Dark makes a darker crust....the insulated ones often don't brown well, Stainless doesn't conduct heat well and I often get either burned spots or over cooked cookies because they don't brown well.
I prefer heavy commercial weight aluminum.

Years ago I took a class that was only about Chocolate Chip Cookies (oh!!! the sacrifice of my time - LOL). We made a wide variety of recipes and used a wide variety of cookie sheets to test results. The end results were pretty interesting....

You will notice you find primarily shiny aluminum as a prime choice and a favorite cookie pan, and the reason for that is because it provides for consistent shape, color, diameter and eating quality of the cookies you bake. If you find you get dark bottoms using these thin pans, try placing two thin cookie sheets together for added insulation.

Insulated sheets are VERY popular in our area because thanks to a friend of mine, Margaret Logan, who designed the pans and a company formerly known as Rema Bakeware where they were manufactured, a large number of homes in this area purchased this locally-produced bakeware.

Cookies take longer to bake on insulated sheets, which is beneficial for folks who tend to get distracted or don't set a timer - so they are a little more forgiving. Cookies are lighter on the bottom, and may not get as brown as on other sheets. You will want to do a "touch test" to test for doneness, because determining doneness by how dark the cookies are may not be the same as on shiny pans. It's also beneficial to allow the cookies to sit on the pans for a few minutes before removing them. Some people find removing cookies from insulated sheets more difficult than other pans, but I find a sheet of parchment paper will take care of that problem, as well as a very THIN metal turner.

Dark non-stick pans may cause the cookies to bake smaller than if they were on a shiny pan. This also leads to cookies that are more rounded. Both the tops and the bottoms tend to brown more, and if you delay removing the cookies, the bottoms may actually get hard. Take the cookies off the sheets as soon as they are removed from the oven. Reducing the temperature by 25-degrees F AND rotating the cookie sheets is helpful when using dark non-stick pans.

Black or dark pans - The cookies bake faster because the dark surface absorbs heat (shiny reflects). Because the pans are hotter, the cookies can be smaller in diameter and tend to bake in a mound, rather than spreading. If you have dark pans you may find reducing the temperature by 25-degrees F will help, as well as reducing the baking time by a minute or two.

Over the years and the thousands of cookies I've judge at Fairs, I can generally tell you what kind of pan the cookies were baked on. There is that much difference, at least to me.

But the bottom-line is, they all work, albeit a bit differently, and every recipient of the home-baked cookies really couldn't care less. ;-) Pass the milk, please!

-Grainlady

Grainlady, I hope you save everything you've written on the forum somewhere. It is quite a body of knowledge! Thank you.

I think I will use the shiny non-insulated ones along with parchment paper. Linda, I will keep my eye out for commercial grade. Do you have to find them at a specialty store for commercial bakers??

I'll check back to let you know what happens. So far, the batter is delicious. Yes, it's chocolate chip, my son's favorite.

I have dark non-stick, dark not non-stick and insulated. By far, I prefer the insulated. I love the fact that the cookies take longer to brown. I like them un-browned and soft. And, as Grainlady said, cookies seem to be larger or puffier.

My dark cookie sheets mostly get used to catch drips in the oven, LOL.

To me the difference is huge. I use commercial grade aluminum, which I got at a specialty baking store. Then I line with recyled parchment paper. Perfection in a cookie. But if I use other types of pans, I just adjust as per what Grainlady said. I don't like the insulated ones because they are fussy to wash so they aren't going to show up in my kitchen.

Dedtired... my DH picked up several heavy aluminum pans at a place called Construction Mall in Philly - the address is 1501 Washington.....

Their prices are fantastic and they have a great selection.

Alexa

Do you re-use the parchment paper with each batch or start fresh? Do you let them pan cool completely between batches?

P.S. I am sitting here eating a warm choc chip cookie. Mmmmm.

Construction Mall -- never heard of it, but I'll have to visit!

Also-- if you have two pans in the oven at once, how far do you space the racks?

I got a package of two heavy aluminum shiny half sheet pans at Sam's club for about $10, PolarWare, made in the USA. I use them for nearly everything from roasting vegetables to baking cookies.

I use a Silpat or parchment paper when baking cookies, truthfully, I prefer the parchment paper. I do flip the paper over and use it twice.

I had some of those insulated pans, I hated them. The cookies didn't brown but did overcook and become hard if I didn't watch them carefully. I now use one under my pie pans to catch drips, so it's not a complete waste, LOL.

I have one dark Chicago Metallic cookie sheet but seldom use it, I always default to the shiny heavy aluminum half sheet pans.

I never bake two pans of cookies at a time, either, they never come out 'right', and I'm picky.

Yahoo just had an article about cookie baking, including this:

'CHOOSE BAKING SHEETS WISELY
Bake cookies on shiny, heavy aluminum baking sheets. These sheets with no sides are designed for easily sliding cookies onto a cooling rack. Dark sheets may absorb heat, causing cookies to brown too much on the bottom; nonstick baking sheets work well if not too dark. Insulated baking sheets require a slightly longer baking time.'

Oh, and I never use cooking spray, it leaves a brown and sticky residue and then my cookie sheets aren't shiny any more!

