http://www.democraticunderground.com/115715932Oh my.
Tanuki (1,353 posts) Fri Oct 26, 2012, 10:38 AM
Silicone bakeware question
I have never used silicone bakeware and frankly have always been suspicious about its possible long-term health hazards (for no particular reason except that so many common products end up being hazardous). Do any of you have experience/information? I saw a Bundt pan deeply discounted on sale and I am tempted....
northoftheborder (2,787 posts) Fri Oct 26, 2012, 11:01 AM
1. Are you referring to the non-stick Teflon type coating, or is silicone something else?
I bought some cheap baking pans coated with something (don't remember the brand) and it is already flaking off after just a few months use. So I only use them with an aluminum foil liner underneath the food. Seems most pans are being sold now with some sort of coating. I recommend avoiding all of those. I like my All-Clad (expensive but will last forever) It has a slick finish that cleans up well, even without a non-stick coating. And I love my cast iron skillets for browning meats.
If I'm totally off-base and ignorant of silicone you are asking about, please tell me about it, might be OK.
<<has never used anything but cast iron, copper-bottomed stainless steel, or glassware for cooking.
cbayer (112,663 posts) Fri Oct 26, 2012, 12:16 PM
3. I wanted badly to love them, as they solve some storage and possible breakage issues for me,.....
but I found them impossible to clean properly. I have limited water and it often is not hot. It's just not possible to get them clean under these circumstances.
^^lives aboard a tiny boat, in case one doesn't know; she and her eccentric English husband.
Lucinda (15,792 posts) Fri Oct 26, 2012, 01:49 PM
4. I turn my large muffin cups inside out to clean.
Works really well, but I'm not sure if it would work with the baking dishes.
How does one take a metal cupcake pan and turn it "inside out"?
Or am I missing something here?
cbayer (112,663 posts) Fri Oct 26, 2012, 01:52 PM
5. But are you putting them in a dishwasher or washing by hand?
I just can't adequately get grease/oil off no matter what I do (washing only by hand here).
^^^washes by hand in one of those one-quart white enameled wash-basins, because there's no room for a sink on that tiny little boat.
Lucinda (15,792 posts) Fri Oct 26, 2012, 02:04 PM
7. By hand. And I use Dawn.
I also don't grease/flour the muffin cups. They don't really need it
<<has never greased or floured cupcake pans; that's what those cupcake papers are sold for.
cbayer (112,663 posts) Fri Oct 26, 2012, 02:15 PM
8. It may be because of my lack of hot water most of the time.
We have to run the generator to heat the water, so we often go without it.
I do my wash with salt water, then a fresh water rinse. Works for most everything, but not these.
Lucinda (15,792 posts) Fri Oct 26, 2012, 01:53 PM
6. I have a set of large muffin cups.
They work well, clean up easily, and I don't see any damage to the product (like the old flaking of teflon pans which would lead you to asking questions about safety...)
I am a little weird about them for the same reasons you are, but so far, so good.
And I do hand wash them. I don't want to steam any dishwasher residue onto them, if that makes sense.
