What is a Silicone Mat and Its Benefits?

Silicone kitchen utensils have emerge that are much cheaper than traditional ones and relatively heat resistant. It’s easy to find them in supermarkets, specialty stores, and even for sale by catalog, and we must confess that their attractive color’s and designs have seduced us more than once.

But maybe it was difficult for them, like me, to make the switch from these traditional utensils that have worked perfectly for us for generations, especially when it comes to baking pans. The truth is that they are an excellent and accessible option when we just acquiring the basics for our kitchen or when we need to replace a damag one. Let’s see what we should consider before bringing them into our kitchen.

Material

Silicone is a stable and synthetic material that is not sensitive to temperature changes, so it does not break when going from cold to hot (or vice versa) and does not let any material residues through. It is a fundamental point that we must keep with all kitchen utensils, in food, neither during cooking nor during storage. In case these properties did not convince us, silicone has a non-stick coating, does not absorb odors and is stain-resistant, a dream for homemakers!

Flexibility

Surely you’ve noticed that silicone molds are very flexible. Making it easy for us to demold our food without damaging its shape. We’ve all had aluminum molds. And even Teflon molds stick to us if we don’t grease and flour them properly. That doesn’t happen with silicone molds, so the beautiful designs remain engraved on our cakes with no imperfections.

But they say altogether that glitters is not gold, and silicone’s flexibility has a downside. Especially with large or long molds, as sliding it in and out can be a challenge. With that in mind, it’s recommend to place these molds on baking sheets before placing them in the oven to avoid spilling or an accident.

Isolation

Perhaps one of its least talked about qualities, silicone insulates batters and mixes from hot spots in the oven And also  reducing scorching of the edges. Bottoms and tops of our cakes, muffins and tarts. Of course, this also has a disadvantage, as both the advantages and base may lack the golden crust that metal pans have become access.

Cleaning

From the previous lines, we deduce that it is difficult for many residues to remain in it after use. Thanks to the flexibility and insulation. But fat and burnt sugar also straightforward to remove from these utensils compared to the enormous problem with metal molds.

Other Considerations

Silicone is generally non-toxic and can therefore be consider non-hazardous waste. However, when recycling silicone molds at the end of their useful life, care should take they not biodegradable materials. On the other hand, in addition to baking, we can use them to freeze food. Make jellies, frozen cakes, ice cream and even make our chocolate.