Stay-flat sheet pan

A method for making a flat sheet pan, comprising:

• (a) providing a piece of metal having known dimensions;
• (b) forming a baking surface in the piece of material;
• (c) forming an upwardly extending tension bow in the baking surface, wherein the upwardly-extending tension bow is operative to provide structural reinforcement to the baking surface;
• (d) forming a sidewall portion, wherein the sidewall portion surrounds the baking surface in its entirety and defines an interior surface of the sheet pan and an exterior surface of the sheet pan;
• (e) forming a structural reinforcement rib in the sidewall portion;
• (f) providing a band of material that surrounds an entire upper region of the sidewall portion above the structural reinforcement rib, wherein the band of material is a flat wire band, and wherein the flat wire band is operative to provide structural reinforcement to the sheet pan;
• (g) rolling the topmost region of the sidewall portion downward and away from the baking surface to form a rim, having:
• (i) an outside portion that defines the outer edge of the sheet pan, and
• (ii) an inside portion, wherein the inside portion of the rim abuts the sidewall portion on the exterior surface of the sheet pan;
• (h) completely enclosing the flat wire band within the rim by crimping the inside portion of the rim against the exterior surface of the sheet pan, and wherein completely enclosing the flat wire band within the rim by crimping the inside portion of the rim against the exterior surface of the sheet pan creates a seal that prevents contaminants from entering the interior of the rim;
• and
• (i) depositing a release coating on some or all of the surfaces of the sheet pan.