The question “Are silicone baking mats worth it?” has always been in the head of many pâtissier. Plus, if you are new in the baking business, then understanding when and how to use these mats can be a burdensome thing for many novice chefs and bakers.

However, pro, or not we have composed this article to put you out of your misery.

Here we shall be discussing all the perks of using silicone baking mats, what it is, when you should be using it, how you should be using it, and the products that you should consider buying. Therefore, without any more delay, let us get to the good stuff.

What Is a Silicone Baking Mat?

Well, as the name suggests, silicone mats are made from silicone. Nevertheless, the silicone used to make mats for cooking is unique. You see, the fiberglass and silicone used in making these items are top-quality and are safe to be used for cooking (food-grade). Thus, you can use this type of item without a worry!

A Silicone Baking Mat

Now, you might be wondering that silicone is poisonous, so why should you use them? If you did not know, you are surrounded by things that have silicone inside of them, and as long as you are not taking them directly in your mouth, you are safe!

Furthermore, the silicone used in these mats are a hundred percent safe to use and will not contaminate your dishes.

Advantages of Using a Silicone Baking Mat

If not the most, then silicone mats are one of the most beneficial and easy to use baking mats in the business. And the ways you can use this masterpiece is kind of limited to your imagination. Anyways, you will find some of the ways you can use these mats in this section.

Silicone Baking Mats

Alternative to Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil

You can use them as an alternative to parchment paper or aluminum foil on baking sheets. They have a fantastic non-stick surface, which prevents your dish from getting stuck, and we assure you that you will get the same results that you would get from the other types of non-stick papers. 

Easy Cleaning

Are you a lazy lad who wants to spend less energy on cleaning than in cooking? If you are one of them, then this is a brilliant choice. Silicone mats are much less messy when compared to the other alternatives, which makes cleaning your pans a much more effortless task.

Easy to Make Dough

Making dough has never been easier! To use them to make dough or kneed bread, all you have to do is place the mat over your countertop, and you are good to go. In short, this is one of the ideal options when you want to bake all types of dishes.

Silicone Baking Mat

Useful for Covering Oven

You can use these mats to cover your ovens when you are heating food inside them. The best thing about these is that they have fantastic insulation capability and have a high melting and boiling point, so you can easily use them while heating food in the oven.

Great for Getting Fluffy Dish

Another way to use these mats is to ensure that you get a fluffy and even dish. With the silicone baking mats, you can achieve the smoothest rises in your cookies, cakes, and other recipes, which the other options might not have given to you. 

A Word of Caution

Silicone baking mats indeed offer an unmatched non-stick feature. And, due to this, you can use them in any way you seem fit. However, there is a catch. You should strictly avoid using lubrications such as grease or oil. These would heavily hamper the non-stick attribute of the product and render the entire item useless.

If you want to know more about the advantages of using silicone mats, then you should definitely check out this post.

Certain Hoax Regarding Silicone Baking Mats

Well, many have a misconception that silicone cookware such as baking mats, pans, or anything made of silicone can be harmful to your health. If someone has ever told you that silicone baking mats are dangerous, then we are here to tell you that these items are considered as one of the safest forms of cooking mats in the market.

First of all, in the modern world, you come across tones of devices and numerous things that are made from silicone. These have a higher chance of affecting you and causing something harmful. Nevertheless, we are quite confident that you never face any adverse effects from anything that has silicone inside it.

Another thing you might hear is that silicone might react with your food or somehow contaminate it. We are happy to inform you that silicone baking mats are made from silicone rubber, which is inert (unreactive). Due to this, we can guarantee that you will be facing no issue from using silicone.

And about the contamination factor, we have already stated that silicone used inside baking mats is a compound of fiberglass, which gives it extreme endurance of heat. Thus, there is no chance that silicone will melt and contaminate the dish that you have put so much of your heart and effort into.

Which One Is a Better Option, Baking Mats or Parchment Paper?

Soon baking mats, especially the silicone ones, are going to be replacing parchment papers or any other types of coverings we use during cooking. If you are wondering why, this section shall tell you everything you need to know on how silicone baking mats are superior to parchment papers.

Usage

When it comes to usage, there is a big gap between the two. You can use baking mats for baking almost anything. Besides, baking mats offer you a fantastic non-stick layer that might even surpass the non-stick capabilities of a parchment paper. Hence, you can rely on baking mats to give you the best results, no matter what. 

Silicone Baking Mats

Easy Maintenance

We have stated countless times that baking mats have a fantastic non-stick surface. Because of this feature, nothing will stick to the surface of the mats and prevents anything from sticking to the pans or cookware that you are baking on. Consequently, this makes the cleaning part much more efficient. 

In short, if you are working with batters or something with a lot of sugar, then we feel that you will love using these. Moreover, these are the ideal option for also making pies, which can be very messy! Therefore, if you have these mats, your life will become so much easier, which might not be the case for parchment papers.

 Are Much More Cost Friendly

These masterpieces not only ensure that you can effortlessly clean after you are done baking, but it also makes sure that it does the job for you with excellent results and efficiency. 

How does it provide superior efficiency? You see, parchment papers are used for a single thing (protect baking sheets); on the other hand, you can use baking mats for various types of dishes. Thus, you do not need to buy new baking mats every time you used them, which makes them cost-efficient. 

Silicone Baking Mats

Also, baking mats are reusable! So, you can use a single baking mat a handsome number of times before you have to go and get a new one, which makes them more affordable than parchment papers. 

Top Silicone Baking Mats

If you want some top-notch baking mats, then here they are few great silicone baking mats that we could recommend:

  1. KITZINI Silicone Baking Mat
  2. Artisan Silicone Baking Mat
  3. Sil-Pat Premium Non-stick Silicone Baking Mat
  4. X-Chef Silicone Baking Mat
  5. Jollylife Silicone Healthy Cooking Baking Mats

These are some of the top-notch silicone baking mats that you could get your hands on. Nonetheless, why stick to the products that we have listed here. If you do a little bit of research and have a good budget, you will get a world-class baking mat without fail. However, if you want to be on the safe side, then pick anyone from the list.

Conclusion

The future of the baking world is silicone baking mats! They are more efficient, easier to use, eco-friendlier, more affordable, and offer you a sizeable array of cooking options. By now, you should have a solid answer to your question, “Are silicone baking mats worth it?