Why you really don't need to pay more than this for a baking tray

We put non-stick baking trays from Argos, Dunelm, John Lewis and more, which cost less than £10, to the test as we wanted to find out whether a cheap baking tray would do a decent job. 

What we discovered is, yes, it does. None of the baking trays we tested had any issues with their non-stick coating and none of them warped when we cranked the oven temperature right up. 

Choose our Editor's Choice baking tray and you'll get one that's more resistant to damage from scratching than the others we tested. However, if you're careful with your cookware, the cheapest baking tray we tested (just £1) will give you a perfectly acceptable non-stick.

Testing carried out in autumn 2022, pricing and availability last checked: 12 December 2023.

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Here's how we ranked the baking trays we tested: 

The best baking tray

Editor's Choice: Scoville Neverstick Baking Tray

Cheapest price: £10 available at Scoville, also available at Dunelm,  

Size: 31 x 21cm

Weight: 532g

Oven safe: Up to 260°C 

Pros: This Neverstick baking tray from Scoville lives up to its name. Nothing stuck to it during our tests, but to be fair, nothing stuck to any of the baking trays we tested. 

Where it impressed us over other baking trays, though, was with the toughness of its non-stick coating. It was the only baking tray not to suffer any scratches when we gave it a going over with a metal spatula. Though, we'd still recommend you don't use metal utensils on this (or any of your non-stick cookware come to that) to ensure the coating isn't damaged over time.

Cons: If we were being nitpicky, dedicated handles (such as the ones on the Lakeland Individual Baking Tray we tested) would make it easier to handle when hot.

The 'just over £1 and does the job baking tray'

George Home Non-stick Oven Tray

Only available at Asda: £1.25

Size: 32 x 23cm

Weight: 215g

Oven safe: Up to 230°C 

Pros: It's just £1 and like all the trays we tested, this Asda's George Home range baking tray revealed no issues with its non-stick during our testing. None of the cookies we baked on the tray got stuck. 

Cons: Unfortunately, we did find metal utensils, in this case a spatula, scratched the non-stick surface. However, this was the same for all but our Editor's Choice. Stick to silicone utensils, treat it with care and you should be fine.

See our pick of the best hand mixers

Other baking trays worth a look

You'll get decent non-stick cooking out of all these baking trays we tested, which is why we've listed them in price order. We reckon you'll be perfectly satisfied with the cheapest one you can get your hands on. 

Just be careful to follow our care tips below to stop them from getting warped or scratched over time. 

• Skandia Essentials Baking Tray (32 x 23cm, 215g, oven safe up to 230°C) £1.49 available at the Range.
• Dunelm Oven Tray (32 x 23.5cm, 209g, oven safe up to 230°C) £1.50 available at Dunelm.
• M&S Pro Roast Oven Tray Charcoal (set of 2) (Small: 35 x 25cm, 265g Large: 38 x 30cm, 307g, oven safe up to 230°C) £6 available at Ocado.
• Pyrex Magic Oven Tray (35 x 29cm, 386g, oven safe up to 230°C) £6.90 available at Amazon, also available at Argos,  Ocado.
• Lakeland Individual Baking Tray (30 x 19cm, 485g, oven safe up to 240°C) £7.99 available at Lakeland.
• John Lewis Classic Non-Stick Oven Tray (34 x 24cm, 377g, oven safe up to 240°C) £8 available at John Lewis.
• ProCook Non-Stick Baking Tray (36 x 27cm, 861g, oven safe up to 260°C) £10 available at ProCook.

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How we tested baking trays

We bought 10 of the cheapest, non-stick baking trays from leading UK retailers (one, from Wilko, has since gone off sale) and put them through the following non-stick and durability tests:

1. We baked four cookies on each baking tray without using baking paper or greasing the tray. We then removed the cooked cookies. Nothing got stuck on any of the trays we tested.
2. We used a metal spatula on each baking tray to see if any would be scratched. We combined the spatula with a force meter to ensure even pressure was used on each tray. All but the best baking tray was left with scratches after this test.
3. Each baking tray was also placed in a domestic oven at 250°C for 30 minutes (hotter than you're likely to bake on) to see if this would cause any heat warping. None of the baking trays we tested warped.
4. We also judged how easy each baking tray was to put in and remove from the oven. While we found those with larger handles on the sides were easier to use, it didn't make that much difference unless you have reduced mobility in your hands. 

How to take care of your baking tray

• Don't dishwash - this can strip away the non-stick coating over time.
• Use a non-scratch sponge when hand washing to prevent damage to the non-stick coating.
• Line with tin foil or grease-proof paper (or a reusable alternative) if cooking something that is particularly sticky or likely to leak and fuse to the baking tray.
• Avoid a cold-water dunk when your baking tray is straight out of the oven. Rapid temperature changes could cause the metal to warp.