Custom Baking Trays Guide: Types, How to Choose the Right Ones
Key Takeaways
- Custom baking trays allow commercial kitchens to tailor the size, gauge, and edges of the trays to fit their ovens and racks.
- Aluminium is typically the preferred material for custom trays because of its lightness, heat conductivity, and durability.
- The edge type, whether open bead or closed bead, influences the flexibility of the tray, as well as stackability and ease of cleaning.
- The gauge (thickness) of the trays should depend on the number of trays produced and the frequency of exposure to heat.
- While standard sizes can work for some commercial kitchens, custom sizes can be considered if the equipment, food size, or space is not standardised.
- When ordering in bulk with technical specifications, consistency can be ensured among all trays used in a commercial kitchen.
However, not all kitchens or bakeries fit into these general size options of baking trays. This is where custom baking trays come in, providing you with the ability to order a certain size, gauge, material, and edge for the trays to suit your oven or storage system. This article will outline some of the types of baking trays available, and the important considerations involved when selecting a custom tray.
What Are Custom Baking Trays?
Custom trays are produced according to certain sizes, materials, or designs rather than being bought from the market at fixed sizes. These can be in terms of non-standard size of either width or length depending on the needs of the oven, selected gauge based on the production volume, and certain edges according to the existing handling and cleaning mechanism. The custom trays are most likely used in industrial and contract bakeries, where the machinery does not suit the standard sizes of trays.
Types of Baking Trays by Material
Baking Trays Made from Aluminium
The most commonly used material in commercial and custom trays is aluminium because of its excellent heat-conducting ability, low weight, and the fact that aluminium is naturally corrosion-resistant. Commercial-quality aluminium, especially thicker grades of aluminium, like the 3003 grade aluminium, withstands the repeated cycles of heating and cooling in addition to regular handling in high-volume kitchens, which makes it a good option for everyday baking.
Baking Trays Made from Stainless Steel
Stainless steel baking trays have great durability and are resistant to denting; therefore are selected for their tough construction in places with high-volume usage. But stainless steel conducts heat worse than aluminium and weighs much more than aluminium.
Baking Trays with Non-Stick Coating
Baking trays with non-stick coating can easily release baked goods and clean up after themselves, but the coating on them wears out faster than the metal itself and needs special care not to damage it.
Types of Baking Trays by Edge and Design
Open Bead Trays
Open bead trays feature a rolled edge with an open profile, offering a slightly lighter tray that’s typically easier to clean thoroughly, since there’s less enclosed space for debris to collect along the edge. This style suits operations that prioritise fast, easy sanitation. Explore open bead aluminium sheet pans as an example of this design.
Closed Bead Trays
Closed bead trays have a fully enclosed rolled edge, adding structural rigidity and helping the tray resist bending under heavy daily handling. This design is often preferred in high-volume settings where trays are handled roughly or stacked frequently. See closed bead aluminium sheet pans as an example of this construction.
Perforated Baking Trays
Perforated trays are the ones that have small holes on the tray surface in order to enhance airflow and heat conduction. Perforated trays are recommended for foods such as pizza base or crackers because of the need for a crispier bottom crust.
Flat (Solid) Baking Trays
This is the most common kind of tray. Flat solid trays are applied to the preparation of various types of baked goods including breads, pastries, cakes, cookies and many others.
Key Specifications to Consider When Customising Baking Trays
1. Size and Dimension
Exact measurements of your oven racks, proofers, and storage space should be used for custom sizes since even slight discrepancies in dimension may lead to trays that do not fit well, thus decreasing efficiency of oven capacity.
2. Gauge (Thickness)
If you operate in a facility where high volume and high temperatures of production happen, you may want to opt for a thicker gauge; on the other hand, a thinner gauge would be better when cost-efficiency is more important than durability.
3. Edge/Bead Style
Decide whether you need open or closed bead based on your cleaning method, handling, and rigidity requirements.
4. Surface Type
Determine which type of surface you need for your production: regular aluminium, perforated, or coated non-stick.
5. Corner and Depth
In some cases, your custom application may have a certain corner radius and/or certain depth that fits your mould or divider.
How to Choose the Right Custom Baking Tray for Your Operation
- Begin with your oven, rack, and storage dimensions as the starting point for sizing
- Material selection will depend upon the volume you run — aluminium is best for high-volume operations
- Gauge will be determined by the frequency of high-temperature use in each day’s schedule
- Edge selection will depend upon handling frequency and cleaning procedure
- Ensure that the food-grade and lead-free certification is provided
- Obtain sample sheets prior to bulk ordering, if possible
- Cooperate with a supplier with bulk and custom orders experience
Benefits of Choosing Custom Baking Trays
- Exact fit with the current oven, racks, and storage system, ensuring maximum space utilisation
- Able to exactly match the gauge and materials to the quantity produced and budget
- Consistency in the entire tray stock if ordered to the same specifications
- Less downtime due to trays not fitting properly
- Cost savings over time due to custom specifications that will avoid unnecessary replacements
Frequently Asked Questions on Custom Baking Trays
What is the best material for custom baking trays?
Aluminium is generally the best all-around choice for custom baking trays, offering even heat conductivity, light weight, and strong durability, particularly in heavier gauges suited to commercial use.
What’s the difference between open bead and closed bead trays?
Open bead trays have a lighter, more open rolled edge that’s easier to clean, while closed bead trays have a fully enclosed edge that adds extra rigidity and resistance to bending under heavy use.
Can I order baking trays in non-standard sizes?
Yes, custom baking trays can typically be manufactured to specific dimensions to match unique oven, rack, or storage requirements, rather than being limited to standard off-the-shelf sizes.
How do I decide what gauge to choose for a custom tray?
Gauge should be selected based on production volume and heat cycling frequency — higher-volume, high-heat operations generally benefit from a heavier gauge for better durability and warp resistance.
Conclusion
The ability of custom trays to allow the kitchen to determine exact sizes, materials, gauges, and edge types means that the kitchen can choose what is best suited to its machinery and processes, rather than being forced to work with standardised equipment that does not quite fit. Aluminium is typically still the material of choice due to its heat distribution, durability, and relatively light weight, but choices regarding edge type and gauge should be determined by the volume and method of your production process.