Silicone baking mats provide a useful non-stick surface for baking, and they are an environmentally friendly alternative to parchment paper.
When you have tried a clean, green, and simple lifestyle, the silicone baking mat makes sense.
They can prevent food from direct contact with non-stick and metal surfaces that may be unhealthy.
They don’t need oil and non-stick sprays.
Compared with disposable parchment paper, they are environmentally friendly, and, depending on what you are doing on them, silicone The baking mat can improve your baking effect.
Why I think silicone baking mat is better than parchment paper:
When you use them, they will lie flat and will not curl up.
When you try to put sticky food lumps on or remove food from them, they are very grippy and will not slip on the baking sheet.
They are thicker, which creates some separation between the food and the metal pot, so the food tends to cook more evenly.
They are environmentally friendly because you can use them repeatedly (Silpats claims to withstand 2,000 to 3,000 bake cycles).
Over time, their cost per use is much lower than parchment paper.
Yes, I'm a nerd, so the math is calculated like this:
A typical box of parchment is about 60 feet (720 inches) long and costs about $5.
My Nordic Ware half-sheet is about 16 inches long, so each box can be used about 45 times.
To use parchment 2,000 to 3,000 times, the cost is between 220 and 330 US dollars.
Compared to parchment paper, even the more expensive Silpat is very cheap!
Why does parchment still have a place in my kitchen:
Can be cut into pans or baking pans of any size.
For larger batches, you can launch more products.
If I'm doing large batches, it might work.
It can be folded and wrapped around the object to make a steam bag.
If you cut the parchment with a knife, it's no big deal.
However, if you cut the silicone baking mat with a knife, you will not only mess it up, but you may also get small glass fiber fragments in the food from the fiberglass net.
Do not use a knife on the silicone baking mat!
Since you use a new piece of parchment paper every time you bake, there is no residual smell.
As I mentioned above, silicone pads sometimes retain a little odor over time, depending on what you are cooking on.
I have provided some cleaning tips below to help solve this problem.
Depending on what you are cooking, you may get better browning at the bottom of the baked goods if needed (your mileage may vary).
For some foods, parchment paper can make the result crisper and crisper.
As usual, you want to use the right tools to do the job.
Although you can make full use of the silicone baking mat, and it will replace parchment paper in most cases, keep some parchment paper on hand and you won’t be hurt if you can’t do anything else.