Come talk to me about bakeware. Please!

[Islay]

I'm about to replace our tragic and worn out Sainsbury's value loaf tins and baking trays, and I want to get some decent bakeware that will last a lifetime (or as close to it as possible). I bake a lot, all our own bread, bread products, cakes, etc etc etc, so I'd rather spend a bit of extra money for something long lasting and nice to use.

My immediate need is for a couple of loaf tins, but I also need some smallish baking trays of varying depth (bread rolls, tray bakes and so on).

I'm vaguely contemplating some silicone stuff, but a bit scared of it.

Any ideas? Recommendations? Avoidance tips?

[Annpan]

I have a mixture of tins and I have to say I have been very happy with the silicon ones... They are so much easier to clean than any other stuff I have had before. (thus saving on washing up hot water, etc)

I do have a few good newish baking trays with non-stick on them... but IME the non-stick coating only lasts 3 or 4 years before it starts to seriously flake.

Another thing I love is that non-stick liner that you get, bake-o-glide I think it is called. It is reusable again and again... and again it is really easy to wash.

[Urban Ayisha]

oooh i was so compelled by the subject title! i think the silicon baking gear is fab. not only do i use it for baking but the silicon utensils are great too. its easy to pop baking out of them, and as AP said also very easy to clean. they are naturally 'non-stick' without losing a coating and theres never any need to line them with annoying parchment! i'm all for silicon and would recommend it!

[Islay]

How long have you both had the silicone for? I'm so worried about using something so 'new' in terms of not being a long established baking product - what if it randomly dies in five years time in a little silicone puddle in the middle of my oven?!

[Annpan]

I have had a muffin tray in silicon for about 2 years and it shows no signs of deterioration. I have a square cake tin (do you still call it a tin?) that I have only had since about christmas and not used it much. (I feel a cake baking fest a'coming)

I only have 1 cake tin that is really old - it is a mid-price springform circular tin that I have had about 7 years and it is on it's way out.

[grannymags]

I would avoid anything with a 'non stick' coating. As already said, it parts with the coating after a while. By the time it starts to flake it has already been losing a bit of coating which could have been going into your food!

I have some silicon pans and they are excellent. Easy to clean, easy to handle, don't break or dent if you drop them and don't take up so much room in your cupboard. Removing your cooking is easier as well. Just push it out! I agree, the greaseproof paper is such a pain having to remove it after. It tears so easily and there is always that little bit that doesn't want to part with your cake!

Maggie x

[EmpressG]

One thing is that you need some regular metal baking sheets to put the silicon pans on, otherwise they sometimes sag and spill.

I use both, but I do find some of my silicon pans get a cooked on discoloration. I was reading recently that the danger from Teflon like stuff is not the nonstick coating, but the adhesive they attach it to the metal with. So when it starts to flake the danger is not eating the Teflon flakes, but the stuff underneath that is not exposed. As soon as I have even one scratch I toss it. I found some inexpensive cookie sheet covers made of silicon and cut it down to fit in my favorite tin pans. Easy to clean, but a bit easier to use.

I like the air bake cookie sheets and use silicon coverings on them as well.

[thesunflowergal]

I bought some silicon cupcake cases, some round and some heart shape about a year ago. But they all stick, and I end up leaving bit of cake behind. So I have gone back to papercases. I was in a cook shop a few weeks ago, and the lady in there said that you need to oil the silicon before you use it . Do you think I have this problem because I put mine in the dishwasher?

[Martina]

I stick to the tins and pyrex wear. I have always been 'ify' on using silicone. But just a quick question, in case I change my mind, do you have to alter your recipes for silicone ie) reduce heat or decrease the time? My mom has even made the move to silicone and uses the sheets, but she, too, has had problems with it discoloring. However, to my knowledge anyway, sticking has never been a problem--even on the well-used stuff.

Have a good day,
Martina

[lazyspice]

I've not tried the silicon stuff but over the years I've had to replace various bits and pieces that have either rusted or the coating has started to come off and I tend to go for Mermaid items now - Lakeland and John Lewis sell it - it's not the cheapest option out there but I've got a couple of baking trays that I use all the time that still look as good as the day I bought them. They're easy to clean, don't have a scratch on them and I believe they will last a long time.

Edited to add a link to their website http://www.mermaidcookware.com/

[ina]

My two bets items for baking are a Pampered Chef clay pot style loaf "tin" - makes fabulous bread, but it was expensive... And a heavy weight spring form. It's not non-stick, but doesn't seem to be very sticky, anyway; I think the thickness of the metal just makes for better baking (better heat distribution?). I must admit I'm a bit wary of silicon; it's plastic, and plastic and high heat don't go together in my brain.

[Big Al]

Not much help in the choice of metal v silicone as i only have one silicone spatular but that is very impressive.... no longer do you get cake mix in the hair when licking out the bowl but you can use the silicone scraper...lol.
Mind you on another site I frequent... andwind up ... a lot of people, mainly men are going over to cast iron bakeware and seasoning them at the outset so that they are non stick but the original way.

Maybe you could do some searches on cast iron cookware if you are looking for longevity.

hth..

BA

[Muscroj]

I don't know about the longevity of it as we've only had it a year, but we replaced all our rusty old baking trays with circulon ones last year, they were more expensive but so far they seem to be doing a great job, they don't warp like the cheap ones and I *think* the non stickness is built into the fibre of the tray rather than it being a coating so it won't wear off (at least thats what they say about the pans so i presume the trays are the same??)

[Annpan]

I stick to the tins and pyrex wear. I have always been 'ify' on using silicone. But just a quick question, in case I change my mind, do you have to alter your recipes for silicone ie) reduce heat or decrease the time?

I haven't changed Martina just do the same as before.

Big Al - the problem with cast iron is that it takes a silly amount of time to heat up. So you can't just bung a cake in the oven, you would need to pre-heat the bakeware first.... plus... think of the weight a bit much for cakes I think.... but maybe good for bread I guess?

[Odsox]

I have to say I don't like silicone loaf tins.
Not through any tangible reason other that you can't stack 3 full loaf tins on top of each other, but more because it seems akin to baking in a tractor inner tube.
I replaced my 1 lb loaf tins a couple of year ago and got mine from Lakeland, quite expensive but will see me out.
Plus I never wash loaf tins, just a quick wipe now and again, so the "easy to wash" argument doesn't apply.