Silicone Bakeware?
I recently had to replace my bread pan and was looking at the range of silicone bakeware that was in the aisle at Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Has anyone used the silicone bakeware for bread or anything else for that matter? Maybe i'm old fashioned in thinking the silicone bakeware belongs in the Beyond section, or just too attached to my old baking pans to replace them.
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19 Comments:
You're serious, they have silicone bread pans? I had a silicone muffin pan. Too floppy for my tastes, and I can't imagine trying something like meat loaf that's not naturally rigid.
lemonfair at 2:53PM on 08/30/09
um, you didn't say anything about meat loaf, did you! Conflating this Talk with the next one.
lemonfair at 2:54PM on 08/30/09
Hmmm. I've actually made meatloaf in my silicone pan -- it came out fine -- but I did need to put a cookie sheet underneath it for support. I'm still mixed on the silicone stuff -- for some reason, my cakes come out a little lopsided (although the rack in my oven might just be a little off and I've never noticed).
gbania at 3:17PM on 08/30/09
I don't advocate them at all. I don't like to peel a pan off warm baked goods it spells bad news.
JerzeeTomato at 3:57PM on 08/30/09
Someone gave me a set and frankly...I don't think they're all that great. Besides the fact that they need support underneath...they made my zucchini bread taste funny. I had to throw it out! Some things I've made have been fine but I would stick with the regular pans.
arm1970 at 4:13PM on 08/30/09
I gave mine away, and the friend I gave them soon bestowed them on someone else. Not only are they way too floppy (you need to put them on a baking sheet or pan to get them from the counter to the oven), they do not brown properly, and rising isn't that great. This is critical for loaves - imagine bread or quick bread without the sides and bottom browned. The same for cookies other than chocolate, or cakes that aren't going to be frosted. They probably won't work at all for angel cakes. Don't waste your money.
MMinNYC at 4:24PM on 08/30/09
I tried silicone ice cube trays and they were crap. Ice cubes wouldn't come out, even when I ran hot water on them! Stubborn little suckers that got given away at a yard sale.
duncan1205 at 4:31PM on 08/30/09
They bake just fine but be aware they're better for cupcakes and smaller baked goods than they are breads, cakes and heavy dough. What happens is the pan bulges out with the weight of the batter or dough and you don't get the straight sided shape you would in a regular metal or glass pan. This can be a pain with a loaf pan because you really don't want bulgy sides. It's also not recommended to use a silicone bundt pan because if you have a deeply defined design in it, most of that detail will be lost.
therealchiffonade at 4:56PM on 08/30/09
Yeah, I'm out on these. They just seem wrong to me, for some reason. I'm sure I'm being unjustifiably biased, but glass and metal work wonderfully for me. If it ain't broke...
mollykate678 at 5:55PM on 08/30/09
@MMinHYC: Just to be clear, you are disrecommending silicone mats for cooking baking? I was kind of thinking about getting a silpat or some other silicone baking sheet instead of going through disposable parchment paper.
@chiff: I've definitely been looking for some muffin/cupcake pans...might go silicone for those. All the bakeware I have is glass or metal and I have no problems so I'm probably not switching those out soon. But I don't have any muffin/cupcake pans. So I guess silicone should still be considered.
wunami at 6:01PM on 08/30/09
I'm not a big fan of the bakeware, but I do frequently use a silpat and love it.
Ozymandiasxp at 6:03PM on 08/30/09
I have several silicone mats and love them but I would not use the silicone pans for all the reasons outlined already.
tapioca at 7:13PM on 08/30/09
Glad I didn't waste my money! I went for a classic loaf pan to replace the one that I ruined (non stick wouldn't let go of my sad failed loaf that sank in the oven). I too own several silicone ice cube trays that live in the back of the cuppboars- ice wouldn't release and the ice tasted funny! I do also love my silpat and recommend them to anyone who bakes!
mcanna at 7:33PM on 08/30/09
Stick to the old fashioned when baking! Every time I use silicone, nothing browns and the texture is soggy and the pan is too floppy as other's have said. I can see great uses for things like panna cotta or cooling candy in but nothing baked. Years back before I was an avid baker, I actually bought a silicone tart pan...they're kind of funny to me so I use mine to make nougat. Easy to get out of the pan, I just peel it off the candy block.
bigfatmouth at 8:47PM on 08/30/09
Ooh, good call, @bigfatmouth.
mollykate678 at 9:44PM on 08/30/09
I love my silpat. Use it a lot.
lemonfair at 8:01AM on 08/31/09
No silicone for me. I don't even like the hot pads, too slimey. I feel like I have to grip super hard so that I don't drop my hot pans.
rlwycoff at 11:20AM on 08/31/09
No silicone here, either. I had a bunch of pans, but after the second batch of gummy muffins, I got rid of them. Not worth buying.
Skythe at 12:20PM on 08/31/09
I don't have any silicone pans, but I imagine that they might get a grimy build-up on them. Any comments?
lurah at 1:33AM on 09/07/09