more rounded shape compared and is heavier than other models we tested, it baked up one of the best loaves. The banana bread that was produced had a fine crumb, tender crust, was overall moist and evenly golden in color. The loaf pan is also dishwasher-safe and has small handles that are helpful for retrieving it from the oven.
| Material | Glazed stoneware |
| Dimensions | 11.1" x 5.2" |
| Weight | 2.1 pounds |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
Nordic Ware Naturals Loaf Pan
Pros
- Produces a tall and narrow loaf
- Easy to store and transport
Cons
- No handles
The Nordic Ware Naturals Loaf Pan is a lightweight (only half a pound), but durable loaf pan that's ideal for a taller, more narrow loaf. It's an easy to store loaf pan and thanks to its lightweight material, you can easily transport your loaf to your next holiday party. The banana bread we baked had a fine crumb and tender crust, but was a little underbaked at first and need an additional five minutes of baking compared to other bread loaf pans tested.
Nordic Ware states that you can put this piece in the dishwasher, but hand washing is recommended because the dishwasher will discolor its material. Keep in mind that this bread loaf pan is not nonstick, but aluminum that will last a long time if you take care of it. One thing that we missed from this loaf pan is that it doesn't have handles; if that's important to you, we suggest the Nordic Ware Classic Loaf Pan.
| Material | Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 8.8" x 4.8" |
| Weight | 8 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes, but hand wash recommended |
Silpat Perfect Mini Loaf Mold
Pros
- Took 25 minutes to bake 9 small loaves
- Loaves popped right out of the mold without any greasing
Cons
- Some uneven coloring, bottoms were darker than the rest of the sides
You may be familiar with Silpat's silicone oven mats, but did you know that they also have an assortment of silicone oven molds? This version from Silpat features nine small loaves molds that you can fill and place on a sheet tray before baking. In our testing, the small loaves took 25 minutes to bake and the bottoms of the loaves got the most color, probably because of the sheet tray below it. The cakes had a fine crumb, slid right out of the silicone without any greasing of the mold and the loaves were consistently an inch tall. After baking, we also were able to throw the mold right into the dishwasher.
| Material | Silicone |
| Dimensions | 11.6" x 15.7" |
| Weight | 3.2 ounces |
| Dishwasher-safe | Yes |
How we test the best bread loaf pans
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've tested more than 54 loaf pans since 2013 and 10 new pieces most recently. Since 2013 we've baked 98 loaves (44 pound cakes and 54 banana breads). Over 193 cups of flour, 48 cups of butter (96 sticks of butter), 195 eggs, 83 cups of sugar and 33.5 pounds of bananas were used.
When it comes to testing the performance of bread loaf pans, we evaluate each loaf's browning, tenderness and thickness of crusts and texture of each crumb and of course taste each bread as well. We also test to see if loaves slide out easily, bake in the correct time according to instructions and how level they bake.
We also evaluate each loaf pan's handles, material, ease of cleaning and other useful features.
What to consider when shopping for bread loaf pans
✔️ Material: When choosing which loaf pan material is best for you, most people should consider weight and ease of cleaning first and foremost, but also prioritize how well the loaf pan evenly bakes up loaves.
- Glazed stoneware: Loaf pans of this material have tested well in our bread loaf pan testing. They also tend to be durable and often dishwasher-safe.
- Glass: Glass loaf pans allow for you to be able to monitor the browning on the bottom and sides of each loaf pan. They also are often dishwasher-safe and may be microwave-safe or freezer-safe.
- Aluminum/stainless steel: Loaf pans made out of this material tend to be lightweight and on the affordable side.
- Cast iron: This material produced tougher crusts for baked goods, but we would recommend this for personal lasagnas or meatloafs. It also requires more intensive cleaning and seasoning.
✔️Nonstick vs. uncoated: Bread loaf pans either have a nonstick coating or uncoated, both versions have pros and cons.
- Nonstick: A nonstick coating on a bread loaf pan helps ensure that your baked good doesn't stick to the pan, but keep in mind that these usually cannot go into the dishwasher, but are easier to wash by hand. Typically there are two types of coatings: traditional teflon-based and ceramic. Traditional nonstick coating tends to last a little longer, while ceramic ones tend to wear a little faster. Check your loaf pan's packaging to determine what it is coated with.
- Uncoated: Some bakers prefer uncoated baking pans because they often offer better, even browning, are lightweight and tend to be more affordable. Without a coating they can cause food to stick if you don't grease the pan enough and can be harder to clean. They're also prone to discoloring, which doesn't affect performance, but can make it appear like the bakeware is dirty.
✔️ Size: Loaf pans primarily are around 8-inches x 4-inches to 9-inches x 5-inches in size. There are some small versions though, like the Silpat mold in this story or best-tested Good Housekeeping 3-Piece Mini Relia-Pan Loaf Set which are 5.75" x 3.4".
✔️ Handles: Not all bread loaf pans have handles; some might just have a larger lip around the rim of the bakeware. We recommend looking for a bread loaf pan that has handles of some sort, but large, oversized handles are the easiest to grasp, especially with bulky oven mitts on.
✔️ Ease of cleaning: Loaf pans that are dishwasher-safe are helpful when it comes to cleaning, but not every brand recommends you place each loaf pan in the dishwasher. We've found the hardest loaf pan material to clean was cast iron. On the other hand, nonstick, while not always dishwasher-safe, is rather easy to hand wash because of the smooth, nonstick material.
How long do loaf pans take to bake?
Quick breads or cakes baked in loaf pans will take longer than they would in a muffin pan or a casserole dish. Bread loaf pans are tall and narrow pieces of bakeware that usually take around 50 minutes to bake depending on the quick bread, sourdough loaf or pound cake recipe you are baking. First and foremost check your recipe's instructions to determine how long something should take to bake. And it's also always a good idea to check the loaf's level of doneness with a toothpick to ensure that it is fully baked through before taking your loaf pan out of the oven and completing baking.
Should you grease a loaf pan?
We recommend always greasing your loaf pan to ensure that your loaf slides right out of the pan. Even if your pan is nonstick, it's an added layer of insurance for your baked good. The method that we use in our Labs is coating the loaf pan with a thin layer of Crisco and then a thin layer of all purpose flour before adding in the dough or batter. If you don't prefer greasing your loaf pan, you can also line your loaf pan with parchment paper.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Eva Bleyer has professionally tested all kinds of kitchen equipment in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab, from oven ranges to kitchen scales to blenders. She conducted the most recent side-by-side testing of bread loaf pans, eating a lot of banana bread and washing a lot of dishes to find the top-performing bread loaf pans for everything from quick breads to sourdough loaves.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.
The Best Ice Cream Makers
The Best Automatic Espresso Machines
The Best Smart Refrigerators
The Best Countertop Dishwashers
