Compare two baking pans and find out exactly how much to scale your recipe.
1. Original pan
3. Units
2. New pan
Pan conversion
Your result
Your scaling factor will appear here.
HOW IT WORKS
Use a Different Pan Without Guessing
The Pan Size Converter compares the surface area of your original baking pan with the one you want to use. It then calculates how much to increase or decrease the recipe so the mixture stays at roughly the same depth.
You can compare round, square and rectangular pans in inches or centimeters. The pans do not need to be the same shape.
A Quick Example
You have a recipe written for an 8-inch round pan, but your pan is 10 inches.
8-inch area → 50.3 square inches (in²)
10-inch area → 78.5 square inches (in²)
Size difference → 56% larger
Multiply the ingredients by ×1.56
A recipe serving 8 would make roughly 12.5 equivalent servings at the same depth.
Why Pan Area Matters
Round Pans
A small increase in diameter creates a much larger increase in area. A 10-inch round pan is not simply 25% larger than an 8-inch pan. Its baking area is about 56% larger.
Square & Rectangular Pans
For square and rectangular pans, area comes from length × width. This lets you compare different shapes directly, such as a round cake pan with a rectangular baking dish.
Different Shapes Are Fine
The important comparison is the available baking area, not whether the pans look alike. The converter handles the geometry and gives you one ingredient multiplier to work with.
Use Inches or Centimetres
You can enter your pan dimensions in either inches or centimeters. Switching between the two automatically converts dimensions you have already entered.
8 inches (in) = 20.32 centimeters (cm)
9 inches (in) = 22.86 centimeters (cm)
10 inches (in) = 25.4 centimeters (cm)
WHAT ABOUT BAKING TIME?
The Ingredient Multiplier Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
The converter aims to keep the mixture at roughly the same depth by scaling the recipe according to pan area. That makes it a useful starting point, but baking time can still change.
Pan material, shape, oven performance and the recipe itself all affect how quickly food cooks. Keep the original oven temperature unless the recipe gives other instructions, but start checking for doneness earlier when using a different pan.
When You Change Pans
- Scale ingredients by pan area
- Keep the oven temperature as your starting point
- Do not assume the original baking time will be exact
- Check for doneness rather than relying only on the clock
- Remember that metal, glass and ceramic pans can behave differently
From Pan Multiplier to Ingredient List
Once you know your pan multiplier, apply it to every ingredient in the recipe. The Recipe Scaler can handle the quantities and turn awkward results into more practical kitchen measurements.
Pan Size Converter FAQs
Can I convert between different pan shapes?
Yes. You can compare round, square and rectangular pans. The converter compares their surface areas, so the original and new pans do not need to have the same shape.
Can I use centimeters instead of inches?
Yes. The converter works with either inches or centimeters. If you switch units after entering dimensions, the values are converted automatically.
Why does a 10-inch pan need so much more mixture than an 8-inch pan?
Pan capacity increases with area, not simply with diameter. An 8-inch round pan has an area of about 50.3 square inches, while a 10-inch round pan has about 78.5 square inches. That makes the 10-inch pan roughly 56% larger by baking area.
Should I change the oven temperature?
Usually the original temperature remains a sensible starting point. The baking time may change, however, so check the recipe for doneness rather than relying only on the original time.
Does pan depth matter?
Yes. The calculator compares surface area and assumes you are trying to maintain roughly the same mixture depth. Very shallow, very deep or unusually shaped pans may behave differently, so make sure the scaled mixture will fit comfortably without overfilling the pan.
Can I calculate the new number of servings?
Yes. Enter the original number of servings and the converter will estimate how many equivalent servings the scaled recipe would produce in the new pan.
Now Adapt the Rest of Your Recipe
Scale the ingredients using your new multiplier, or convert measurements between US, UK and metric units.