Top 10 Best Silicone Bakeware in 2020

Here is a list of Amazon's bestselling silicone bakeware pieces and sets, from round or square pans to donut molds and springforms. 

Silicone bakeware is easy to use and even easier to clean. They can also withstand a wide range of temperatures, from the freezer to an oven. However, the wrong product can make your cake fall to the floor if the mold is too flimsy. 

With that said, choosing silicone bakeware takes a bit more consideration, such as ensuring that materials are food-safe. Our buying guide's goal is to make sure you have an enjoyable, successful, and safe baking experience with silicone bakeware.

Perhaps the first consideration when picking out silicone bakeware is what you will be making. There are three basic bakeware forms you can start with: pans, molded bakeware, or a mat. From there, you can bake almost everything.

Silicone bakeware for bigger masterpieces includes round cake pans, rectangular baking dishes, pie pans, and bread loaf pans. The advantage of using silicone bakeware for your cakes, pizzas, and even baked pasta is the minimal amount of sticking. 

Even if you want to be extra sure and apply a thin layer of oil, it's still a small quantity, hence, fewer calories (if this matters to you). 

When choosing pans, large ones are very versatile tools. For example, a bread pan can bake meatloaves, casseroles, quiches, lasagna, pot pies, and more. For round cakes, though, recipes often specify a particular diameter. The most common one is a 9-inch round cake pan. 

Whether you're making cupcakes, donuts, or the notoriously tricky Bundt cake, molded silicone bakeware is a great choice. There's less effort required to remove baked goods because muffins and donuts will easily pop out! 

You can also get individual silicone baking cups that can be placed in a molded muffin pan or used separately on a baking tray. The reusable and presentation-ready design of the cups minimizes waste while baking, too.

Your cupcakes will also slide out of the cups better than paper ones. When the mini cakes are consumed, you can throw the cups into the dishwasher for future use. 

Rather than spend money and create waste by regularly using disposable parchment paper, you can replace it with a silicone mat. These work the same way but are reusable. Silicone mats also minimize browning or burning of the bottom of your baked goods as the heat is evenly distributed underneath. 

What's more, they have a non-stick surface. However, feel free to lightly oil the surface if you're dealing with baked goods with higher sugar content for extra assurance. 

Silicone baking mats are the only exception to accepting fillers in silicone bakeware (more on this later). Higher-quality silicone baking mats often have a layer of nylon fiber mesh or fiberglass to ensure proper heat distribution. You can also get silicone mats of varying dimensions, as these are versatile kitchen tools. 

They can be used for kneading and rolling dough, layering cakes, setting fondants and chocolates, baking fish, and more. You can even use them to keep your oven trays clean from any leakage during baking. Plus, some mats have helpful measurement outlines to guide you as you bake. 

If you're an avid baker and want to streamline your bakeware, you can go for a complete silicone set. These often include a round cake pan, pie pan, rectangular dish, bread pan, cupcake molds, and a baking mat. 

Silicone bakeware sets come in different sizes and types to cater to a broad market. If there are pieces in a collection that you don't need, a workaround would be buying individual pieces from the same brand for a uniform look. Products from the same brand also tend to fit better together when stacked for storage. 

Silicone has become increasingly popular in recent times and is incorporated into many daily essentials. The compound itself is a mix of synthetic rubbers and plastic polymers. It performs much like plastic, as it's flexible, malleable, temperature resistant, and durable. 

However, given its composition and demand, it's easy to choose a particular silicone item that has not passed safety standards and could cause more harm than convenience. There are a few ways to ensure that your silicone bakeware is guaranteed to be safe.

High-quality silicone is a food-safe FDA-approved substance. It can withstand heat and cold without reacting to the food or liquids it touches, unlike metal or other plastics. However, because silicone is synthetic, some products use lower quality silicone coatings that contain fillers that can result in odor or smoking issues during use.

We recommend checking the product description since manufacturers will often state if the materials used are 100 percent silicone, food-grade, or BPA-free. Choose FDA-approved products for added peace of mind. 

There are products available in the US market that are LFGB compliant (the European counterpart of the FDA that entails a stricter and more comprehensive process). These products often come with a heftier price tag but are safer and more durable. 

For extra assurance, head on over to the reviews to see if there are issues with odor, fillers, staining colors, and the like. 

There is much talk about the "pinch test" when choosing top-quality silicone products. It is said that silicone that does not turn white when pinched or folded together with force means it's made with 100 percent silicone. However, manufacturers have noted that a burn test is another reliable way to check the silicone quality. 

When a pure silicone product is burned using a flame, it leaves a white residue. A black, unclean burn indicates poor quality silicone and the presence of fillers. Silicone is also naturally white or light gray, making it easily confused with presumed fillers when conducting the pinch test. 

Silicone bakeware that passes the LFGB standard burns white and does not turn white when pinched. Those that pass FDA standards show a faint white line when pinched but are still considered safe. The pinch or burn test is a frequent consumer concern, so you can often find confirmation in the product description or reviews. 

Silicone is known to be a very flexible and malleable material. With bakeware, however, you need some level of stability to ensure your baked goods' success and your safety. Take a look to see if a particular brand will meet your conformity and handling requirements.

Some silicone bakeware has a steel frame around the edges for better handling; this limits wobbling and the risk of spilled food or burnt fingers. You can also check for firm handles for easier lifting, as some models have an added material on the handles (or attachable ones) to avoid any accidents.

Silicone bakeware varies in temperature resistance. Some can withstand around -40 to 480 degrees Fahrenheit in a freezer or oven. If you're dealing with baked goods that require higher (or lower) temperatures, glance at the product's heat and cold conductivity. 

On a positive note, you don't need to transfer your food when going from oven to freezer since most silicone bakeware is compatible with multiple kitchen appliances. The product description will state the particular equipment the product can be used with, such as the oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, or even the toaster. 

To keep your bakeware in the best shape, be careful not to cut the material. Silicone is weak against sharp metallic objects, so your metal spatula might do some damage. It's highly advised to use silicone spatulas and the like when scraping silicone bakeware. 

Silicone is highly attractive to grease. It can accumulate with regular use, making it more difficult to remove. All you need is hot water and grease-cutting dish soap, though! If you're dealing with stubborn oil, pop the bakeware in the oven at high heat (around 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about ten minutes before soaking it in hot water. 

Avoid abrasive cleaning sponges as well, since these could damage the surface while you scrub. When it comes to cleaning stubborn oily residue on silicone bakeware, heat is your friend. Let it do the heavy lifting. Plus, most silicone bakeware is dishwasher-safe!

Ready to start whipping up some tasty treats with your new silicone bakeware? Check out these tasty and highly-reviewed baking mixes!

Imagine getting perfectly baked and evenly-browned cake bottoms every time just because you've transitioned to silicone bakeware. What's more, the feeling of your creation sliding or popping out of the pan is pure bliss! Adding one or two pans (or a complete set) of silicone bakeware to your collection has never been more tempting. 

Pick a product with a useful shape and size, and check to see if the silicone is safe for baking. You'll be baking up a storm in no time! 

Author: Hana Otsuka

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