What is the best baking dish?

Intricate cookies or a delicious cake can not only please you with a pleasant taste and mouth-watering smell, but also decorate the holiday table. Much more interesting when cookies are not easy
square, but in the form of leaves, nuts, shells and other figures. For this, special molds are needed. There are a lot of them on sale, but if necessary, you can do it yourself. What is the best baking dish? This will be discussed in our article.

to contents ↑

What are the forms? Best Detachable Bakeware

A variety of materials are used to make cooking molds. In stores you can find:

• silicone;
• metal;
• ceramic;
• glass;
• paper;
• parchment.

Each material has its own characteristics that must be considered when choosing. Housewives have been using metal forms, as well as aluminum utensils, for more than a century, they are equally well suited for an electric or gas oven, and for a Russian stove. Ceramic dishes are well known. But silicone began to be used relatively recently. Let’s figure out which baking dish and bread is best.

to contents ↑

Silicone on the farm is indispensable

If you choose between different materials, silicone molds are ideal if the recipe contains a lot of sugar.

pros

Such containers have a lot of advantages:

• easy to clean;
• they do not need to be greased;
• they occupy a minimum of storage space;
• products are easily removable;
• baking does not stick;
• The material withstands very high and very low temperatures.

About some points in more detail:

• To wash a product from silicone, the most ordinary foam sponge is enough. You can do without detergents.
• The surface itself is very smooth, the dough and even jam do not stick to it, so baking never burns. Accordingly - and in order to extract cookies or cupcakes, it is enough to simply turn the form over or turn it inside out - you do not have to knock anything out or pick it out with a knife.
• Silicone feels equally good at -60 ° C and at + 250 ° C. That is, such dishes are suitable not only for baking, but also for freezing.
• The product is baked evenly and does not dry out.
• Larger shapes are sold already marked out so that cookies get the same size.
• Silicone molds are remarkably kept. They practically do not take up space. They can be put one into the other and neatly collapsed. The main thing is to prevent kinks and breaks.

Important! The undoubted advantages of such containers include the speed of preparation - baking is prepared surprisingly quickly.

disadvantages

Silicone molds are certainly good, but in order for them to last a long time, you need to consider the features of this material. Some things are strictly contraindicated to silicone:

1. The form must not be placed on an open flame or on an electric burner. Silicone on open fire may be deformed. It is not worth it to heat the pies directly in the mold.
2. Pies, before you cut, you need to remove from the mold. It is easy to pierce or cut the material, so before you cut large baked goods, you need to remove it from the container, especially since this will not be difficult.
3. It is better to fill the form with dough on a special grill.To work with silicone dishes, it is better to purchase a special grid (in many ovens it is). The fact is that the form is quite flexible, so it is very difficult to fill it with dough so as not to splash. The lattice also allows you to maintain balance.

Important! Relatively tough silicone molds are on sale now. A stainless steel frame is inserted inside. Such models combine the advantages of silicone and metal containers. They are stable, but baking is easy to remove. True, such forms are less plastic and weigh more.

How to choose a silicone baking dish?

On sale you will find a fairly large assortment of silicone baking dishes. Many people pay attention only to what figures can be baked in such a container. But you need to look not only at this to choose the best silicone baking dish.

You should be interested in:

• Thickness. Walls should not be too thin and transparent. Bend the edge of the mold. If the fold turns white, such dishes will not last long.
• Marking. On high-quality silicone products there is always a marking by which you can identify the manufacturer, as well as learn about the features of use - for example, temperature.
• Color. Color should not be bright! Bright and saturated dyes may contain substances that are hazardous to health, and they will certainly stand out when the temperature rises and get into baking. It is better to prefer pastel natural tones.

Important! In this case, the color should be the same everywhere, without stains, dark and light spots. As for the smell, it simply should not be at all.

• The presence of the stand. In any case, you will have to buy a grill or stand. But now on sale there are models already equipped with stands. So, ceteris paribus, choose a form that can be used without additional devices. This baking dish will definitely be the best.

Important! As for manufacturers, French and German companies are leading the market for silicone products. Their shapes meet all quality standards. The products of such companies, however, are more expensive than those offered by little-known Chinese or Russian manufacturers. This does not mean that cheap products are necessarily worse than expensive ones, but there is a certain risk.

Silicone Care

So, you bought a mold or molds made of silicone. Is it possible to immediately fill them with dough? Not worth it. First you need to wash the product with warm water and soap, and then grease it with vegetable or butter - most likely, for the first and last time.

Important! If you wash silicone containers in a dishwasher, you will have to lubricate them before each use.

It’s easy to take care of silicone dishes. But there are things that you can’t do:
• use metal sponges;
• apply abrasive pastes;
• remove baking with a knife and other sharp objects;
• cut pies right in the mold.

