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See why.Mini Loaf Pans
Mini loaf pans make it a snap to churn out petite breads and cakes for homemade holiday gifts.
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What You Need To Know
Mini loaf pans make it a snap to churn out petite breads and cakes for homemade holiday gifts. Since most recipes designed for a 9 by 5-inch pan will fill three mini loaf pans measuring roughly 5 1/2 by 3 inches, we homed in on models that size. We found six products, priced from $8.75 to $28.95. They came in sets of either three or four pans, and we also found one tray-style model with four wells. We baked pound cake and loaves of orange-pecan and banana quick breads in each, looking for tall, nicely domed, evenly browned loaves with precise edges.
Just as we’ve found with regular-size loaf pans, the material and weight of the pans were key to the results. One set of light-colored, lightweight aluminum pans produced loaves with flat, browned tops and pale, spongy sides. The rest of the sets, which were medium to dark gray and gold, performed much better. Each one yielded nicely domed loaves, with the darkest pans achieving the most even and most attractive golden-brown coloring. As for the tray-style model, we didn’t love it. Loaves turned out too dark, which we attributed to the fact that this pan has more metal to attract heat than do the stand-alone pans.
As for handling, testers found that all of the pans released the baked goods cleanly. That said, individual pans were more convenient than the tray-style model. When flipping out the loaves from the tray, multiple loaves slid out at once; we preferred the greater control of handling one pan at a time. Ultimately, while we noticed subtle differences in the shape and browning of our breads and cake, we found that several sets passed muster. The best of these, the Chicago Metallic Set of 4 Mini Loaf Pans ($11.99), won top marks for loaves with tall, even doming and the prettiest, most even golden-brown coloring.
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Release: 3 stars out of 3.
- Browning: 3 stars out of 3.
- Appearance: 3 stars out of 3.
This set of pans aced all of our tests, producing loaves with beautifully even browning and tall, pronounced doming. Its squared-off corners also ensured precise, attractive edges.
Recommended
- Release: 3 stars out of 3.
- Browning: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Appearance: 3 stars out of 3.
Made by the manufacturer of our favorite full-size loaf pan, this set produced attractively browned quick breads and pound cake that were slightly less even in color than those from our winning mini loaf set. It also costs more than double the price.
- Release: 3 stars out of 3.
- Browning: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Appearance: 3 stars out of 3.
Breads and pound cake made in these medium-dark pans browned evenly but were slightly paler than those from our top-ranked models. All baked goods released neatly and easily.
- Release: NaN stars out of 3.
- Browning: NaN stars out of 3.
- Appearance: NaN stars out of 3.
The only set in our lineup that came with three pans, it provided just the right number for dividing up a full-size recipe. While the breads and pound cake generally came out an attractive golden brown, their edges tended to be darker than the centers of the loaves.
Recommended with reservations
- Release: 2 stars out of 3.
- Browning: 2 stars out of 3.
- Appearance: 2 stars out of 3.
Although baking a tray of quick breads with one empty cavity wouldn’t damage the tray, we would have preferred this model if it had three wells instead of four. The greater amount of metal in the tray heated up more than did the individual pans, and loaves baked up too dark. Turning out breads after cooling felt precarious, as all three loaves tended to slide out at once.
Not Recommended
- Release: 3 stars out of 3.
- Browning: 1 stars out of 3.
- Appearance: 1 stars out of 3.
Made from pale, lightweight aluminum, this set of pans didn’t brown our baked goods as effectively as other sets. As a result, breads and the pound cake emerged with pale, spongy sides and flat, browned tops.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
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