TL;DR: Muffin pans are specialized baking pans that have a series of indentions, or cups, for baking muffins or cupcakes. Pans have a varying number of cups and have different cup sizes. If you’re looking to get a new muffin pan, this article will cover some of the best ones out there.

I’ve been helping my mom bake for as long as I can remember, and I began making my own cookies and cupcakes as soon as I could be in the kitchen unsupervised, starting with peanut butter cookies, which remain a favorite of mine to this day. I’ve made a variety of cupcakes and muffins, including blueberry muffins, cornmeal muffins, red velvet cupcakes, and the classic yellow and chocolate cupcakes.

As an avid baker, my bakeware collection is diverse. Some pieces I got from my parents, others I found at thrift stores, and then there are pieces I deliberately picked out for myself. Because of the wide variety of styles of pans I’ve used, I have a good idea of what works best for which type of baking. My experience with baking has made me the go-to for friends and family who have questions, and I enjoy helping others select the right bakeware for them.

How to Pick the Right Muffin Pan for the Job

A muffin pan can also be called a muffin tin, cupcake pan, or cupcake tin. While my muffin pans aren’t the baking pans I use the most, they're indispensable for cupcakes and muffins, of course, and they can also be used to make mini meatloaves, cookie cups, mini quiches or frittatas, and other individual treats.

What Should a Muffin Pan Be Made From?

What the pan is made out of is one of the most important determining factors in how your baked goods will come out. Bakeware can be made out of any number of materials, which all yield slightly different results. Here are the top options for muffin pans:

• Aluminum: This material is preferred by a lot of bakers for its even heat distribution. The fact that it’s incredibly light doesn't hurt, either. You do have to be careful not to scratch it (though those are just cosmetic), and it's reactive to acids, meaning that it can be discolored or even pitted. Plain aluminum is also shiny, causing it to reflect heat, so you may end up with baked goods that aren’t very browned.
• Anodized aluminum: This is created by chemically bonding aluminum with its oxidation, making it scratch resistant and nonreactive to acid. This process maintains the metal’s excellent heat distribution while dulling its color. The fact that it doesn't reflect heat anymore makes it better for browning what you bake in it.
• Aluminized steel: The steel core makes the pan durable, while the aluminum coating gives it excellent heat reactivity.
• Stainless steel: Stainless steel is a practical choice. It’s durable, distributes heat well enough, and is dishwasher safe (though it lasts longer if you handwash it). Most steel muffin pans will have a nonstick coating.
• Carbon steel: Carbon steel is a very hard steel, making it durable, and it has excellent heat reactivity. Many nonstick pans will be carbon steel, and it's often used as the core in aluminized steel. It corrodes from dampness, meaning that it’s rare to find it uncoated, though it can be seasoned like cast iron.
• Cast iron: You’re much more likely to find a vintage cast iron muffin pan than a modern one considering how heavy it is. That being said, its heat retention allows for consistent results and even browning.
• Silicone: Silicone baking pans are becoming easier to find, though it's hard to say how popular they’ll become. Some silicone muffin pans only replace the cups with silicone, while others are made entirely of the material, often called a muffin mold. The fact that silicone is nonstick makes it easy to remove the cupcakes. Most manufacturers recommend putting a baking sheet under a silicone pan, which means that whatever you bake tends to get browner on the bottom than the sides.

Varieties of Muffin Pans

While the majority of muffin pans are the standard 12-cup variety, that isn’t the only type of muffin pan on the market. Depending on what you’re planning to make, having different types of cupcake pans can make your task easier.

• Standard: This is the most common type of muffin pan, with 12 cups about two inches in diameter. Most recipes will assume this is the type of muffin tin that you’ll use.
• 6-Cup: There are also standard-sized muffin pans that only have six cups. These are excellent if you want to make small recipes or if they’re made out of heavy material, like cast iron.
• Mini: Mini muffin pans have cups that are about half the size of a regular muffin pan. They come with 24 cups, allowing you to make bite-sized treats.
• Jumbo: Jumbo muffin pans are almost twice as big as a standard muffin cup, allowing you to make larger muffins or cupcakes. They usually have six cups.