Important! Hard washcloths and abrasive pastes can scratch a delicate surface. If the form is not immediately washed, it is best to soak it in soapy water for ten to fifteen minutes.

to contents ↑

Ceramics

These are luxurious forms in which you can not only bake muffins, cakes and cookies, but also serve them on the table. Therefore, many rightfully believe that if you decide which baking dish is best, then this option is ideal.

pros

In addition to the spectacular appearance, ceramic baking containers have other advantages:

• Thick walls. In dishes with thick walls, baking rarely burns out - well, unless you leave the oven on and leave for the whole day. Ceramics allow air to pass through, allowing products to bake evenly. So there is no need to fear that the cake inside will be raw, while the crust will turn black. This material refers to heat-resistant, it can withstand any temperature.
• The ability to pass air.Ceramic container suitable for pudding, casserole, souffle. In addition, clay pots have long been preparing first and second courses. Such dishes are suitable for the oven, and for the microwave, and for the fire. In any case, the food warms up evenly and gradually, and then does not cool down for a long time.
• Heat resistance. In earthenware dishes can simultaneously bake and languish. Moisture accumulates in the ceramic container, which is then transferred to the products. To take this opportunity, before cooking, hold the mold in water for about ten minutes.

Important! Ceramic containers can be washed with anything. They are completely insensitive to hard washcloths, abrasive pastes and detergents.

disadvantages

There are few disadvantages of pottery:

• earthenware beats easily;
• in ceramic forms do not cook on the burner;
• take up quite a lot of space.

Other features to consider when choosing which baking dish is best:

• You can bake products in clay pots in a gas oven, but do this carefully and strictly follow the recipe.
• Storing ceramic forms is not very convenient, but this drawback is more than paying for an attractive look. Such products can be a magnificent decoration of the interior, so there is no need to hide them in a drawer.

to contents ↑

Glass

Refractory glass molds are durable, withstand both very high and very low temperatures. You can bake and freeze in them, and just cook the first and second dishes.

Benefits

Refractory glass is similar in its properties to ceramics, therefore it is an excellent alternative if you need to determine which baking dish is best:

1. The walls of the glassware are quite thick.
2. Dishes are baked evenly.
3. The food cools slowly.
4. You can observe the process.

disadvantages

Food glass breaks relatively rarely, but it still happens. There are other disadvantages of products from this material:

• food may burn;
• it’s quite difficult to clean burnt residues.

Important! To prevent food from burning, place parchment or special baking paper in a glass form. If the trouble nevertheless occurred, it is necessary to immediately wash the container with dishwashing detergent, then burnt pieces will depart much easier. Like ceramics, refractory glass is not afraid of abrasives.

to contents ↑

Metal molds

Metal is one of the oldest materials for making dishes. For the manufacture of molds are used:

• cast iron;
• steel;
• aluminum;
• tin;
• Teflon (used for coatings).

We will figure out which baking dish is better if we give preference to durable metal.

Cast iron

Cast iron forms are heavy and thick. The food in them burns not very often, because it is baked evenly. The material withstands high temperatures, it is difficult to damage it with a hard sponge or abrasive paste. But it is necessary to protect products from this material from mechanical influences - cast iron is quite fragile and breaks easily.

Tinplate

A popular material for making molds. If desired, tin containers for baking can be made with your own hands. Products from this metal are very cheap, but they have a lot of disadvantages:

• baking burns;
• food is baked unevenly so that raw dough may remain in the middle;
• form must be greased with fat;
• sometimes you have to pick out muffins and cookies with a knife;
• baking crumbles at the slightest violation of technology;
• the shape is easily deformed.

In a word, behind a tin form you need an eye and an eye:

• strict adherence to the recipe and temperature regime;
• the need to keep track of time;
• during storage, it should not be allowed that a heavy frying pan accidentally appears on a tin form.

In addition, the tin rusts, so it cannot be said that such a baking dish is best.

Important! On sale you can find tin containers with Teflon coating. They not only do not rust, but also do not allow food to burn.The difference in price will be negligible. In addition, there are tin containers with antibacterial protection. They are coated with a special composition with silver ions.

Stainless steel

Excellent reliable forms. Do not rust, do not wrinkle, do not fight, quickly warm up. Perhaps the main drawback is that the food in them still burns, and the form itself must be greased with fat.

Important! To get rid of the remains of burnt food, you can use anything you want - from any detergents to knives that will not cause any harm to the form.

Aluminum

Light, thin and cheap molds. Unlike tin, they do not rust, and the cost is about the same. As a rule, aluminum is used to make containers for cookies and other small items.

The main disadvantages of aluminum products:

• deform under mechanical stress;
• the dough burns quite often;
• baking is heated unevenly.

Important! When choosing a metal shape, pay particular attention to surface quality. The smoother it is, the less likely it is that the dishes will burn.

to contents ↑

One-time forms

If you have not decided how to choose a baking dish, pay attention to one-time tins. In the hardware store or hypermarket you will find many of these. They are made of foil and parchment, they are very cheap, but they are not designed for a long life. They do not need to be washed - it is enough to take them to the bin after use.

Important! Some manufacturers claim that one-off forms do not need to be greased. Experience suggests that this is not entirely true. If the form is foil, and you are going to bake muffins, lubrication is a must.

One-time containers are sold both separately and in sets of 6-12 pieces. You can also find a kit with a stand.

Important! Other materials are also used to make molds - for example, special boards are made for gingerbread cookies. One-time molds can be made from the most ordinary cardboard.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

As you have seen, baking is an immense field for creativity not only in terms of recipes, but also in the selection of containers for its molding and baking. We hope that through practical experience you could choose several options better for baking dishes for a particular dish, and now all your culinary masterpieces are always amazingly tasty, without soot and damp inside. Different sites have user reviews who share their ideas and answers, which can greatly help you with a choice.