Parchment paper vs wax paper

What It Means

Parchment paper and wax paper are both thin kitchen papers sold on rolls, but only parchment is made to go in the oven. Reynolds says its parchment is oven safe up to 425°F, while wax paper can't take high heat and will melt if it's exposed to too much of it. Both are safe in the microwave, and wax paper has one oven exception: it can line a pan when the batter covers it completely.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Do we have parchment, or only wax paper?"
• "Grab the parchment for the cookie sheets."
• "Is wax paper okay in the microwave?"

The Breakdown

Side by side, per Reynolds

Pick parchment paper if the paper will sit in the oven with any part of it exposed: cookies on a sheet, roasting at 425°F or below, or anything where the edges stick out past the food.

Pick wax paper if you're covering food in the microwave, or lining a cake, bread or brownie pan where the batter will cover every bit of the paper.

When neither works. Above 425°F, under the broiler and in a toaster oven, Reynolds' directions rule out both. Check the recipe for another way to line or cover the pan.

Good to Know

Reynolds' 425°F limit applies to its own parchment, so read the box of any other brand before it goes in a hot oven. Reynolds also says to keep parchment from touching an open flame or the sides of the oven.

Related Terms and Categories

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• Seasoning cast iron

  Baking a very thin coat of cooking oil onto cast iron cookware so it sets on the surface. Lodge bakes it for one hour at 450 to 500°F.

• Room temperature ingredients

  Ingredients such as butter and eggs warmed from fridge-cold before baking; King Arthur Baking puts room-temperature butter at about 68°F to 72°F.

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