No - it isn't just you. I like to use parchment and haven't been tempted to get the silicon mats. I do worry about a mistake getting them too hot. And then it just seems like more to wash and store when I get such good results with parchment.

And the silicon pans worry me more - having to handle something kind of floppy with batter in it. I've seen reviews that made it sound like the results weren't anything special.

I cannot stand silicone bakeware. I've never used the mats... I do have a pie crust protector that is OK. But, the round cake pans and muffin pans made of silicone are dreadful. The cakes never come out round... the pressure from the batter always makes them oval or some other shape that isn't found in any geometry book. Muffins (even fron Jiffy mix) don't seem to rise right or bake evenly in the silicone... the same recipes work fine in metal pans.

I don't like silicone bakeware, everything sticks to it. I threw out the few pieces I had. I do like the mats, though.

I love my silicon basting brushes, they don't get stains from tomato products. I have some silicon hot pads that I like. They stay clean, no mater what gets spilled on them. I would be afraid to use the baking pans, the floppiness really bothers me.

I've never had a baking problem with the cake pans or muffin pans -- you really must put them on a baking sheet to keep them from getting odd-shaped. The baking sheets do tend to get weird in the oven and I'm always afraid they'll have a melt down! But they have always come out just fine. I've never had a problem with sticking. You still must use conventional greasing and flouring methods.

I had a silcone bundt pan that was just horrible, everything stuck and it was hard to handle when full. I tried it greased and ungreased and greased and floured and sprayed and not sprayed.

My cake came out in pieces no matter what I did, I finally put the pan in my yard sale for 25 cents but couldn't sell it because everyone asked me how it was and I had to be truthful and say it was a piece of carp. Last I saw it was by the curb with the garbage, I'd tossed it into the free box and couldn't even give it away.

Now, I do have two silicone mats and I like those a lot for baking cookies.

Annie

Silicone pans are awful....but the Sil-pat mats are wonderful....I wonder how I kept house without them!
Linda C

I got a couple of the silicone baking sheets as wedding presents and the first time I put one in the oven it filled the kitchen with a very nasty smell. I pulled it out and threw it in the trash along with my cookies. The one thing I use my remaining mat for is to make candied peanuts for snickery squares. The caramel simply won't stick, it's great! I just don't get it hot. I also have silicone basting brushes and such, but I've never been tempted to buy any of the cake/muffin/loaf pans in silicone. There was just something fishy about the commercials where they shoved all the bakeware into a drawer all folded up... :)

Bri

OP here.

I have a sil-pat mat for rolling dough that I love, and two silicon pastry brushes that are so easy to use and clean.

For me, it's baking in it - I just don't like the idea of my food sitting in silicon in a hot oven. I always use parchment paper for baking. But I see so much Silicon in the stores, I felt like I was the only one who doesn't use it for baking.

Bonnie

I know that silicone is rated as totally inert but I still try to stick to
glass, ceramic or metal as much as possible. Maybe no need but its not really an inconvenience and it can't hurt. I do use parchment paper which I believe has a silicone coating.

Got some silicone muffin pans as a gift. What a waste of money.

No crust formation (really-what's the point? LOL). I've never had any pan, of any material that stuck more--EVER. Muffins simply do not come out of them at all--and you're not supposed to grease or spray them. According to the manufacturer's instructions you ARE NOT supposed to put them on a baking sheet, so there's no really safe way to pick the floppy things up. And I'm one of those people who are extremely sensitive to smells and taste, and I cannot deal with the silicone taste the pans impart to the food cooked in them (some people are bothered by this, some aren't).

Luckily, I did find one use for them. I put a paper liner in, drop in a cookie, fill with cheesecake batter and nuke 4-5 minutes for individual cheesecakes. They are microwave safe--and with the paper liner, I don't taste the silicone.

Had a couple of the mats, wasn't thrilled with them, either, so I gave them away and went back to my favorite--the brown parchment paper.