Muffin Liners

When making cupcakes or muffins, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have the right liners. Liners make it easier to remove the cupcake from the pan, particularly when it isn’t nonstick, and also help contain the batter. In most cases, what type of liner you use doesn't make a huge difference — except in presentation. There are also options for jumbo and mini muffins. Here are the typical types of liners:

• Paper: If you’re looking for something basic and inexpensive, paper liners are a good choice. They work great for muffins and cupcakes and can handle cookie cups or mini tart shells. They’re also the most varied of the liners, coming in all kinds of colors and designs. But unless they’re heavily coated, something too wet or greasy will go right through them.
• Foil: Most foil liners have a paper interior and foil on the outside. The foil is glossy and gives your cupcakes a professional look. Some foil liners are stiff, closer to being individual cupcake pans than a liner. Foil does better with grease and eggs, but it depends on the quality of the liner. These are more expensive than the paper ones.
• Silicone: These liners are newer, with the concept being that they’re reusable. Silicone is oven safe, dishwasher safe, and naturally nonstick, so it’s easy to remove the cupcakes from it, and they can be washed and used again next time. Some of them are even sturdy enough that you can place them on a baking sheet and use them in place of a cupcake pan. They can also handle liquids and grease with no problem, making them ideal for tarts, mini meatloafs, frittatas, and other non-cupcake uses.

Top Recommended Muffin Pans

Finding the right muffin pan is important, as it’ll improve your results and make baking easier and more enjoyable. If you're on the lookout for a new muffin pan, here are my top picks:

1. Caraway Non-Stick Muffin Pan

Caraway coats its bakeware with a ceramic nonstick coating that’s PFOA-free. Ceramic coatings are highly nonstick (Bundt pans are notorious for sticking, but the cakes just fall right out of my ceramic-coated one!), can be colorful, and rarely have any chemicals that are speculated to cause health or environmental problems. The aluminized steel body is heavy-duty and has good heat distribution, ensuring well-browned treats. But you have to be willing to spend money on the brand name, as it’s the most expensive item on this list.

2. Circulon Bakeware Nonstick 12-Cup Muffin Pan

Circulon’s bakeware has a nonstick coating with an easy-release system to make cleanup a breeze. It comes in either chocolate brown or gray and even comes in a bakeware set if you’d like all of your bakeware to match. It’s made of heavy-gauge steel to ensure that it won’t warp or dent. Being nonstick, though, it’s only oven-safe up to 450°F.

3. Anolon Advanced 12-Cup Muffin Pan with Lid

Anolon’s muffin pan has silicone on the handles to ensure a good grip, even with oven mitts on. The bronze color is excellent for a beautifully browned result, or you can go with gray if it’ll match the rest of your bakeware better. It’s made out of heavy-gauge steel that won’t warp in the oven and has a lid that is not oven safe to make transporting the results of your baking session easier. If you want to spend a little less, there’s an option without a lid.

4. Cuisinart Chef's Classic Nonstick Muffin Pan

For those looking for a smaller cupcake pan, Cuisinart’s has six cups. A smaller muffin pan is great if you want to halve a recipe, put it in a toaster oven, or have more maneuverability with how they go in the oven. It has a nonstick coating that dulls it to a light gray, making it great for browning, and is dishwasher safe. That being said, it’s not much less money than a 12-cup muffin pan, and nonstick coatings do wear out over time.

5. Nordic Ware Naturals Muffin Pan with High-Domed Lid

For those looking for an uncoated piece of bakeware, Nordic Ware has a muffin pan that’s just plain metal. Nordic Ware’s Naturals line is made in the United States out of pure aluminum, meaning that they’ll last for decades. It comes with a domed lid to aid in transportation or as a way to store your cupcakes and keep them fresh. The aluminum is shiny, which makes it stand out, but what you bake in it won't brown as well, and you may need to up the bake time by a few minutes.

Let Us Help Find the Best Muffin Pan for You

Still not sure what the best muffin pan for you is? Talk to a Curated Kitchen Expert! Curated has a free service where you can chat with an Expert any time if you have questions, are looking for suggestions, or just can’t quite decide between two different items. All of our Experts are enthusiasts, so they’ll be delighted to talk to someone about their passion and pick out just the right pan for your needs.