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I'm a quick bread kind of guy (pumpkin bread is my fave). I love my teflon-coated steel pans, until they start to flake and rust and I have to buy new ones so I don't get schmutz on my crusts. Two just bit the big one on me, so it's time for new ones, and I'd like to buy ones that won't need replacing in two or three years.

(An aside: I'm not worried about health effects here. Aluminum does not cause cancer or Alzheimer's; teflon coatings don't emit dangerous gasses at standard oven temperatures. In general, I trust the FDA and the legions of tort lawyers to protect me.)

Here are the alternatives I'm considering:

• More teflon-coated steel pans. They're relatively cheap, they release easily without needing to be greased-and-floured, and give me good results. If there were a type that didn't decay over time I'd be very interested.

• Pyrex pans. They're extremely durable, but they're heavy, and I wonder how they'll do with quick breads. Would need to be greased-and-floured.

• Silicone pans. They look interesting, although I've never owned one. I'm worried about the floppiness, how they'll bake, and whether they'll show lines from the supporting oven rack.

• Anodized aluminum pans. My thirty-year-old Calphalon saucepans have served me well, so I'd hope similar (probably much thinner) loaf pans would also last. I assume that (if greased-and-floured) they'd bake similarly to the teflon-coated steel pans.

• Uncoated aluminum pans. They would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about corrosion in the long term.

• Ceramic loaf pans. They're heavy, would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about their heat-capacity slowing down the baking.

So, which of these would give me good quick-bread loaves, and last a long time?

I'm a quick bread kind of guy (pumpkin bread is my fave). I love my teflon-coated steel pans, until they start to flake and rust and I have to buy new ones so I don't get schmutz on my crusts. Two just bit the big one on me, so it's time for new ones, and I'd like to buy ones that won't need replacing in two or three years.

(An aside: I'm not worried about health effects here. Aluminum does not cause cancer or Alzheimer's; teflon coatings don't emit dangerous gasses at standard oven temperatures. In general, I trust the FDA and the legions of tort lawyers to protect me.)

Here are the alternatives I'm considering:

• More teflon-coated steel pans. They're relatively cheap, they release easily without needing to be greased-and-floured, and give me good results. If there were a type that didn't decay over time I'd be very interested.

• Pyrex pans. They're extremely durable, but they're heavy, and I wonder how they'll do with quick breads. Would need to be greased-and-floured.

• Silicone pans. They look interesting, although I've never owned one. I'm worried about the floppiness, how they'll bake, and whether the bread will show lines from heat conducted from the supporting oven rack.

• Anodized aluminum pans. My thirty-year-old Calphalon saucepans have served me well, so I'd hope similar (probably much thinner) loaf pans would also last. I assume that (if greased-and-floured) they'd bake similarly to the teflon-coated steel pans.

• Uncoated aluminum pans. They would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about corrosion in the long term.

• Ceramic loaf pans. They're heavy, would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about their heat-capacity slowing down the baking.

So, which of these would give me good quick-bread loaves, and last a long time?

I'm a quick bread kind of guy (pumpkin bread is my fave). I love my teflon-coated steel pans, until they start to flake and rust and I have to buy new ones so I don't get schmutz on my crusts. Two just bit the big one on me, so it's time for new ones, and I'd like to buy ones that won't need replacing in two or three years.

(An aside: I'm not worried about health effects here. Aluminum does not cause cancer or Alzheimer's; teflon coatings don't emit dangerous gasses at standard oven temperatures. In general, I trust the FDA and tort lawyers to protect me.)

Here are the alternatives I'm considering:

• More teflon-coated steel pans. They're relatively cheap, they release easily without needing to be greased-and-floured, and give me good results. If there were a type that didn't decay over time I'd be very interested.

• Pyrex pans. They're extremely durable, but they're heavy, and I wonder how they'll do with quick breads. Would need to be greased-and-floured.

• Silicone pans. They look interesting, although I've never owned one. I'm worried about the floppiness, how they'll bake, and whether they'll show lines from the supporting oven rack.

• Anodized aluminum pans. My thirty-year-old Calphalon saucepans have served me well, so I'd hope similar (probably much thinner) loaf pans would also last. I assume that (if greased-and-floured) they'd bake similarly to the teflon-coated steel pans.

• Uncoated aluminum pans. They would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about corrosion in the long term.

• Ceramic loaf pans. They're heavy, would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about their heat-capacity slowing down the baking.

So, which of these would give me good quick-bread loaves, and last a long time?

