June 8, 2009 10:12 AM PDT

Silicone baking mats clean up sticky situations

by Abbi Perets
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I like saving money. I like reducing waste. I like making my life easier. Silpat baking sheets seem to be scoring a win in each category, which makes for an easy decision to add them to my kitchen.

Easy peasy. And Easy baking.

(Credit: Demarle)

Silpat baking mats, made by Demarle, are constructed of silicone and fiberglass and are designed to replace the aluminum foil and butter, oil, or nonstick spray most of us use to line toaster ovens, baking sheets, and pans.

If you know how to use aluminum foil, than you're good to go--just lay the mat down on your baking sheet, put your food on it, and cook it. But here's the beauty: you can really put anything on these sheets. Cheesy nachos? No problem. Cookies? Yep. Scones? You got it.

Bake your food, then watch it slide right off the mat with the help of a spatula. No scraping, no broken cookies, no cheesy mess. Just slide the food off easily, wipe your mat with hot, soapy water, and lay it flat to dry. Repeat, 2,000-3,000 times, depending on how you care for your mat.

Silpat mats will work in temperatures ranging from -40 to 480 degrees Fahrenheit. They're FDA approved and kosher certified. Your consumption of aluminum foil and nonstick spray will drop dramatically, and you won't be throwing out sheets of foil every time you bake.

My favorite application? You can use the smallest Silpat mat in your toaster oven. No more fighting with the oven to release your pizza bagel from the tray! No more burned on cheese smoking up the kitchen! Find yours online or at retailers worldwide.

Abbi Perets is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.
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by Merkel1 July 9, 2009 11:25 PM PDT
A practical thing and a contribution to our environment in reducing garbage of foils etc. Once you have it you will wonder how you have coped without it!!
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