Shoutout to the $12 silicone baking mat that saved my cookie sheets

I spent like 4 years going through parchment paper like crazy, buying it in bulk at Costco every couple months. Finally grabbed a Silpat knockoff off Amazon for $12 back in February, and it's been a game changer for my chocolate chip cookies. No more scrubbing burned butter off the pans, and the cleanup is just a quick rinse. How long do these things usually last before they start getting sticky or peeling?

2 comments

2 Comments

xenagarcia18d ago

@terryh20 mentioned his buddy's wife not using metal utensils on it... and that's good advice but I think what nobody talks about is how these things mess with your oven's air flow. The mats cover the whole pan and act like a heat shield. I noticed my cookies on the edges got done way faster than the middle ones after I started using mine. Had to rotate the pan halfway through every batch to get even browning. So yeah they save on cleanup but you might have to adjust your baking routine a little. Still worth the twelve bucks though.

terryh2018d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's awesome! I've been meaning to try one of those. My buddy Tom actually had a similar situation but with his wife's cookie sheets. She was about to throw them out because they were so crusty. He bought a cheap silicone mat off some random website and now she brags about it every time she bakes. She said it's been over a year and a half and it's still holding up fine, no sticky spots or peeling. I think the trick is to not use metal utensils on it, like don't scrape it with a fork or anything. He told me the other week he even washed it in the dishwasher once and it was totally fine, though I guess that might shorten the life a little bit. Anyway, I think you'll get a solid year or two out of it before it starts showing any wear, but for twelve bucks that's still a steal.