I'm a quick bread kind of guy (pumpkin bread is my fave). I love my teflon-coated steel pans, until they start to flake and rust and I have to buy new ones so I don't get schmutz on my crusts. Two just bit the big one on me, so it's time for new ones, and I'd like to buy ones that won't need replacing in two or three years.

(An aside: I'm not worried about health effects here. Aluminum does not cause cancer or Alzheimer's; teflon coatings don't emit dangerous gasses at standard oven temperatures. In general, I trust the FDA and the legions of tort lawyers to protect me.)

Here are the alternatives I'm considering:

• More teflon-coated steel pans. They're relatively cheap, they release easily without needing to be greased-and-floured, and give me good results. If there were a type that didn't decay over time I'd be very interested.

• Pyrex pans. They're extremely durable, but they're heavy, and I wonder how they'll do with quick breads. Would need to be greased-and-floured.

• Silicone pans. They look interesting, although I've never owned one. I'm worried about the floppiness, how they'll bake, and whether they'll show lines from the supporting oven rack.

• Anodized aluminum pans. My thirty-year-old Calphalon saucepans have served me well, so I'd hope similar (probably much thinner) loaf pans would also last. I assume that (if greased-and-floured) they'd bake similarly to the teflon-coated steel pans.

• Uncoated aluminum pans. They would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about corrosion in the long term.

• Ceramic loaf pans. They're heavy, would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about their heat-capacity slowing down the baking.

So, which of these would give me good quick-bread loaves, and last a long time?

I'm a quick bread kind of guy (pumpkin bread is my fave). I love my teflon-coated steel pans, until they start to flake and rust and I have to buy new ones so I don't get schmutz on my crusts. Two just bit the big one on me, so it's time for new ones, and I'd like to buy ones that won't need replacing in two or three years.

(An aside: I'm not worried about health effects here. Aluminum does not cause cancer or Alzheimer's; teflon coatings don't emit dangerous gasses at standard oven temperatures. In general, I trust the FDA and tort lawyers to protect me.)

Here are the alternatives I'm considering:

• More teflon-coated steel pans. They're relatively cheap, they release easily without needing to be greased-and-floured, and give me good results. If there were a type that didn't decay over time I'd be very interested.

• Pyrex pans. They're extremely durable, but they're heavy, and I wonder how they'll do with quick breads. Would need to be greased-and-floured.

• Silicone pans. They look interesting, although I've never owned one. I'm worried about the floppiness, how they'll bake, and whether they'll show lines from the supporting oven rack.

• Anodized aluminum pans. My thirty-year-old Calphalon saucepans have served me well, so I'd hope similar (probably much thinner) loaf pans would also last. I assume that (if greased-and-floured) they'd bake similarly to the teflon-coated steel pans.

• Uncoated aluminum pans. They would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about corrosion in the long term.

• Ceramic loaf pans. They're heavy, and I'd wonder about their heatå

So, which of these would give me good quick-bread loaves, and last a long time?

I'm a quick bread kind of guy (pumpkin bread is my fave). I love my teflon-coated steel pans, until they start to flake and rust and I have to buy new ones so I don't get schmutz on my crusts. Two just bit the big one on me, so it's time for new ones, and I'd like to buy ones that won't need replacing in two or three years.

(An aside: I'm not worried about health effects here. Aluminum does not cause cancer or Alzheimer's; teflon coatings don't emit dangerous gasses at standard oven temperatures. In general, I trust the FDA and tort lawyers to protect me.)

Here are the alternatives I'm considering:

• More teflon-coated steel pans. They're relatively cheap, they release easily without needing to be greased-and-floured, and give me good results. If there were a type that didn't decay over time I'd be very interested.

• Pyrex pans. They're extremely durable, but they're heavy, and I wonder how they'll do with quick breads. Would need to be greased-and-floured.

• Silicone pans. They look interesting, although I've never owned one. I'm worried about the floppiness, how they'll bake, and whether they'll show lines from the supporting oven rack.

• Anodized aluminum pans. My thirty-year-old Calphalon saucepans have served me well, so I'd hope similar (probably much thinner) loaf pans would also last. I assume that (if greased-and-floured) they'd bake similarly to the teflon-coated steel pans.

• Uncoated aluminum pans. They would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about corrosion in the long term.

• Ceramic loaf pans. They're heavy, would need to be greased-and-floured, and I'd wonder about their heat-capacity slowing down the baking.

So, which of these would give me good quick-bread loaves, and last a long time?