Has she read reviews of other people who own it? I only as because I've been disappointed by what I have. It is so flexible that it must be used on a cookie sheet. The loaf pan that I have is so wide that meatloaves (even 2 pounders) are pretty flat. I don't think the grease would be a problem though... just get one narrow enough to make a lofty loaf.

A way to test the quality (that I learned on this forum) is to bend the material the pan is made out of. If you see white through the color (most are red) it means it was made with a filler and not of good quality. I have yet to find one that doesn't turn white when bent. I almost got kicked out of Target because I tried this test on a silicone basting brush and pulled a "bristle" right off. That said, my dollar store silicone brushes with filler do just fine.

I don't think a silicone hot pad is necessary. However, if you are going to gift her with other silicone products, you might throw one in. The muffin pan is nice because you can turn the cups inside out and pop the muffins out.

Thank you for your input Vacuumfreak. I have seen them at all types of stores but didn't know to look at bending them. My sister in law has a bundt type pan (very shallow) and she loves it but didn't have any knowledge of quality.

thanks again. deanna

I bought my silicone bread pan years ago. It is the best one that i have found. But unfortunatly they dont sell it anymore. When looking for one i recommmend trying to find one that is very thick. Mine is thick enough that i dont need a cookie sheet under the pan. I also recommend that you do not bake and cook in the same pan. They say that they dont pick up odors but they do.

Deanna - I used to sell kitchenware, so know a little about these.

Here are some things to watch for:
1. The "bend/twist" test is correct. If the bent area turns white, there are fillers present. The other test is whether the material has a crease after being folded (the crease should disappear after ten seconds or so).
2. even wall thickness
3. that the bakeware holds it's shape when on a flat surface (in other words, the sides should not sag or flop. They won't be perfectly straight, but they shouldn't sag or flop.
4. "shiny" interior.
5. Temperature ratings. I'e seen everything from 375 degrees (!) to 625 degree ratings. Obviously you're not going to cook anything at 625 degrees, but neither do you want to buy something that's going to be compromised at 375. The higher temp rating pans tend to be sturdier and w/o fillers.

(Note, the silicone "ice cube" trays are only rated to 200 unless the package says differently. They are NOT for cooking.)

It's getting harder to go by brand names anymore becuase the discounters are contracting manufacturers to make "lower price point" lines. (Read that as: cheap quality at cheap price) Still, Mastrad, Lekue and Silicone Zone seem to be keeping their own brand-names higher quality (although they do make lesser quality ware for other companies.) The new Le Crueset silicone lines has had good reviews. I've not seen any of it.

If you're looking for something else to round out the gift, I would suggest a silicone spatula. I've heard more than one story of someone deciding to cut or serves brownies with a metal spatula and damaging the pan. I'd also include a pad, but that's because I use my silicone hot pads all the time and I love that they double as trivets. Hot Spots is a good brand for the hot pads. They are nice and thick and rated up to 600 degrees.

I have 2 silicone pans. One I bought when I was in my temporary kitchen during the remodel, a mini-muffin pan that would fit in my toaster oven. I did not like it at all. I used it once and it is now in my rummage sale box awaiting next Spring.

The second pan is a mini 4-loaf pan, about the same size as the mini muffin pan, but made of much sturdier silicon and it worked out beautifully. It was sturdy enough to not need the extra support of a cookie sheet too. Sorry I don't remember the brand and it is not listed on Target.com.

I will buy silicon again but will be more careful inspecting the quality.

Michelle

I've only had one silicone pan and I hated it. It was a bundt pan and the cake always stuck, no matter if I greased it or not, no matter what I did.

I finally put it in a garage sale for a quarter and someone asked me if I liked it. I couldn't fib, so I told her I hated it and why. I tossed it into the "free" box and couldn't even give the blasted thing away.

That said, I know a couple of people who have silicone muffin pans and they love them, I'm told that the smaller pieces seem to work better than the bigger ones, if that helps.

I do have a couple of silicone basting brushes that I just love, and my favorite spatulas are silicone that Jessica gave me. I also have a couple of silicone pot holders that, like beanthere, I use as trivets.

Annie

I play with them sometimes in the store, but I can't seem to bring myself to buy any, I am not sure why. I get an uggy feeling LOL. But turning out muffins sounds pretty interesting, I may just buy a muffin tin or muffin silicone! Sue