Updated on March 6, 2023
Food-grade silicone is extensively used in bakeware for the reason that it gets molded easily into different shapes like round pans, loaf pans, tube pans, roasting pans, rectangle pans, spring form pans, and casseroles. There are many material benefits associated as silicone is easy to manage, durable, resistant, temperature tolerant, rustproof, space-saving material, stain-resistant, and available in many colors. If you’re concerned about “Is baking in silicone safe?”, swipe down to get your queries done!
Is Baking In Silicone Safe
Silicone Material
Silicone, a man-made polymer, is a complex compound containing silicon (Si), oxygen(O), carbon (C ), hydrogen (H), and other elements, and so possess mixed characteristics. In general, it is an elastic rubber-like plastic material that is widely used in making utensils, bakeware, cookware, and other commercial applications. The primary reason behind its increasing demand is its less toxicity level, excellent heat resistance, and versatility.
Silicone is used in making bakeware like round pans, loaf pans, tube pans, square pans, roasting pans, rectangle pans, spring form pans, casseroles, and so forth. This is mainly because it is easy to mold to create fun shapes—all thanks to the flexibility of silicone. Aside from that, silicone is easy to manage, durable, resistant, temperature tolerant, rustproof, space-saving material, and stain-resistant, and is available in many colors.
Baking In Silicone
As far as baking, cooking, or eatery is concerned, you need to be specific about materials to buy utensils or kitchen items that are safe for your health. Food-grade silicone is among the least unsafe materials used because most of the elements comprised in silicone are inert. For your information, “inert” means non-reactive, so none of the elements of silicone are prone to leaching regardless of how long you use it or for whatever application.
However, you need to ensure that you’re buying pure silicone products because the market is saturated with cheap to high-quality items. By low-quality product, I mean the intrusion of fillers (materials other than silicone) which leads to changes in temperature tolerance, durability, and overall characteristics. Also, there is not much to claim about the safety level of those elements added, but little that I know is the impure silicone cookware is not a worthwhile choice.
Likewise, you should opt for high-quality silicone to eliminate the long-term health effects. You can determine whether the bakeware is made of good quality silicone or has fillers by heating it. Upon heating, the cheap quality material expels an intense and unpleasant odor which is an indication. Thus, it is concluded that you should buy 100 percent silicone bakeware.
Cleaning Silicone Bakeware
To be honest, nothing freaks me out more than washing and cleaning baking pans and other utensils! Thankfully, my husband gave me a dishwasher along with a set of silicone bakeware on my last birthday that helps me compel a dreamy baking session in my kitchen. Trust me, the silicone is easier than your assumptions; it demands no extra time, effort, and fancy washing liquids.
Regardless of whether you want to throw cookware in the dishwasher like I do, or wash them with your hands, silicone has truly made the life of a baker and chef easier. If you prefer washing dishes and utensils with hands, these are the steps you can follow to clean silicone items: Apply the soap over a damp cloth piece and dip it in hot water to create foam, clean the pans using it and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. After that, simply air-dry the bakeware, and you’re all done!
Also, if you don’t have a dishwashing machine and want the cleaning process to be done by automatic means, follow these steps: Place the pans in the oven and heat them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for at least ten minutes so that all the sticky food leftover leaves the surface. After that, wipe the leftovers with a cloth and rinse the pan.
Risks Associated With Silicone Bakeware
It’s true that silicone is the safest material when it comes to baking pans, utensils, pots, and kitchenware but side by side there are some risks associated with silicone bakeware. Potentially, silicone can leach down and become part of your daily diet at high temperatures, which will lead to long-term health issues. In addition, the fillers used in the making of cheap quality silicone products are harmful chemicals and their involvement on daily basis can be poisonous.
Also, as I discussed before, the fillers produce an unpleasant odor on heating which will add to your food and nullify the overall taste and savor of it. In a nutshell, there are dangers to using silicone material but if we consider it in comparison to other materials, it is the safest we have in the market. For your information, the discussed risks are not experimentally proven and literature has assumed these health effects after prolonged and excessive use of silicone.
FDA’s Opinion On Silicone Bakeware
In America, the USA Food and Drug Authority, shortly called FDA is responsible for making standards and qualifying the use of particular objects based on their short-term and long-term health effects. In 1979, the US FDA approved the silicone material and categorized it as safe to use for kitchenware (as per GRAS). After the FDA’s approval, the first silicone product sold in the 1980s in the United States was a spatula, and now it’s the most demanding material in crockery.
Silicone vs. Plastic
Plastic is another highly used material in our kitchen items, so I decided to add a quick debate on a comparison of both in terms of safety. Both are polymers of plastic, but the major differences are temperature tolerance, environmental benefits, and health impacts. Among both, silicone is greener material that contains no BPA, and due to its high heat resistance, it lasts longer than plastic products.
FAQs
Is there any health risk associated with using silicone bakeware?
Silicone is safe, but there are some health risks especially when you buy cheap silicone bakeware that has fillers. Prolonging or excessive use of low-quality silicone cookware can cause long-term health issues.
What is the baking time for silicone bakeware?
The suggested baking time for silicone bakeware is 45 to 50 minutes at 375°. However, it also depends on the oven, your pan’s quality and strength to cope with temperature, and the demand of the recipe.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of silicone bakeware?
The silicone bakeware is easily available, most safe, BPA free, and long-lasting as compared to other options. Also, it is effortless to clean and manage. But, the downside of silicone bakeware is that it cannot tackle flame at all and pure silicone utensils are a bit expensive.
The Bottom Line
I hope that you’re now aware of the benefits and limitations of silicone bakeware. In a nutshell, baking is safe in silicone, as far as you’re not compromising on the quality of the material. In comparison to plastic and metals, silicone kitchenware is safe, durable, and resistant.
