Are you trying to decide between investing in silicone bakeware and just using good ol’ parchment paper? We can help! Both of these products have unique advantages and obstacles.
Silicone bakeware is a fairly new technology when it comes to both bakeware and kitchen utensils. It is a synthetic material made up of bonded silicon and oxygen. Although silicon is naturally occurring, the process that forms this element into bakeware is what turns it into a synthetic rubber. Silicone bakeware is really quite versatile and there are a number of bakeware options available from cake pans, bread pans, cupcake molds and muffin cups to baking mats. Silicone bakeware is heat resistant, freezer friendly and dishwasher safe and it is also fairly stick resistant and as a result of it being a non-toxic polymer, it doesn’t off-gas or leach dangerous chemicals into your food.
There are some things to keep in mind when you’re using silicone bakeware and something to take note of when you’re setting your timer is the fact that they don’t conduct heat terribly well. Yes, your items bake and no, they don’t usually stick but the browning tends to be minimal. It’s also important to keep in mind that the silicone is flexible and thus needs extra support in the oven to prevent spills and burns – set the pan atop a traditional cookie sheet for more stability during transportation.
On the other end of the argument we have the time-tested parchment paper. Parchment paper is a disposable food grade paper that comes on a roll or in precut sheets (for an additional cost) that works to make cleanup easy and does a good job to prevent sticking. Parchment paper is not to be confused with wax paper as it has not been coated in wax but rather treated and coated in silicone to give it its non-stick properties. Parchment paper has been around for ages and it is certainly trusted by a chefs and home cooks around the world. It promotes even baking, eliminates sticking and even reduces undesirable spreading. Have you ever walked away from your oven to discover your cookies are suddenly all smooshed together rather than individual morsels? Parchment lining the pan might help with that! It is both moisture and grease resistant and makes for a very easy cleanup. One of the unique uses of parchment paper is creating an envelope type pocket to cook either fish or meat in resulting in a moist and tender bite. It’s also unique for wrapping food items you don’t want to get soggy as it still allows airflow and your foods will stay crisp. Lastly, a wonderful way to use parchment paper is to line an entire pan with it while baking squares or the like so that you can pull out the entire finished product at once making cutting the squares evenly a piece of cake.
After all of the research, it’s clear that both silicone bakeware and parchment paper have something going for them. You really can’t go wrong with either option – both can be used for more than just baking and both considerably cut down clean up time and help prevent sticking. Silicone bakeware is malleable and for that reason it is generally easy to store but all of the extra bakeware will start taking up space in your cupboards and when you’re limited on kitchen space that can be a lot to give up! Silicone baking mats are far superior to parchment paper because they are reusable and they are perfectly nonstick when it comes to making sticky recipes like candy whereas parchment paper just sticks to melted sugar. Unfortunately, baking mats aren’t one size fits all. They come in a variety of sizes and silicone bakeware is available for variety of purposes and although they take up more space than a roll of parchment, there’s much more you can do with them. On the side of parchment paper, it is versatile, a single roll fits nicely in a drawer and it can even be composted to help with the environmental footprint. Silicone bakeware is innovative and an excellent choice in kitchenware but parchment paper is multifaceted, not only useful for baking but for other kitchen applications as well. To be best equipped, perhaps it’s best to optimal to invest in select pieces of silicone bakeware and keep a roll of parchment paper in the drawer, too!