Pan Size Guide: How Many Quarts Is a 9×13 Pan?

Cooking and baking can be likened to math. Measurements are important. You want to get your numbers right from the get-go if you want to give your dish its best chance. With that said, understanding conversions becomes crucial.

That’s where we come in. We’ll do the math for you!

So, are you looking for a pan size guide to know how many quarts is a 9×13 pan? Well, you came to the right place. Today, we will be answering this important kitchen question.

So, without further delay, let’s dish this out.

How Many Quarts Is a 9×13 Pan?

How Many Quarts Is a 9x13 Pan

First things first. Let’s answer how many quarts there are in a 9×13 pan. For this question, let us assume the pan has a standard height – 2 inches.

A 9×13 pan should have the capacity to hold around 3.75 or 3 3/4 quarts. This isn’t a whole number. As you might already know, it’s almost always easier working with whole numbers, so let’s fix that.

3.75 quarts would be around 15 cups. Next, you might ask how many ounces are in a cup. This measurement might be different at different places, but we’re going to use the US standard, which is 8 ounces. So, a 9×13 pan would be around 120 ounces.

So, to bring that all together, a 9×13 pan could hold 3.75 quarts or 15 cups or 120 ounces. [How to Measure a Frying Pan?]

Simple Pan Size Guide

Okay, so you now know how many quarts there are in a 9×13 pan. Here is a simple guide you can use for other commonly used pans.

Quarts Measurement

Volume by Cups

9-inch round cake pan

2 quarts (8 cups)

9-inch springform pan

2.5 quart (10 cups)

9x5 bread pan

2 quarts (8 cups)

10-inch tube pan

4 quarts (16 cups)

10-inch bundt pan

3 quarts (12 cups)

These are only some of the most commonly used pans out there, and you might not have seen your pan here. If your pan is not here, you don’t have to worry. The next part of this discussion might be able to help you with that.

Neat Trick

9x13 Pan

As you might already know, there are dozens and dozens of pans out there. Well, allow us to show you a neat trick that could help you figure out how many quarts or cups your pans can hold without needing to consult a guide.

You might have to do some math here, but it won’t be that complicated, and it could even possibly be a lot easier than consulting a guide every time.

So, earlier, we showed you the breakdown from pan to quarts to cups and so on. That was not for nothing. Remember how we converted the measurements into cups and then ounces? Yes? Good! That would come in handy right now.

First, get a measuring cup. If you have a measuring cup, that would be great. It might take some time, but all you have to do is pour a cup of water on the pan one at a time until it becomes full. Make sure you count how many cups it took to fill the pan!

Once your pan is full and you have tallied how many cups your pan can hold, it’s time to do some math. Just remember, 1 cup is equal to .25 or 1/4 quart. Remember, for simplicity, 4 cups is equal to 1 quart.

9×13 Pan Alternatives

If the recipe you are following calls for a 9×13 pan, and you don’t have one at your disposal, then you don’t have to worry. You might not have to check every pan you have to see what you could use as an alternative. Check out these top three alternatives we think you can substitute.

A 10-inch tube pan

A 10-inch tube pan

As we have said earlier, this pan can hold about 16 cups. A 9×13 pan holds around 15 cups. We think it’s a pretty good alternative given it can accommodate the 15 cups with some extra room.

9-inch round cake pan

9-inch round cake pan

This pan is another good option. However, if you’re going to use this, you would want to use two of this. Again, if you look at the simple pan size guide we showed you earlier, you could see that a single 9-inch round cake pan can hold about 8 cups, so two pans would add up to 16 cups. That’s enough to carry the 15 cups a 9×13 pan could.

8-inch pan

8-inch pan

With this one, you might need around three to four pans. An 8-inch pan can hold around 4 cups. Using four of these could accommodate the same number of cups as a 10-inch tube pan and two 9-inch round cake pans.

Things to Keep in Mind

Before you get or buy a pan, here are some things for you to consider.

Keep the Height in Mind

In the computation above, we assumed that the pan is 2 inches high because that is a common pan height. However, you might want to keep in mind that pans come in different shapes, sizes, and heights. If your pan is shallower or taller, the numbers could still change. You might want to try out the trick we showed you earlier if that’s the case to be sure of the volume your pan can hold.

buy a pan

Changing Pans and Changing Temperatures

As you might already know, you can’t just change pans if you don’t have the one the recipe needs. On the other hand, it might not sound appealing to buy a new one whenever you don’t have the one needed. Should you leave the recipe and move on then? No!

You can most probably still use the pan you have. However, you might have to make lots of adjustments. You might have to make some adjustments to the ingredients. However, the thing you might want to keep a close eye on is the temperature and baking time. These factors could easily change when you change pans.

Buying Pans

With that, it might be a good time to point out that you can’t just buy pans. Technically, you could. However, that might give you a hard time at times. That is unless you plan on buying all the sizes. That would be neat, but we don’t think many have enough kitchen cabinets to store that many pans!

Sometimes, recipes specify a particular pan, and substituting isn’t always straightforward.

If you follow recipes often, you will most probably not have the needed pan at all times. In that case, you might want to opt for the most common sizes when buying pans.

While our focus today is on sizes, remember to also consider the material when buying bakeware.

Should I Get a 9×13 Pan?

Okay, so you might not have a 9×13 pan yet. Getting or not getting one would boil down to the dishes you plan on making. Generally, though, getting a 9×13 pan is a good idea. That is especially true if you plan on making dishes to share with friends and family often.

Why Can My 9×13 Pan Hold Less or More Cups?

You may have tried out the trick we just showed you. However, you might have been surprised because your 9×13 pan held fewer or more cups than we said. You might have also checked to see if its height is shorter or taller than 2 inches. With that, you might have found out it is exactly 2 inches like our example. So, what’s wrong?

It’s possible that your pan’s dimensions aren’t as advertised. It is quite possible. It doesn’t happen that often, but it could happen. If you have a hunch your pan is smaller or bigger than what it says it is, then you might want to check. These differences could impact the dishes you would be making, after all.

With that, it might be a good time to note that this is one of the reasons why it is a good idea to only buy from trusted brands. You could still try out unknown brands, but you might want to be a little cautious at first.

Is a 9×13 Pan the Same as a 13×9 Pan?

If you’re like me, I like following recipes and instructions to the dot. This slight difference would have me double-checking. You must be like me since you’re checking this section. Well, let me ease your worries. A 9×13 pan is the same as a 13×9 pan.

In other cases, 9×13 and 13×9 are not the same. However, since we’re talking about pans, you can expect that these two could hold the same volume.

Summary

And that wraps things up. That was “The Amazing Pan Size Guide: How Many Quarts is a 9×13 Pan?” for you!

Now, if you have any other questions or concerns, or if you want to know some more tips and tricks, feel free to check out our past discussions. We might have the thing you need!

How Many Quarts Is 9x13 Pan

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