Silpat Mat and Nordic Ware Baking Sheet

Slipat Half Size Baking Mat is available here for $28.50

Nordic Ware Half Size Baking Pan is available here for $18

My good buddy Austin introduced me to the unique Franco-American culinary duo of the Silpat silicone baker's mat and the Nordic Ware aluminum baking sheet. Before he graduated into parenting, the most advanced of the domestic arts, he would sometimes dazzle those in his orbit with a gallon jar or ziplock bag of the most delicious homemade granola. 

On the occasions I observed him crafting his haute oats, I remember being most intrigued by the distinctive, very professional, orange-bordered mat that sat atop his disturbingly clean and glinting baker's pan. Seeing the ease with which he spatula'ed the granola off the orange magical carpet of cooking, it wasn't hard to figure out its purpose or how those baking sheets stayed so clean. I can't recall if I played it cool and just took a picture of this formidable baking set-up or if I dove into the bathroom to research the provenance of the items while they were still fresh in my mind, but this is the scoop:

Nordic Ware is a family-run business that manufactures high-quality aluminum baking ware in its own modern factory outside Minneapolis. They invented the bundt pan seventy-five years ago, and instead of offshoring and cashing out, they invested in manufacturing, committed to Minneapolis, and focused on serving a dedicated audience of professional cooks and bakers. The advantage of aluminum in baking is that it conducts heat far more evenly than stainless or cast iron and responds to oven temperature more rapidly, heating and cooling quicker. This metallurgical phenomenon is honored by the unique design of the Silpat Mat, which uses a robust fiberglass weave encased in good-grade silicon to distribute heat evenly throughout the mat.

Both of these products carry a lifetime warranty. If you are in the market for a baking pan, the size you most likely want is a half sheet.