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January 2006
We pan silicone bakeware
FLEX TIMESilicone sheets (in blue) are easy to store but need support--one of several drawbacks.
Silicone bakeware is touted as easy to clean, stain resistant, and so flexible that it folds for storage. And oh, yes, it
promises picture-perfect baked goods that slide from the pan. It's sold everywhere from cooking catalogs to Target. We chose
widely sold KitchenAid, Smartware, and Kmart products costing about $11 for one piece to $40 for a set of four. The goal:
to see if silicone improves on conventional bakeware. News flash: It doesn't. Baking. Most foods tasted fine, but many looked funny. If we used cooking spray, the pans released our cakes but could flex enough
that cakes broke. Brownies came off very easily but varied in thickness because pans sagged even when supported with the included
wire holder. Some cookies browned in a bull's-eye pattern, and most didn't slide easily from sheets. And muffins lacked the
crunchy top and browned sides they develop in a metal pan. Convenience. When filled, some silicone pans are so flexible that it's hard to move them. We could clean most pans easily, but baked cookies
left footprints. And pans we sprayed a lot became tacky. Silicone pans can be easily cut and may crack or crumble after long
use.
The bottom line. Silicone is no boon to bakers. For sticky food, try parchment paper or a Silpat liner, with fiberglass embedded in the silicone.
It released cookies well.
