# Silicone mats for cooking: Are they useful or a gimmick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2020, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133 "2020-08-03T02:26:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/21 "2020-08-03T19:40:04Z")
Thanks - but that looks more like a cereal bowl food whereas I’m looking for a bar that’s a solid lump ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/22 "2020-08-03T19:47:23Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Apart from saving the planet not sure why aluminum foil with a touch of spray-on grease isn’t a better choice. I’m not understanding how using a type of plastic is better for than environment than paper. Are the silicone mats made from natural rubber? Are baking parchments using non-renewable resources? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/23 "2020-08-03T19:49:55Z")
Right, I was wondering. That’s why I called it “granola” rather than “granola bars.” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/24 "2020-08-03T19:50:37Z")
The silicone mat can be reused multiple times, while parchment paper can be used only three or four times and then it goes in the trash. Is there anyone composting or recycling used parchment paper? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/25 "2020-08-03T22:17:32Z")
Side note: if you keep birds, heating these mats will poison them. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/26 "2020-08-03T22:20:39Z")
Are you sure about that? I’ve heard that about teflon pans but only if they’re overheated. I think teflon is safe if not overheated and I’ve never heard of issues with silicone and birds. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/27 "2020-08-03T22:27:37Z")
These killed my sister’s birds > **[Amazon.com: Amazon Basics Silicone, Non-Stick, Food Safe Baking Mat - Pack of 3:...](https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Silicone-Baking-Mat-3-Piece/dp/B077XTPWZ5)** > > Shop Amazon Basics at the Amazon Bakeware store. Free Shipping on eligible items. Everyday low prices, save up to 50%. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/28 "2020-08-03T22:27:56Z")
Penzey’s published a recipe a few years back that I thought sounded good. I made it and found the granola bars a bit bland, but I’m sure you could doctor the recipe to taste. Here’s the link: > **[Cranberry Oatmeal Bars](https://www.penzeys.com/shop/recipes/cranberry-oatmeal-bars/)** > > According to Jen, “These are my husband’s favorite. It is the first dessert I ever made for him, and he still requests them at least once a month. They come together in no time.” Darn this new system (which I actually mostly like but which makes it easy to reply to the wrong person). I meant to reply to @ **casdave**. ETA: wait, that is not the recipe I was thinking of. That’s more of a cookie; I recall making a granola bar. Sorry. If I find the granola bar recipe I will post it. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/29 "2020-08-03T23:11:57Z")
I like the silicone tools, but they start to stink if they’re in the freezer for a few days. I haven’t yet found a good way to clean them. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/30 "2020-08-04T00:35:40Z")
Can you elaborate? Because I’ve generally felt that stuff that kills birds might not be great for me. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/31 "2020-08-04T00:37:24Z")
Yup. Foil can be used once or maybe twice. Parchment can be used 2-4 times. Silicon mats can be used indefinitely. The one my husband likes has been used at least 20 or 30 times, and isn’t close to being “used up”. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/32 "2020-08-04T01:18:50Z")
I don’t really like them. I find they are too flimsy and don’t produce as crusty a texture. Some people like them a lot and they are easy to keep cleanish. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/33 "2020-08-04T01:24:29Z")
Why is flimsy an issue? They’re not meant to go into the oven on their own but on top of a sheet pan or tray. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/34 "2020-08-04T01:27:39Z")
I’ve had some for well over 15 years. When I got them, I was baking a lot and didn’t want to buy new parchment or foil all the time. Nowadays, I use all of these for different purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/35 "2020-08-04T01:28:28Z")
It’s not a serious issue. You can put the mat on the tray and spoon out your biscuits, etc. But it feels flimsy if you spoon them on the mat and carry it to the tray. The reduced crispness is a bigger issue. I’d just as soon add more grease to the tray and not use it. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/36 "2020-08-04T01:31:07Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > It’s not a serious issue. You can put the mat on the tray and spoon out your biscuits, etc. But it feels flimsy if you spoon them on the mat and carry it to the tray. That’s not a standard use, for sure. They’re pan _liners_, not pans. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/37 "2020-08-04T04:41:10Z")
It would never have occurred to me to try to carry the mat around with food on it. No more than I carry around a piece of parchment paper with raw cookies on it. I just plop it on the tray or countertop and use it where it is. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/38 "2020-08-04T14:30:26Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I dunno if we are talking about different things. > > You said dishes, I said mats. > > My mats are as in the picture in the OP. Thin and flimsy…which is fine. But cleaning them is a bit of a fuss. Since they are so thin and flimsy they are hard to scrub. It makes one think throwing out some aluminum foil would have been much simpler. We’ve used the exact mat in the OP for like ten years. We’re on our second one, and it’s a few years old at this point, with no sign of being near its end-of-life. We never wash it by hand, we just throw it in the dishwasher. As for scrubbing gunk off of it before putting it in the dishwasher, I leave it aside until the sink is empty so I can lay the mat flat in the sink and hit it with a scrub brush. Most gunk comes right off. If it doesn’t, the mat is easily folded so that the gunk can be peeled off by hand. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/39 "2020-08-04T14:36:04Z")
I’m not saying it was smart or I’d do it again. I had limited counter space at the time and tried it once. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133/40 "2020-08-04T15:20:25Z")
I wait for the sink to be mostly-empty, I suppose. And I rinse it off under the tap, and then squirt a little soap on it and spread it around with my fingers, and then rinse the soap off. That’s plenty. It’s not the easiest dish in the world to clean, but it’s not super-hard, either. And I don’t bother with the dishwasher. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silicone-mats-for-cooking-are-they-useful-or-a-gimmick/917133.md?page=1)