Is silicone bakeware good for baking?

[kijip]

I am 1 day to go till J's birthday and I still have not picked out a present for him. I was thinking of getting him some more baking pans and a CD I know he would love. I know, I am boring, but the man is a total PITA to shop for. He is so freaking picky about clothes that that is out as I remembered while wandering through several clothing stores tonight, he has a lot of technically involved hobbies that I simply know nothing about and he is way too reserved to give me a list. I went out tonight to buy him a present and I came home with 24 white washcloths, goat cheese and mozzerella (from costco), A dino lamp and a small pillow sham (from PBK), a swimsuit and a couple of sweaters (from Eddie Bauer), a pair of sandals (from a local shoe store) and a magazine (from Barnes and Noble). Note that with the exception of PBK, *all* stores were entered with the sole purpose of buying J a present. As you can see I did not get too far, unless I give him the goat cheese or the size 11 womens sandals as a present...

So if I get more bakeware, is the silicone stuff a nifty idea or a not so nifty idea?

[Jo..]

No personal experience, but I remembered reading a review posted by Cook's Illustrated (America's Test Kitchen), so I looked it up for you.

Here's what they said:

"Makers of silicone bakeware may tout the flexibility of their products, but we found it to be more hindrance than help. The floppy muffin pan had to be steadied on a metal sheet pan, which slowed the cooking time and inhibited browning. In fact, the muffins from the silicone pan turned an unsightly shade of white even on the sides, with none of the characteristic browning we like in a muffin. Because the muffins must be literally peeled from the pan, they must be cooled completely before removal. That meant a difference of 40 minutes between when we could eat the muffins from the standard tin (nice and warm) and when we could eat those from the silicone pan. We'll continue to stick with our metal muffin tins".

Does he like to cook? What about a great knife or a fabulous pepper mill (The Unicorn Magnum Plus springs to mind, and at $50 it's the top rated mill and a great gift for foodies).

If all else fails, give him the goat cheese ;).

[mudder17]

I just made some zucchini bread with some silicone pans and they seemed to work okay. However, as Jo's review said, the pans are floppy and I felt like I needed to steady them with a larger pan. It did seem to brown okay, but I'm not sure I would spend the money on silicone pans (these were borrowed). I just got some wonderful knives (Forschner's) and it was the most awesome thing to be able to cut through things and not find myself getting frustrated. I just cut up a whole chicken and I was amazed at how well the knives worked. You could also consider some stoneware, like maybe a pizza stone or a casserole dish?


Eileen

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33734.gif 28 months...
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[kijip]

Thanks! That makes a lot of sense. I think I am going to get him bakeware, just stick to the metal ones. He has just about everthing he could possibly need for the kitchen (including a variety of bread stones). He could use some tart or cake pans in odd sizes. Now heres hoping that when I leave the store, I have in fact shopped for him and not Toby or myself, LOL.

[brittone2]

No personal experience but I've heard mixed reviews as well...most people I know who have used silicone bakeware don't seem *that* impressed with it.

The floppy factor, and the fact that some things don't brown well in silicone, are the two big deterring factors I've heard.

[ellies mom]

Does he have one of those fancy thermometers like Alton Brown uses?
http://www.gourmet.org/product_images/pd/307-b.jpg

Or maybe those cool measuring cups he uses. You can find them without his face at Linens n' Things.
http://catalog.fullpond.com/altonbrown/images/catalog/plunger.gif

Or maybe some of those cool ceramic knives. They are supposed to stay super sharp but they can break if you use them to pry stuff. I think that would be more for the coolness factor really.

[kijip]

I should buy stock in polden, grrr. While he does not have that particular thermometer, he has every thermometer that he needs. I will have to look at the ceramic knives sometime though.

He is certainly more a baker than a cook, plays to his strength in chemistry I guess.

Thanks for the tips. Those measuring cups are a hoot ;)