For cookies and other baking needs, I use half-sheet pans that I got at a restaurant supply house (TriMark in San Francisco). They're not used for any other purpose, and should last forever as a result. For everyday use (to put under a roasting chicken, to cook fish filets, roast veggies, etc)., I use an 11x18" Wilton pan I got at BB&B - the latter will not last a lifetime, but that's fine.

I love to bake and own several of these cookie sheets and use them for everything from cookies to roasting potatoes and other vegetables. I also own these air bake insulated cookie sheets for more delicate cookies that I don't want overly browned. And definitely stock up on parchment paper sheets for lining those pans!

Oh, prideofowner, those are the ones I was eyeing on Amazon! My only concern was it doesn't say up to what temperature they're meant for. Have you ever used yours for roasting at 450 or above?

Love these and gave a set to children/spouses with cookie cutters for their first Christmases as couples. It's a nice company story, and I recommend the cookbook. I dislike aluminum cookie sheets big time!

https://www.heirloomcookiesheets.com/

Not for cookies/cakes (although I have used it for biscuits) but for other oven tasks like roasting veggies I don't think you can beat my enameled cast iron paella pan. I don't have a link, since it was a fairly inexpensive thing at Meijer's, but I am sure that there are similar, well thought of brand versions out there.

If it discolors in your dishwasher, it may interact with your soap and remove the coating from anything that you put in the dishwasher at the same time that has a coating...

I use Airbake pans for most cookies. Anodized aluminum.

For standard cake pans,loaf pans etc. I love Fat Daddio products. Anodized aluminum.

I have a few older Corningware pie and tart pans that I use for some. Pyroceramic.

Have a several Wilton heavy duty muffin tins. These are teflon coated but supper heavy duty, darker for nice rise and crust and easy to clean up. I generally use muffin liners anyway.

Bundt style pans are cast aluminum Nordicware.

I also use my cast iron skillets for bakeware and I have a cast iron pizza pan. These do multiple duties including roasting vegetables.

I am also a parchment paper fan so clean up isn't that hard.

Cooks Illustrated recommends (and I own and love) the "Wear-Ever Half Size Heavy Duty Sheet Pan (13 Gauge)". It's fabulous for everything from baking to roasting. For a nonstick square baking pan they recommend the "Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick 8-Inch Square Cake Pan" but honestly, I always use my Pyrex 8" square. If I want it non-stick I line it with foil.

For cooking and roasting, All-Clad

For baking, restaurant supply half and quarter sheet pans. I line them with pre cut parchment paper sheets from King Arthur Baking. Sometimes I use non-stick Silpat silicone sheets in the half-sheet trays.

My cookie sheets range from newish Wiltons to ancient ones of dubious origin. All have very low sides. I never grease any of them when baking cookies. I let the cookies cool on the sheets and they lift off perfectly with a metal spatula.

Same wear ever pans. http://www.webstaurantstore.com/vollrath-wear-ever-5314-heavy-duty-half-size-13-gauge-aluminum-bun-sheet-pan-sanitary-open-bead-rim-13-x-18/9365314.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CI6S8s6o5ssCFUc2gQodxS8F9A

For cookies and pastry, I use these uncoated cookie sheets from Chicago Metallic. I line them with parchment paper so I don't worry about sticking. I don't use them for anything but baking, so stay in very good condition.

For roasting vegetables and other things, I keep several commercial-style sheet pans ("jelly roll pans") in 1/4 and 1/2 sheet sizes. They're versatile and extremely tough. I bought them at a restaurant supply store.

I just bought Nordic Ware, too soon to tell how they'll hold up, but they got really great reviews and are made in the USA. Link

For a cookie sheet, I have a single aluminum half sheet pan that I picked up at a restaurant supply store. I don't know who makes it but it is still going strong 5 years later. I put everything on it, sweets, veges, anything I roast.

For cookware, I prefer Demeyere. It is made in Belgium. They have two main product lines: Atlantis (disk base with copper core) and Industry (5 ply clad solution with aluminum core). The Industry line is also sold as Aurora (rivets) and Sensation (welded and rivet free) from Zwilling. Atlantis is big bucks but it is the best cookware I have ever used. There is a notable improvement over my All Clad stuff. The pan produces the perfect fond when you are searing meats. The Industry/Aurora/Sensation line is less expensive but still not cheap. I have a saute pan and I love it as well. It has a thicker layer of conductive aluminum than All-Clad. The other key is that there is a great surface treatment that makes the stainless cladding very easy to clean, compared to other stainless cookware. The surface treatment is used on all of the pans in both lines but it has different marketing names. The pans also have a brushed finish which is more forgiving of scratches than shiny or mirror finish alternatives. Both Demeyere lines are dishwasher safe but if you are going to invest in fancy cookware consider hand washing your pans as it is easier on them. The one downside is that the pans are very heavy. So heavy a lot of people don't like them. The Demeyere stuff works on all heating sources and works particularly well on induction.

