People often use silicon rubber out of all the mold making materials for molding and casting projects such as silicone soap molds, silicone fondant molds, silicone cake molds, etc. As it is a very versatile material, it can be used to reproduce almost everything. Not only this, there are a lot of advantages of silicone features that will outperform your traditional bakeware. The several reasons why you should choose to have silicone bakeware in your kitchen are:
- Durable
Silicone is lightweight but still, it's strong and sturdy material which can last for a long time. You can use the utensils over and over again without thinking about damage. They don't wear off or fade and they won't break or get bent if you unintentionally drop them onto a hard kitchen floor. - Non-sticky
Silicone bakeware has excellent nonstick properties. It saves your prep time and reduces calories as you don't have to use a baking spray or grease in your bakeware. The baked things come out effortlessly and easily. - Food will bake evenly
In bakeware like silicone cake molds, the food bakes smoothly and beautifully. Unlike metal, a silicone pan stops the baking process when it's removed from the oven. It's more convenient to use as it cools quickly. - Easy to clean
Various molds like silicone soap molds, silicone fondant molds, or even silicone cake molds offer easy cleaning due to its non-stick surface. In fact, you can clean the pans by just using warm water and soap and they are dishwasher-safe too. The pan usually doesn't stain or retain flavors and odors of the foods that are cooked inside. There are no open pores on the surface to harbor bacteria and it's hypoallergenic. - Temperature resistant
Silicone endures a large scale of temperature changes. That's why you can use it for baking, serving, and storing food all together without any issues. It survives temperatures from -76 to 500ºF. - Usable in a microwave
It's easier to reheat baked goods or leftovers with silicone. Just put your food in the fridge or a freezer and reheat it and even you can serve using the same pan that you baked in. - Ease of storage
The silicone dishware has simple storage because of its flexible nature. The flexibility allows to collapse for storage in any space and in future, it gets back into the same shape. - Appealing look
Silicone utensils come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. The cool colors that were used to make the utensils, allow you to serve in the same pan the food was baked in. - Affordable
You can find baking dishes at local stores for good prices. You can bake without having a disposal paper with a silicone mat, it's also a good choice for the environment.
As discussed, silicone products have plenty of benefits but there has been a controversy as to their safety for foods. Silicone is FDA approved and the bakeware made from silicone are considered safe for food preparation. It has low chemical reactivity and it doesn't support microbiological growth. If you choose to use silicone fondant molds or silicone cake molds, then make sure that it's high quality and food grade. Read the instructions and use your bakeware accordingly within the recommended temperature range.