Annie (who baked craftyrn's cuccidati and a batch of venetian bars last night, sugar cookies are on tonight's schedule)

Here is a link that might be useful: Cookie baking tips

Just saw this review on Serious Eats. Yup, the winner is the heavy duty cheap aluminum pans. I think I have 5 of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cookie sheets

dedtired -

I use one sheet of parchment paper per cookie sheet for the entire recipe (or baking session), unless I accidentally tear it and have to replace it. I have a lifetime supply of parchment paper I purchased at a restaurant supply store, so I don't move ONE paper to each pan. But you can bake on the same sheet of paper for several pansfull. So if you purchase it by-the-roll, you may want to be frugal and move one sheet to the pans, rather than one sheet per pan.

I don't flip it. Because I don't flip it, my cookie sheets remain relatively clean and only require a quick wipe with a dish rag with hot soapy water, rinse and dry.

I use 3 or 4 cookie sheets to assure I load a cold pan with cookie dough (I only bake one sheet at a time in my oven - or two 12-inch pizza pans covered with parchment paper in my Sharp microwave/convection oven). Even slightly warm pans will cause the butter to begin melting in the cookie dough while they wait to be loaded into the oven, and that can cause too much spread.

-Grainlady

Grainlady, I have six of those half sheet pans, just for that reason, I always have a cool pan to put dough on so the cookies don't "melt" and spread.

I do reuse the paper for multiple pans of one type of cookie, but if I'm baking peanut butter and oatmeal, I'll bake the peanut butter cookies on one side of the paper, then slip and do oatmeal on the other side so I don't mix the flavors.

No matter how much parchment paper I have, I can't just use a sheet once and then toss it into recycling, I have to use it and reuse it, LOL.

Annie

I can't be bothered to tear off another sheet. I do so hate those teeth on the rolls. They either don't work or they cut my hand!

Dedtired,
That Chinese restaurant supply place that I went to in Philly has very good prices on full-sheet, half-sheet, and quarter-sheet (the one I bought) pans that have a narrow raised edge. I love the pan I bought and it was so cheap! Nice and heavy too for its size. Makes me wish I had bought more! I think the shop is on Cherry Street - not far from RTM.
Teresa

Detired :
Try " Fantes " of Phila. for the heavy alluminum.
They are on 9th st.
I stopped in there when we went to RTM. It's like a museum.
LOU

Thanks, Teresa. I actually thought of that and remembered that you got some things there. I guess a trip to the RTM is in order!

Okay, the cookies are baked, wrapped, boxed and at the PO, on their way to CA.

I decided that either the shiny thin pan or the dark thin pans are best. The darker pans produced a slightly higher cookie -- it didn't spread as much. I used a piece of parchment paper for each pan, not changing for batches. All the cookies were evenly brown, not browner on the bottom (except the one batch I forgot, and they are very brown and crisp).

Grainlady, I did use three pans, so each was cool before reloading. I haven't always done that in the past.

I had a stomachache from eating dough and cookies. Ouch. A cup of hot tea cured it.

Now it has begun to snow and I turned on the outside lights, so it's looking rather Christmas-y. Inside, I only have a few decorations up, but it sure smells good. Wish you all were here to eat cookies with me!

I like the heavy aluminum ones like annie mentioned from Sam's Club. I just bought some new ones(Chicago Metallic) at TJ Maxx. Sometimes they have some AWESOME stuff there! Mine used to be silver but they are brown from years of use. Ya know, I was wondering why my cookies ALWAYS take longer than the recipes says so now I realize it's because of those thick heavy jelly roll pans. They aren't non-stick but I never have any problem with cookies sticking. I've just about used them to death too! They are an item in the kitchen that I just couldn't live without!

I do a lot of baking, especially at this time of year. Been through shiny (burn), dark (burn and stain), teflon-coated (shed) , air-insulated -- the whole menu. After we finished our kitchen remodel in 2004 I treated myself to a pair of W-S "Gold Touch" cookie sheets. They are terrific. Cookies bake evenly at the exact oven temp stated in the recipe. Never grease, never fiddled with parchment (which ain't cheap... a few rolls of parchment and you've paid for the pan.) I also invested in their Gold Touch cooling racks. These are so slick that you'd better not tip them when loaded. Nothing sticks to them. Since nothing sticks, clean up is a breeze. They're OK in the dishwasher but I do them by hand with a swipe of a soapy sponge. Now it's been 6 years and I've got three of each. They are available individually but their best deal is this bundled set of two cookie sheets, one rack. Worth the investment.

Here is a link that might be useful: 2 Gold Touch cookie sheets, 1 cooling rack

About mid-Dec. at Homegoods, I found 2 Chicago Metallic cookie sheets at closeout--$3.00 each. Grabbed them up and used them last weekend during a 4 day cookie baking spree!

I made some peanut butter cookies recently using parchment paper and they burned black on the bottom.

I since doubled my tins, and made my granola cookies and they came out perfectly. My tins are dark non-stick.

I saw a large shiny baking sheet at Winners not long ago and I'm kicking myself for not buying it. I'm assuming it was aluminum.......but how do I know?

cross stitch,

I got rid of all my old cookie sheets a few years back & replaced them with the All Clad Champagne baking sheets. I received one of the largest 17" size as a gift & so loved it I junked everything I owned. I also got the 8x8" brownie pan. They sound similar to your Gold Touch. The link didn't work for me so I couldn't take a peek. Anyway, they were an investment but they'll last my lifetime & my DIL has already claimed them as hers when I'm gone. Perfect cookies & clean-up is stupid simple. I've never put mine in the d/w either...no need. I bake on parchment paper not because anything would stick but instead because they're so pretty I don't like to get them dirty! :)

/tricia