There are many good cookie sheets out there but like most cookware, they really should not go in the dishwasher. Considering how easy they are to wash, thus really shouldn't be a deal-breaker.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I have a chaotic day of chores/work today, but I will sit down and review all your suggestions more thoroughly this evening. I really appreciate the help.

@Suzanne Brown -- For me to wash a cookie sheet is not a big deal, but my husband sticks every last thing we own in the dishwasher whether I like it or not. It's been so much work to get him to first eat healthy, then to cook healthy food, and then finally to clean up his cooking mess that I'd rather not have to dictate HOW he cleans up. This is a man who learned how to use a peeler at age 27 and who, at age 31, asked me in all seriousness if rice was a vegetable. It's a miracle that I've brought him this far!

Jillius:

You made me smile! My husband, who only lived with friends for just one summer while eating his meals back at his family home, would have known that rice was not a vegetable; however, he did have to ask my mother how one knew when water was boiling!

Jillius, I've been doing the same thing, but buying slowly throughout our ongoing remodel. I'm going with WS Goldtouch for bakeware. (I like matching sets.) It appears to do pretty well in reviews and quite a few pieces are recommended by America's Test Kitchen. It is also pretty! I cannot review them as of yet. Going into storage until the kitchen is complete.

Another item I have been buying is storage containers, replacing plastic with glass. I've bought and have been using Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid Glass Food Storage Container. I like them very much.

Jillius,

I can recommend a dishwasher safe cookie sheet and jelly roll pan but you won't like the price. I have the Gold ones which are no longer made but will come up on ebay for about 6x what I paid for them 10years ago. My Gold Jelly roll pans did not have the handles of the newer aluminum finish. They are great pans. You can thank me later once you recover from the shock :-)

I second the recommendation for Demeyere. I have a mix of Demeyere and All Clad. I prefer the Demeyere everytime. Mine is the Demeyere Sirocco which they no longer make.

For storage, I use all glass containers. My favorites are the Glasslock. Lots of options on the manufacturer website for containers include round bowls, containers with handles, etc. Costco carries Glasslock and for the sets, it is a great value.

I have spent enough of your money for today:-)

Tomorrow, we can discuss Chopping Boards and Knives!!!!

Good luck!

Another USA Pan fan. I have about six of their pieces. Nothing sticks, easy to wash (you can literally wipe it clean with a paper towel before washing). I don't put in DW.

like prideofowner, I have those Nordic Ware sheets - I think 6 of the half sheets and 2 quarter sheets, very dull and scratched up but I just throw a parchment sheet on them and use them for roasting or baking all sorts of things. They go into the DW. I've used them over 450 for broiling. Right now I'm curious if the larger ones will fit a 24" Miele oven.

I have a few Wilton cake pans that I've used for years, these are the ones with perfectly straight sides, not the slanted ones you often see.

My pots and pans are All Clad, most of which I got at a 70% off sale. Also have a 5 1/2 qt. Lodge cast iron dutch oven and a small Le Crueset.

kiko - I've always put my Chicago Metallic uncoated cookie sheets and my commercial sheet pans in the dishwasher. No problems after many years. Probably because they don't have a non-stick coating.

Homepro1 Williams Sonoma still makes goldtouch sheets and bakeware....

Practigal,

Unfortunately the WS gold touch and the All Clad gold pans are two totally different things. The all clad pans are weighty and the gold is part of the alloy used to make the pan and not a coating. All clad only makes the pan in an aluminum color now. The price is also quite high.

Thank you, everyone, so much for all your input!!! I got SO much more advice than I was expecting, and now I'm really feeling good about what I purchased. We've just placed an order for two of the Vollrath Wear Ever sheet pans and two of the air bake cookie sheets. It was really a toss-up between the Vollrath and the Nordic Ware, though.

Rantontoo, the Heirloom was intriguing! There weren't a lot of reviews out there, but the few that existed were SUPER enthusiastic.

rjknsf and homepro01, apparently now I need Demeyere in my life. I just have to find $300 in the couch cushions.

Wendy and homepro01, thank you so much for reminding me in this process that our glass container situation is abysmal and has been bugging me every time I need to store leftovers. Just ordered some more!

To everyone else, thank you so much for helping me make up my mind!

Congratulations on your new purchases!

I use WS Gold, USA Pans, and some of the plain Nordic Ware for baking, plus for meat/veg/casseroles I have baking/roasting/gratin pans from Falk (copper), Mauviel, All Clad, Staub (enameled cast iron) and Emile Henry (stoneware that can go from freezer to oven). I third/fourth the vote for Demeyere -- especially the Proline fry pans (expect at least 20% off on sale, sometimes more) Miles ahead of All-Clad in performance and ease of use -- but they are heavy (but generally lighter than my cast iron and copper).

Congrats Jillius!

You made good choices.

Congrats on your purchases! Glad to hear you were impressed with the demeyere! There are periodic sales. Also, as long as you are comfortable with cookware that doesn't match, you probably don't need everything to be Atlantis. You could supplement the big items with Industry/Sensation stuff and that will bring the cost down significantly. If you look on Zwillings website under the Clearance section, you will find discounted Sensation pieces.