Really???

I definitely see the need for a solution like this, but would it damage the pans in any way? Would it result in some kind of temperature shock or something?

Ha! I totally do this too. It's a very simple and effective method if you only have one pan.

When I was a kid my mom would never let me do this. She said the extreme change in temperature would eventually warp the pan. I did it anyway a few times and found out she was right.

I only have two cookie sheets, but I've never really had this problem. I generally let the cookies cool for 3-ish minutes on the sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack. After another three minutes or so, the pan is room temperature and ready for more cookies, and my second batch is not out of the oven yet. Really, I don't see this as being an issue. After 5-6 minutes, the pan is no longer hot enough to melt butter, not by a long shot.

the problem with this is that my cookies are usually too gooey when they first come out of the oven to even attempt to get them off of the pan without them squishing into a hot mess... i need the bottom of the cookie to firm up a bit before taking them off. that's what takes so long for me :( this solution won't save time for me. anyone have ideas for cooling the pan BEFORE the cookies come off? i used to just use parchment paper and slide off the whole paper onto a cooling rack, but now that i've switched to a silpat, i can't do that anymore.

I do this as well. But I use half pans from the restaurant supply store. They're very sturdy and, since they have a lip, I turn them over and use the back side (with parchment paper) for cookies. Funny, I do the same thing with my curling iron, after unplugging it, to cool it off before putting it in my suitcase.

I never even realized you weren't supposed to put the next batch on a hot pan, but like julie42 said by the time you wait for the cookies to cool a bit and transfer to the cooling rack the pan has cooled down a bit anyway.

@FrontPorchPirate, like s7mylsup I use sheet pans from a restaurant supply store, and never have an issue with warping. They are sturdy enough to take the quick temperature change.

@julie42, perhaps you live in a cooler climate than I do? In Los Angeles, it definitely takes longer than 5 minutes for a hot pan to come to room temperature.

Yeah, this warps the pan. BADLY. If the change from hot to cold doesnt, the change from cold water to hot oven will. Horrible tip.

Here's a better tip: Once you get the cookies off your sheet, put on an oven mitt and wave the sheet around a bit.

Or you can scoop your cookies onto parchment on a cool pan, or cutting board, or whatever, refrigerate until ready, then quickly move the parchment onto the warm baking sheet and back in the oven.

This will warp a pan pretty badly. If you stick to aluminum cookie sheets you shouldn't have this problem, aluminum cools very quickly and doesn't hold heat well.

I have 3 sheets that I just rotate so have never had the need to do this. However, good to know.

I've never cooled my baking sheet in between batches, but I guess like the other readers said, after waiting a few minutes for the first batch of cookies to set, the pan is cool enough to handle and I just put the next batch on. My cookie dough often comes straight out of the freezer (so it's very cold!0... so that may help too.

I use parchment paper to line the pan. When the cookies are done, I slide the paper off on to the cooling racks.

Here in Michigan, we have a surplus of cold air, so I just place the pans near my slightly opened door. They cool off very quickly - usually before the next batch is done in the oven.

I learned in college that in order to cool a hot plate (printmaking--intaglio), place it on the press without any of the wool blankets. The press bed is metal, therefore, the heat from the hot plate will transfer onto the press bed.

I've always used this same principle when cooling baking sheets. I put them on the sink (stainless steel) to cool it off faster.

Doesn't running hot metal under cool/cold water warp it even more?

How much space does another cookie sheet really take up? I have limited storage space, but I never have a problem storing cookie sheets--they're so thin that the space needed for one is generally big enough to fit 2 or 3.

After doing the "not enough cookie sheet" dance enough times, I just sucked it up, went to the grocery store and bought a couple of the cheapest, thinnest cookie sheets they sold. I think they were 3 bucks a pop. And they work great. I think no matter how small the kitchen, if you're rapid fire baking cookies os fast that waiting the few minutes for the pan to cool is too much, you need to just get the extra set of pans.

Also, if your pans are taking that long to cool (yes, even in LA) sounds like they're thick, insulated "non-stick" pans. Hoooorible for cookies! Like others said, cheaper aluminum pans or just thin generic cookie sheets will bake better, more even and cool quicker without warping.

I have very thick aluminum cookie sheets from the local restaurant supply store, 5 years of heavy use later they have not warped.

