Silicone Baking Mats vrs. Parchment

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  • ashleaftattoo
    ashleaftattoo Posts: 5 Member
    I loved parchment paper when I discovered it and used it for years -- never paid attention to brands. Then I discovered silicone baking mats. I have not bought parchment since. I do not use any oil. The Silpats have become somewhat discolored, but they don't smell like food at all. The food gets nicely browned on them, just as it did on parchment, maybe even better.
  • thelastnightingale
    thelastnightingale Posts: 725 Member
    Silicone mats are great for baking cookies! I must confess, I haven't used them for making any 'real' food, but they are a game changer when it comes to baking.

    I especially swear by silicone cupcake cases. Cupcakes, crustless quiches, poached eggs - they're very versatile.
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,817 Member
    I can't believe I went so many years without using parchment, only "discovering" it about 5 years ago. I'm thrifty so I re-use mine whenever I can. For example, I made hamburger buns yesterday and will re-use the paper for roasted veggies for dinner tonight.

    I bought silicone muffin cups for frittata because I make them quite often. I was disappointed though because they always stuck so now use parchment cupcake papers instead. I once won some dollar store silicone sheets in a silly bridal shower game but I just couldn't bring myself to cook on plastic of very questionable quality and threw them out.
  • mjbnj0001
    mjbnj0001 Posts: 1,069 Member
    I have been using parchment paper and "baking foil" (one side foil, the other parchment), but lately, as I have been in limited-resupply situation in cv19 lockdown, I have elevated awareness of the consumables issue around disposable products, along with the associated issues of recycling/reuse/resources and have been considering silicone mats. Interesting discussions above, thanks.

    Baked on parchment last night. A treat for the family, scones. For 15 minutes baking time, used a couple square feet of parchment. Seems to be a waste. I've been told in the past, no matter the appearance, it isn't prudent to re-use parchment. Fire hazard. I accepted this assertion, never confirmed it; in preparing this post, I just did a quick search and see that under right conditions, it can be re-used.

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  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    I have and use both. I also use foil as a liner. It depends on what I'm cooking and how. I stick to foil for broiling and for the most part in the toaster oven. Silpats work better for things like cheese crisps but yes, they do stain so don't expect them to stay looking nice. I also have a perforated silpat for pizza I like to use whenever I want something to have a crisp bottom. I lived with parchment paper for a long time before I got a silpat so if you can only have one, I'd recommend a big roll of parchment paper.
  • MinTheKitCat
    MinTheKitCat Posts: 173 Member
    Late to the party - but I like both for different reasons. Something really messy, smelly (lookin at you, fish), or prone to stain/burn in the oven goes on parchment. everything else goes on silpat. The mats do stain a little over time, similar to a pot or pan, but they do a great job, get cleaned and dried, and go back in their drawer, so I don't really care what they look like :) I do reuse the heck out of my parchment paper unless it has had fish on it (we don't eat other meats, but same rule). Once you've baked your goodies and taken them off the parchment, just wipe it off, fold, and stick in the freezer for next use. I usually have two 'stashes' in the freezer - one for savory items and one for sweet. Also, Reynolds makes a great compostable parchment paper that does a great job. The only other compostable paper we've tried was 'if you care' brand and unfortunately, it didn't really work as parchment paper. lol
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    I received some silicone mats from Ikea as a gift. I didn't like them at all. They tended to roll up during baking and make my cookies misshapen. And they always felt greasy after I thoroughly washed them. I am a huge fan of parchment paper and wish I knew about it years ago (my mom never used it).

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