We use the sil mats constantly when baking cookies, making brittle, etc. They are awesome. Nothing sticks. We have had them for some years now. Ours where made in France. We have also had great luck using the individual silicon jumbo muffin cups. Have used them every Sunday morning for baking. Muffins come out easy and nicely browned. Haven't used any cake or bundt pans made of the silicon so can't comment on those. NancyLouise

I have the cupcake pans and everything sticks to them. I used the 8x8 to make cornbread last week and it worked great. But I do worry about if it is not good for our bodies to be cooking with it. Thoughts?

Thank you!

I am not a fan, either. For all the same reasons mentioned here.

Although I don't have the silpat mats, something inside me would like to try them. But they're ridiculously expensive here, so I'll "stick" with my parchment paper! LOL

Linda

I have a number of silicone products that I love - spatulas, brushes, a colander,the bulb of my turkey baster, etc., but I have not had great results with the baking pieces. The few times I used them I got varied and unpredictable results, so now they are stuffed in the pantry closet.

I wonder about the baking sheets. The one I own is not the "Silpat" brand. I think it's KitchenAid...it's pink & portion of the proceeds from sales went to breast cancer research, which is why I bought it. I have good luck using it cold, like when I'm working with a small amount of dough and don't want to flour up my whole counter. But I don't like how baked things, like cookies, turn out when I use it. Instead of a nice crumb on the bottom I get a shiny, unnatural looking gloss.

So my question for those who've tried both Silpat and other brands. Is Silpat better? Are the results more like what you get with parchment paper?

My niece gave me silicone pans for Christmas one year - we got a loaf pan, a square cake pan and a round cake pan. I made brownies in the square cake pan. I didn't like the "movement" of the pan trying to transfer a pan full of batter to the oven, as has been mentioned already. It didn't stick any more than any other pan, but I guess out of stupidity on my part, I cut up the brownies - and cut huge slices right thru the pan!!! As I said it just didn't dawn on me - who "unmolds" brownies from a pan then cuts them? You cut them in the pan! After I did it I couldn't believe I was so stupid, but it truly didn't occur to me that the knife would cut thru the pan. I have some "cutting boards" that are made out of a similar material and I obviously cut on those, so I just didn't think. So that went in the trash and I haven't used any of the others since. I think I prefer glass or metal!

Altho I did switch to a silicone pastry brush and I LOVE it. And I do have some silicone spatulas as well, but I think I like the rubber ones better - the silicone is kind of stiff and that's the point of a rubber spatula - that it bends and conforms to the dish/pan.

I have been thinking about buying the silicone sheets to bake on - they're awful expensive tho, so I wasn't sure they were worth the expense.

Lisa

I have a silpat mat and another French brand too. I'm not crazy about the result of baking on them, I much prefer parchment, but I do use them on the counter for sticky things or handling dough. I also love them on the granite counters for holding the cutting board in place. W/o them the darn board slips and slides all over the place! I learned that tip here on GW and it's a keeper!
I also love silicone coated spoonula's and spoons for cooking. The don't turn and nasty color and come through the dishwasher looking perfect!

I never had the desire to own any. I've only read bad stuff about them (mainly here! LOL) but never anything good.

Exactly what is supposed to be so good about them that you'd buy them over the conventional metal/ceramic/glass?

I'm another one that hates the baking mats, etc. HOWEVER, I love the silicone basting brushes for everything. THEY DONT SHED! I hate finding a hair from the old kind somewhere in my food.

Alexa

I don't have any silicone bakeware, it feels weird to me and I just don't want to bake with it.

I do have a baking mat, but I only used it once for baking and didn't like how the cookies turned out, so now I only use parchment. I do roll dough on the baking mat, though, works well to contain the flour, etc.

I noticed, the other day, at Target, that the new silicone baking dishes come with a frame for baking. I've heard that they deform the cakes, etc. so I guess this is a response to that complaint.

I love the silicone basting brushes, too, that's all I use now.