I don't do this, and I don't really understand the need. Then again I keep my cookie dough in the fridge, roll them into little balls before baking so they come out perfectly round. They also don't melt on contact with a warm pan.

I'm struggling to see the need for this. I live in Malibu, where it was in the 80's this weekend. Even in my hot kitchen, my pans cool fairly quickly. I have two pans. While one is in the oven, the other sits on my countertop. My average batch takes about 12 minutes. My pans are cool in that time, no problem. I use cheap half sheet pans from a restaurant supply store. Not sure if that makes a different.

I have several pans that I rotate but if I really needed to I've just stuck it in the fridge for a bit after it's cooled on the counter, never had a problem with warping.

Sorry...I love this site and most of your advice is usually...useful. I'm sure that some cookie sheets will warp but I've never had one that would from running it under water after being in the oven. So maybe it's just me but this advice was a little obvious like "help! How do I cool down a hot frying pan so I can cook more stuff in it?"

I just stick it in the freezer for 30 seconds

At the moment, the pans cool down just fine in the amount of time it takes for me to slide cookies/crackers onto a cooling rack and put the new batch on them. Bit chilly in my current place, to be sure, but I did the same thing in my last place without incident or detriment to the final product.

Seriously, I am really curious about what kind of pans you people use that will warp at cookie-baking temperatures. I pretty much only have crappy pans from Target and I couldn't even imagine this being a problem.

Skillets, or anything exposed to direct heat, are a different matter, but seriously, we're not talking about dunking your cookware in an ice bath.

@jenawithonen

I second waving the pan around for a little bit, the heat dissipates really quickly (not more than 30 seconds or so). This trick saved me a loads of time on my pre Thanksgiving baking!

I just wave them around for about ten seconds, maybe 20. I like my sheets to much to risk warping them.

I use several sheets of parchment to rotate batches of dough on the hot cookie sheets. No waiting. You are busy loading the parchment sheets while batches are baking. When you slide the next parchment sheet on the hot metal it's only seconds till you put it in the oven so the cookies start baking and don't spread too much. Make sure to have good potholders.

I do this all the time with sturdy, restaurant grade jelly roll pans and I've never had warping. I've baked thousands of delicious cookies on sheets that have been cooled under cold water! Haven't done it in a while, though... I acquired an additional set of pans on the cheap via craigslist and no longer have the need to rapidly cool them.

I don't bother cooling trays between cooking batches of cookies and have never noticed any difference in my final result. I have 2 sheets, that I use at the same time.Each is lined with baking paper, which I bake my cookies on, then once they come out of the oven I transfer the baking paper with the cookies on them onto a cooling rack. I then replace the baking paper and load on my next batch. Once the second batch is done you can reuse the paper from the first batch

Why take the risk with warping your pans to try this little experiment? My husband managed to turn several good jelly roll pans into roasting pans/drip catchers the oven after "helping" do dishes.

He meant well and it was an honest mistake, but warped pans aren't good for a whole lot (depending on how bad it is).

I have a teeny-tiny kitchen with just a few square feet of counter space (most of which is occupied by the sink) and have very little trouble alternating between two baking sheets. Yeah, it's chaotic and messy in the kitchen when I bake, but that's what cleanup is for! :)

I'm all for space-saving and time-saving tips, but not tips that might wind up costing me more.

Not sure how much they are at restaurant supply stores, but two half sheet pans, a quarter sheet pan, and a lid for one of the half sheets it less than $20 at Costco.

You guys. Wave them around in the air. It cools them down *really* fast.

I have 6 cookies sheets for a reason.... I could use more even since I bake large batches of cookies at one time. Running under cold water really isn't a good idea. It may not warp them the first time but I can happen some time down the line.

We did this growing up, but I think we avoided warping because we started out with hot water - to wash off the grease- and then would change it to cold, so it wasn't abrupt. My Mom's cookie sheets are decades old and still very bright and shiny as the oils never have time to bake on until black.

I do the same thing as P-a-t-t-y, while the first batch is cooking you prepare your next batch(es) on parchment/baking paper ready to lift or slide onto the sheet when it's ready.

I just have a couple other baking sheets ready and put them in front of the fan to cool down the cookies and sheets faster.

I've been doing this for a long time and never understood why my pans became so gross! Now I know!