Sheet pans are often an underappreciated tool in the kitchen, and you can use them in so many creative ways. From roasting veggies and whipping up delicious sheet pan chicken dinners to organizing prepped ingredients and quickly cooling pasta salad, there’s a lot a sheet pan can be used for. However, when you’ve been using the same pan for a while, you might start to wonder whether it’s time to retire it for a brand-new one.
Fortunately, if you’re happy with your current sheet pans, there’s usually no reason you’d ever have to replace them unless they are somehow damaged or prone to warping. Warping can happen when the metal expands in the hot oven or when it’s exposed to a rapid change in temperature, such as being doused in cold water when still hot. While warping is less of a problem for sturdier pans with rolled edges, it can still occur. The problem with warping is that it creates an uneven surface, which could cause food to cook slower or faster in some spots.
So, if your sheet pan is permanently warped or constantly warps in the oven, you might consider replacing it. However, if your pan has only darkened with age, this is actually a good thing, and you absolutely shouldn’t toss it out!
Don’t undervalue a well-seasoned sheet pan
Just as a well-seasoned cast iron pan should have a place of honor in your kitchen, so too should a seasoned sheet pan. The reason sheet pans darken over time is because oil polymerizes to the surface, creating a layer of seasoning. This is exactly what happens to the surface of a cast iron pan.
Although you might not think a seasoned sheet pan looks as nice as a brand-new one, as it so happens, they’re actually preferred by many chefs. This is because the layer of oil forms an almost nonstick barrier, and its dark color allows it to absorb heat better. This means it heats up quicker and will produce better browning on your roasted veggies, meats, and sheet pan dinners, especially if you preheat your sheet pan before using it. The only food items you should be leery of popping onto this darkened sheet pan are light colored cookies and cakes, like sugar cookies or vanilla sponges, which may burn on the bottom.
While you can clean sheet pans to remove the layer of oils, we honestly wouldn’t recommend it unless it’s really driving you crazy to look at. Now, if your seasoned pan is also warping and damaged, it should be retired, but otherwise, you should enjoy the natural seasoning that makes dinners cooked on it crispy and delicious.
