Silicone Bakeware

[sikiguya]

Does anyone use silicone bakeware? My mother in law gave me a huge bag that she was given after a friend of hers passed away. All of it has never been used, purchased on QVC/HSN (or something similar). From what I heard, her whole house was filled with purchased from TV crap.

Any tips or things to avoid while using these? I use silicone baking sheets for cookies but that's it.

Thanks!

 

[mixfinder]

Support

Make sure to support silicone bakeware in placing or removing from the oven so it doesn't buckle. Allow the items baked to cool before "peeling" away the pan. Items baked in silicone bakeware doesn't not brown.

 

[petek]

I don't own any though I have been tempted but then the price is usually offsetting when I already have more than enough regular bakeware. Plus from what I've read and like Kelly mentioned you get minimal or no browning so what really is the overall benefit, nothing much really.

 

[danemodsandy]

And I'm Not Convinced....

....That silicone bakeware will prove safe in the long run. The housewares industry is saying that it is safe, but silicones are definitely affected by heat, both offgassing and liquefying.

Teflon was considered absolutely benign for decades, but health concerns have surfaced in recent years, to the point that even Dupont has admitted the cookware should be used only within certain parametres.

I'd take it easy with silicone. American industry has a bad, bad habit of putting profits before safety, and it often takes a long, long time for the truth to emerge.

It may be that silicone bakeware is safe, but I would want a whole lot more independent research than I've seen to date before trusting that position.

P.S.: I have Teflon, and you can bet I don't overheat it, and it's sent to recycle once it begins peeling.

 

[lordkenmore]

I'm also concerned about the safety of silicone. Here's a link to something talking about silicone. (It starts with a question about bracelets, but the answer has talk about bakeware.)

Care2 is the world's largest social network for good, a community of over 40 million people standing together, starting petitions and sharing stories that inspire action.

Largest online community empowering people to lead a healthy and green lifestyle while taking action on important causes such as human rights, animal welfare and global warming.

www.care2.com

 

[mysteryclock]

We have some of the silicone bakeware in various sizes and it seems to work very well with hardly any sticking. You do have to put them on a baking sheet though because they have no support structure and are floppy.

We also have some of the French Exopat baking sheets that are great for cookies as well. Being made (and I assume used) in the EU I would tend to think that these and silicone products in general are reasonably safe since the EU has tended to do a better job on product safety regulations than we have as of late.

 

[panthera]

There are different grades of

Silicone and I have read product reviews warning that some were absolutely not food grade.

If the products are stamped with any of the internationally recognized symbols for food-grade plastic and if they are really well made (no mold overflow, color variations, etc.) I should think they'd be ok.

Um, I've been baking with silicone bake-ware now for over 10 years and my stuff definitely browns...

 

[danemodsandy]

My Concern Here...

...Is that silicone bakeware is a new concept, and it often takes a while for hazards to become evident, no matter what the studies show when a material is first invented.

The example is Teflon. When this PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) coating was introduced in the early '60s, it was considered perfectly safe. Early instructions for Teflon cookware told consumers that scratched cookware would retain its nonstick properties, making no mention of where the tiny flakes of Teflon loosened during the scratching process would end up (in the food, of course). There was also no mention to consumers of the offgassing PTFE does when it is heated to excess.

Today, forty-five years later, we know that the offgassing is harmful, particularly to birds, where it can be fatal. Today's advice for Teflon use advises discarding cookware that is scratched or peeling.

But how many parakeets and budgies were affected in the meantime? How many people are walking around with flakes of PTFE lodged in some crevice of their digestive system, waiting to cause problems? While PTFE is supposedly not carcinogenic in and of itself, studies have shown that around 95% of Americans show traces of PFOA (perfluorooctanic acid), which is a breakdown product of PTFE, in their bloodstreams. PFOA is a suspected carcinogen.

So, my concern here is that the science is not all in on silicone bakeware, and even if dangers are known, manufacturers have a vested interest in seeing to it that we don't get one single blessed scrap more information than is necessary under the law. Even today, when Dupont admits that PTFE offgassing and flaking is problematic, there is a lot of public relations "spin" around these subjects on their website.

I am not saying that I know something no one else knows. I am saying that I don't think anyone yet knows the long-term effects of this new use for silicones (or they do know and aren't saying any more than is necessary) so I'm being careful about the stuff.

Offer void where prohibited. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Your mileage may vary.

 

[alr2903]

Danemodsandy, could not agree with you more. Heat plus plastic (even Microwave),kind of gives me the creeps. I keep trying to build my stash of vintage corning ware. I really dont even like using microwave plastic wrap over a glass bowl, for reheating. I remember reading about the teflon issues a couple of years ago, so i prolly should not worry about the plastic. Mom went thru so many teflon skillets over the years, that if stacked they would probably be 4 or 5 ft tall. Teflon changed colors (when new over the years) brown, white, and kind of a army drab color.

 

[lordkenmore]

It's probably wise to worry about plastic in microwaves. It seems to me that I've read that on various "this could well cause problems" lists over the years.

I have already phased out Teflon. A couple of years ago, every last Teflon pan went bye-bye to Goodwill. (No big financial loss--that's where they came from, although it was hard parting with a couple of "big name" pans that otherwise had been quite good.) To be honest, I don't miss Teflon.

One interesting non-stick pan has turned up at Target. It's said to use some other technology. I think the link is for that pan. I've been tempted, except--as I said--I really don't miss Teflon, and the pans at Target appear to be made in China. (I'm trying to avoid ANYTHING made in China. Which, buying new, is about as easy these days as avoiding breathing.)

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/496227

 

[lordkenmore]

WRONG LINK ABOVE

I got the wrong link above--too many open tabs, too little attention. The right link--I hope!--this time:

http://www.green-pan.com/

 

[hunter]

what about scanpans for non stick?

I have a scanpan frying pan, made in Denmark. They claim that their nonstick is safe.

Any thoughts?

Hunter

 

[danemodsandy]

Hunter:

Scanpan cookware is a cast-aluminium cookware with an anodised finish, similar to the now-discontinued Magnalite Professional. Original Calphalon was also anodised, but its body was spun, not cast. Anodised cookwares are said to be non-stick because the anodised layer is slightly porous, and the pores will fill with oxidised cooking fats, "seasoning" in much the same way cast-iron cookware does. The buildup of oxidised fats is what gives these types of cookware their non-stick qualities. This is why people who favour cast-iron cookware are very particular about how they clean it; washing it with detergent will strip the layer of oxidised fats, destroying the non-stick quality.

Teflon works a bit differently, basically by attracting moisture from the food and holding it between the food and the pan's surface. I don't hold Teflon to be automatically unsafe (I own some), but it should not be used for high-heat operations, should never be heated dry, and should be discarded when scratched.

 

[norgeway]

The best no stick---

Was to me the original T Fal made in France,you just about could not wear it out, I have one no stick pan that I use for scrambling eggs, which is a rare occurence since i HATE eggs,I do fix them for Don once in a while,I do use some aluminum which some folks are afraid of,but never for acidic foods,always good stainless for most things,Towne Craft. Aristo Craft or Royal Queen.

 

[aquarius1984]

Why have I just felt really compelled as to throw away 2 well used, scratched and discoloured non stick frying pans????

Been using them as they were perfectly fine but now im not so sure.

LOL

 

[hunter]

ah, thanks!

Thanks for the explanation, I appreciate that.