TEST KITCHEN By DANIELLE CENTONI   You're in the mood to bake. So you rifle through your recipes and settle on a yummy looking pumpkin bread. You check to make sure you have the ingredients, then reach into the cupboard to grab a loaf pan. Except, like many bakers, you've amassed a collection: This one's glass, that one's dark metal, this one's light metal and that one is silicone. Which one do you choose? Tough question. Although they'd all work, the results will be slightly different depending on which one you use. Each of those materials -- glass, dark metal, etc. -- conducts heat differently, making them better suited for different things. Whether you're baking quick bread, cake, pie or cookies, here's a breakdown of how each material performs, so you can make informed choices this baking season. Metal Metal pans are usually made with aluminum, which is an excellent heat conductor. This means foods baked in these pans will bake quickly and efficiently with rich browning. Dark metal, however, is even more efficient because it absorbs more heat than light-colored metal. That means foods baked with dark metals pans will cook faster and brown more. These qualities are a boon for pie baking and some breads where you want a crisp crust, but not so much for brownies, cakes and cookies that could end up overly browned before they are done. If you're concerned about too much browning, you can lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees when using a dark metal pan. Metal heats up and cools down quickly, which is great for most baked goods, and it can withstand stints under the broiler. Many metal pans are coated in a nonstick finish, so avoid using metal tools with these pans, which can scratch them. Glass and ceramic Glass isn't as good a conductor of heat as metal, but it's great insulator, making it retain heat well. Because of this glass performs a lot like dark metal -- foods absorb more heat and bake faster, making glass a good choice for pies and some breads. Plus, glass makes it easier to see if a food is browning too much or too little, so you can adjust your oven accordingly. Because foods often bake faster in glass, some cooks say you should reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees and/or the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes. Cook's Illustrated, however , says that's not necessary. When in doubt: Keep an eye on your baked goods and reduce the heat if it seems like the outside is cooking much faster than the inside. Everyone's oven is different, after all. Glass is nonreactive, making it a good choice for foods with acidic ingredients such as citrus or tomatoes. Keep in mind that glass can shatter if not handled properly -- and we're not just talking about dropping it. Sudden changes in temperature are a big no-no -- particularly when going from hot to cold, rather than vice versa. Pyrex, one of the biggest manufacturers of glass bakeware, says its products are safe going from freezer to preheated oven. But you wouldn't want to do the reverse. Still, you don't want to put glass directly on a heat source, like a burner, and don't put it under the broiler. If your oven engages the broiler when preheating, be sure the oven is fully preheated before you put a glass pan in it. Also, don't put a hot glass pan on a wet surface, as the water will conduct heat away and cause a sudden loss of temperature that could lead to shattering. Banging the hot pan on the counter can also cause sudden shattering. And glass pans that are scratched up from scouring pads or knives can be more likely to shatter. Ceramic performs much like glass -- it retains heat well and is sensitive to losses in temperature. Silicone Lightweight, flexible, shatterproof, nonreactive and nonstick -- there's a lot to love about silicone. The only trouble is silicone is not conductive, so foods baked in silicone pans resist browning. If that's what you're after, as in delicate cookies or cakes, silicone is a good choice. Note that because silicone pans are flexible, extra care is required when handling them full of batter; a rimless baking sheet can be useful for sliding the pans on and off counters and oven racks. Danielle Centoni is a Portland freelance writer.

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