February 26, 2025

ePAN®: The Energy-Efficient Pan Transforming Bakeries

Energy-efficient AND high-performance baking pans? It’s possible. Our ePAN® designs are changing the game for bakeries that need to improve their operations – and their products – while getting the most value out of their pans. 

What is an ePAN®?

ePAN® baking pans were designed by our expert team members at American Pan and are manufactured exclusively by American Pan to be the strongest, lightest, most energy-efficient bread and bun pans available in the world. Each ePAN® is crafted with our proprietary high-strength aluminized steel in a design that offers superior durability.

ePAN® Features

• Energy efficient design: Our exclusive manufacturing material and design allows pans to heat and cool quickly.
• Less resource consumption: ePAN® pans require less raw materials than traditional pans.
• Ergonomic: These pans can weigh up to 30% less than pans made of standard aluminized steel and make it easier for employees and equipment to handle the pans.
• Excellent life cycle value: The high-tensile strength aluminized steel reduces the potential for damage and wear to the pans and pan handling equipment.
• Coating options: ePAN® designs are available in all of our world-class coating options.

When and Why You Should Use ePAN® Products

ePANs offer unmatched value in two key situations: reducing energy requirements for baking and reducing wear and tear on your systems. Here’s how they work.

Improve the Efficiency of Your Bakery

The high-strength, low-weight design translates to major efficiency gains for your bakery. You already know ovens are big energy consumers in your operation. Thanks to ePAN® design features, many of our ePAN® customers have been able to reduce oven temperatures and bake times, which means ePANs can increase throughput without increasing energy consumption.

Reduce Bakery System Wear and Tear

Significant reductions to pan weight reduces wear and tear on bakery equipment such as conveyors, de-panners, pan stackers, and more. Over an entire bakery cycle, using ePAN® products instead of traditional pans can remove thousands of pounds of weight.

High-tensile strength aluminized steel is a powerhouse material that gives the best of both worlds: more strength with less weight. This strong material resists dents and warping through your system, meaning you’ll get more longevity out of your ePAN® products.

ePAN® Savings in Action

An American Pan customer in Australia was experiencing problems with their bread pans. Nesting was causing the coating to abrade on the top rims, dramatically shortening the coating life. The pan bottoms were also exposed and experiencing significant denting.

In response, we created a 4×4 ePAN® strapped bread set with a high-strength aluminized steel top strap and  bumper with air circulating holes that solved both of these problems, and led to some impressive gains:

• 21% reduced pan weight
• Increased production by 100+ loaves per hour
• Decreased oven temp by 30℃ (86°F)
• Reduced bake time by 0.5 minutes
• Increased coating life by more than 40% 
• Reduced gas usage by 7.8% per loaf

Not only did our customer see huge improvements in pan performance and efficiency, but their bread loaves came out even better than before! Before switching to ePAN® designs, the end and center loaves had a darker finish than the loaves in the middle of the pan set. With the new ePAN® design, each loaf was baked more consistently. That beautiful golden-brown finish speaks for itself! 

Better Breads with ePAN®

You won’t find a more durable, value-added pan than the ePAN®. Curious about how they can transform your baking operation? Fill out our ePAN® inquiry form to get started.