Come talk to me about bakeware. Please!

[Thomzo]

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.

Sorry to be pedantic but isn't silicon the same stuff as sand and glass? The silicon used in cookware is usually mixed with hydrocarbons. I think it's been used in professional cookware for years so I suspect its been rigourously tested and unlikely to melt.

As to whether it's any good, I'm afraid I can't help. I only have one muffin tray which I've only used once (well it's only got four depressions in it, what good is that?).

Cheers
Zoe

[Shirley]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone

[fruitcake]

wot a great thread - cheers for posting the question - I'm in the process of getting new stuff - having finally decided to settle in one place all the stuff I've had previously has mysteriously disappeared over the years and I've got a few cheapy bits and pieces that warp, stick, generally wind me up etc - I've just bought a couple of 'prestige' loaf tins - seem ok so far and i bought a pack of silicon muffin cases the other week - not used them yet - expensive or wot! And I got a sheet of that magic liner stuff too.
Getting kitted out in the kitchen seems to cost a fortune - still its worth it and if i can bake my own cakes then i'll save loads on not buying bought crap and not have any plastic packaging to part with

[Islay]

After much research I was all set on the Mermaid stuff, and now you've thrown cast iron and the Pampered Chef thingie into the mix!

Ah well, I have my new pasta attachment arriving tomorrow for the Kenwood, so I have enough toys to keep me occupied during the day while I spend the evenings googling the relative benefits of every type of loaf tin for a few days...

[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?

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?

Good to know! Thanks Annpan

[Millymollymandy]

My non stick loaf tins have lasted for years and they haven't deteriorated and have no need for greasing let alone use greaseproof paper.

I have an excellent spring release non stick cake tin I bought years ago in Switzerland, don't know if it is Swiss or German but that doesn't stick either and has been used gazillions of times and hasn't lost any of its non stick surface.

The only thing that has lost some of its surface and I do hesitate to use it are my mince pie tins, but I bought some new ones in England (they don't exist here in France of course!) and they were the wrong size for my cutters. So I still use the dodgy ones! But then again they are about 20-30 years old.

What we DO find that needs replacing every 5 years or so, unfortunately, are frying pans, which do lose their surface. It doesn't flake off, but food starts to stick more. I don't think that should happen because we only buy expensive good quality in the first place. But my new ones are freebies with my supermarket points so don't knock the supermarkets that much as I've got loads of goodies with my points including a bicycle! (which of course I don't use..... )

[Islay]

Ha, frying pans are going to be my next big research adventure! I'm contemplating abandoning the expensive non stick (I bought a Le Crueset non stick, and it's still lost the will to live after five years, despite care that verges on the obsessive), and buying a couple of hideously expensive cast iron ones to season the old school way.

[Odsox]

Talking of frying pans .....
We have one of those combination ovens, you know microwave, fan oven & grill all in one, and we use a couple of really cheap frying pans of different sizes with the handles removed as baking/roasting pans.
It's difficult to get conventional round pans and square ones don't fit the turntable very well, and even the cheapest frying pan is sturdier than most roasting tins.

[ina]

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.

Sorry to be pedantic but isn't silicon the same stuff as sand and glass?

You may well be right - but it looks and feels like plastic! Have to read more about it when I get the time.

[frozenthunderbolt]

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.

Sorry to be pedantic but isn't silicon the same stuff as sand and glass? The silicon used in cookware is usually mixed with hydrocarbons. I think it's been used in professional cookware for years so I suspect its been rigourously tested and unlikely to melt.
Cheers
Zoe

Pretty sure sand and glass is silica. different compound

[ina]

On the point of frying pans - I've had a cast aluminium one for about 30 years now. Apart from the fact that it hasn't turned up yet since my last house move, it's still going strong. I also have a small cast iron one - equally good after so far 9 years or so. I would always go for heavy frying pans, not the light non-stick ones (no matter how good the quality of the non-stick coating). I just think they produce nicer food, with very little fat.... May be my imagination, of course.

[Annpan]

I have a john lewis stainless steel frying pan (specifically went looking for one with no coating) Is is great, stuff hardly ever stick if you use a tiny bit of oil too... and if things do stick it stands up to a good scrub with metal scourer. Plus it has metal handle so I can pop it under the grill to finish off the top of my tortillas


I have a fear of aluminum

[Millymollymandy]

Maybe it's just me but anything without a non stick coating just sticks. I had a proper wok which I was given by a Chinese man and I did all the seasoning stuff you're supposed to do, never washed it with soap etc etc and it still stuck. Then I bought a stainless steel one (really expensive) and that stuck really badly, especially with meat to the point of losing half the chopped up meat because it got so horribly stuck on within seconds. I now have a non-stick wok, not very authentic but it works and I'm happy!

[Chicken6]

After much research I was all set on the Mermaid stuff, and now you've thrown cast iron and the Pampered Chef thingie into the mix!

.

mermaid, mermaid ,mermaid everytime.

I invested in a lasagna tin a few years ago and it looks like it did the first day I used it. They don't warp, you can put their nbakeware on the hob to make gravy etc. I use mine for tray bakes, pasta bake, roasting potato's meat etc and I just either run it under the tap or soak for 10 minutes and then run under the tap.

I've now got 4 things from the mermaid range. They cost a bit more but if you don't have to replace them for years and years they become rather cheap

[Jandra]

After finding, like many of you, that non-stick coatings go sticky even on expensive frying pans we've bought a glass-ceramic frying pan about 10 years ago. Never looked back. It's not officially non-stick, but we never had any trouble with it. Any tiny scratches can be polished with the same stuff you use for ceramic stove tops (terminology?).

Its a bit heavy, but then it seems that all good frying pans are...

Also have a stainless steel one with a fairly thick bottom. Used to have trouble with that regarding stickiness, but somehow I can now also use that one without trouble.

Everthing goes in the dishwasher (blaspemy, I know) an it still works fab.

Jandra