Muffins are yummy-tasting and easy to prepare. Understanding the different sizes of muffin tins and how to prepare them will help you on your way to muffin baking.

There are all kinds of different sizes of muffins that you can make. Mini ones are perfect for cocktail parties or for little children. Miniature muffins range from 1 1/2 to 2 inches (3.8 to 5 centimeters) in diameter and hold about 2 tablespoons of batter. The most common muffins are the medium-sized muffins. These are standard-sized muffins. They are typically 2 1/2 inches (6.35 centimeters) in diameter and hold about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of muffin bater. You can often find standard-sized in the bakery or at your local doughnut shop. There are also the great, big ones. These are known as giant or Texas-size muffins. They are about 3 1/4 inches (8.3 centimeters) in diameter and hold about 5/8 of a cup of muffin batter. These are perfect for a muffin-lover or as a substantial snack. There are also muffin tops for those of you who only enjoy the top and couldn't care for the bottom! These are about 4 inches (10. 2 centimeters) in diameter and only about 1/2 inch (1.27 centimeters) deep.

There are a wide variety of muffin tins you can get. The size of the muffin is the biggest factor. You can get muffin tins that are made of metal. Most metal pans hold 6 or 12 muffins. You can also get ones that are made out of silicone. Sometimes silicone molds hold six muffins and sometimes they are individual servings, meaning that they are single muffin molds. You can often get them in different shapes, depending on what you are using them for. For example, you can get Hello Kitty, hearts, flowers and stars. If you want a specialty muffin pan, you can find them online or at a specialty kitchenware shop.

You can use any muffin pan you want, regardless of what the recipe says. Most recipes are written for standard-sized muffins. If you are making minis, you will obviously get more. If you are making giant-sized muffins, you will get fewer. The smaller the muffin, the less baking time it requires. You can also bake mini muffins on a slightly lower temperature. The giant muffins require a longer baking time. Always test your muffins with a fork or a toothpick. Your tester should come out clean when the muffins are ready.

You can grease each individual cup with shortening or vegetable spray. Use a paper towel to distribute the fat evenly and to remove any excess. If you want to create rounded tops, only grease the muffin cups halfway up the side and only fill them halfway. Alternately you can use paper liners. You can get them in all kinds of colors and prints. If you are doing a 4th of July themed party, you can get muffin liners with an American flag. Paper liners are much quicker to use and will make cleaning your muffin tin easier. If there are a few muffin cups that are going to remain empty during the baking process, pour a bit of water into these cavities. It will prevent your muffin tin from potential warping.

When muffins are baked through, they don't always come out of the pan that easily. That is why muffin liners are always better. If your muffins are stuck, there are a few tricks you can try. You can use a butter knife and gently cut around the walls of the muffin tin to release the muffin. You may have a some muffin still stuck to the bottom. You have to do this very carefully so you don't scratch your muffin tin. A plastic knife (even the disposable kind) is obviously ideal but not everybody has one. A chopstick works much better for this. Be patient. Your muffins may come out in "blobs", depending on how stuck they are to the tin.

Alternately, you can rest your muffin tin on a damp paper towel for a few minutes and your muffins should release easier. You can also freeze them and take them out as ice blocks just as you remove ice cubes from an ice cube tray.