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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
• CHEFMADE 11-Inch — biggest strength: a thickened 0.8mm carbon steel body with a food-grade silicone non-stick coating (PTFE- and PFOA-free), so food releases easily and cleanup is quick.
• CHEFMADE 11-Inch — biggest trade-off: it is one large 11.2" x 11.2" square pan, so it needs a wide air fryer basket or a full-size oven, and its coating is the part that wears over time.
• P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan — biggest strength: two 10.5" x 8" pans in pure 18/0 stainless steel with no coating to flake, chip or scratch.
• P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan — biggest trade-off: bare stainless steel is not non-stick, so you will lean on oil or parchment, and each pan is small.
• Who each pick is for: CHEFMADE for the cook who wants one big non-stick square for roasting veg, pizza and traybakes; P&P CHEF for the solo cook or small household who wants two pans moving at once in a toaster oven or small air fryer.
The CHEFMADE 11-Inch is built around one idea: a big, square, non-stick surface. The pan measures 11.26" deep by 11.26" wide by 1.34" high (listed as 11.2" x 11.2" x 1.4"), and that square footprint is the whole point. Round and rectangular pans waste corner space in a square air fryer basket; a square pan fills it edge to edge. The 1.4-inch depth is shallow enough to let hot air move over the food but deep enough to hold a layer of chopped vegetables, a batch of cookie dough or a small sheet-pizza without anything sliding off.
The material story matters here. It is thickened 0.8mm carbon steel with a strengthened rim, which is a spec that tells you two things: carbon steel heats fast and spreads that heat evenly, and the reinforced edge is there to resist the warping that thin pans develop when they go from a hot oven to a cool counter. The coating is food-grade silicone, declared PTFE- and PFOA-free, and the brand's own framing is that you get good release with less oil and shorter baking times. Take that as a design intent rather than a promise — but the logic holds, because a non-stick surface means less fat needed for release, and less fat means less moisture barrier between the food and the hot metal.
Who should skip it? Anyone with a small air fryer. An 11.2-inch square will not fit a compact basket, and forcing it in blocks the airflow that makes an air fryer work. It is also not the pan for someone who wants to run two different side dishes at once, since it is one piece. And if you specifically want a coating-free pan, this is not it.
P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan: Who It's For
The P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan takes the opposite approach. It is a set of two pans, each 10.5" long by 8" wide by 1" high, made from pure 18/0 stainless steel with no coating at all. The brand leans hard on that: no toxic or harmful coatings transferring into food, rust resistant, and positioned as a replacement for aluminum pans.
The practical upside of uncoated stainless steel is durability. There is no non-stick layer to scratch with a metal spatula, no coating to degrade, and the mirror finish is designed so food releases reasonably well and cleans up with a dishcloth or sponge in warm soapy water. The pans are also described as dishwasher safe and as keeping their shine after a cycle. The construction is solid steel, which the brand contrasts with ceramic pans and disposable foil trays — a fair point, since a steel pan does not crack like ceramic or get thrown away like foil.
The other half of the design is the shape. Full sides run all the way around, which keeps food contained and stops juices from running across the oven floor — genuinely useful for roasting meat or vegetables that release liquid. The edges are smooth and rolled, so there are no rough spots to catch a hand or a towel.
Then there is the size. Two pans at 10.5" x 8" are small on purpose. The brand says the size fits a toaster oven and calls it a good gift for people who live alone, and that is the honest read: this is a small-batch, one-or-two-person set. For air fryer side dishes, that means each pan holds a modest portion — a single serving of roasted carrots, a handful of green beans, a few sliced mushrooms, a couple of cookies — but you get two of them, so you can run one pan of vegetables and one pan of something else, or stage them one after another.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants non-stick convenience out of the box. Bare 18/0 stainless steel is not non-stick, so eggs, sticky glazes and delicate fish will need oil, butter or parchment. And anyone cooking for four or more will find a single 10.5" x 8" pan limiting for a family-sized side.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for a small air fryer or a toaster oven → P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan. At 10.5" x 8" x 1", each pan is compact enough for tight cavities.
• Best for cooking two sides at once → P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan. You get two pans in the set; CHEFMADE gives you one.
• Best for minimal-oil cooking and easy release → CHEFMADE 11-Inch. The food-grade silicone non-stick coating is the reason.
• Best for coating-free cooking → P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan. Pure 18/0 stainless steel, no non-stick layer involved.
• Best for long-term abuse with metal tools → P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan. There is no coating to scratch.
• Best for even, fast heat and warp resistance → CHEFMADE 11-Inch. Thickened 0.8mm carbon steel with a strengthened edge.
• Best for containing juices and keeping the oven clean → P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan. Full sides all around are built for that job.
• Best for a solo cook or a couple → P&P CHEF Baking Sheet Pan. Small pans, two of them, sized for one or two portions.
For air fryer side dishes, I would buy the CHEFMADE 11-Inch. The reason is simple: side dishes are usually vegetables, and vegetables want surface area and release. The 11.2" square spreads a single layer across a square basket, the 0.8mm carbon steel heats fast and evenly, and the non-stick coating means I can skip the oil-and-scrub routine that bare steel demands. In my opinion it is the more enjoyable pan for the job, as long as your air fryer basket is genuinely wide enough for it.
I would switch to the P&P CHEF set in one clear case: a compact air fryer or a toaster oven, or a household of one or two where two small pans beat one big one. If coating-free steel is a priority for you, that choice makes itself. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before deciding — the specs here are the real differentiator, not the number on the page.
FAQ
what dishes are safe to use in an air fryer
Any oven-safe pan that fits your basket without blocking airflow. Both pans here qualify on material: the CHEFMADE is carbon steel with a PTFE- and PFOA-free silicone coating, and the P&P CHEF is pure 18/0 stainless steel with no coating. The deciding factor is size — the CHEFMADE at 11.2" square needs a wide basket, while the P&P CHEF pans at 10.5" x 8" fit small air fryers and toaster ovens.
what dishes can i use in an air fryer
can dishes be used in an air fryer
Yes, provided the dish is oven-safe and sized to leave room around it. Both of these are metal bakeware designed for oven heat, so the material is not the issue. What matters is fit: an 11.2" square pan in a narrow basket will choke the circulation, while the 10.5" x 8" P&P CHEF pans are the safer pick for compact air fryers.
what are good side dishes for air fryer chicken legs
Think single-layer vegetables and quick breads: broccoli and cauliflower florets, Brussels sprouts, pepper and onion strips, cubed potatoes, green beans, sliced mushrooms and garlic bread. Use the CHEFMADE 11-Inch to spread a bigger batch in one layer, or the P&P CHEF pans to run two smaller sides at once — one for vegetables, one for something like a small batch of cookies or a serving-pan portion.
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