What form is best for baking?

Intricate biscuits or exquisite cake are able not only to please a pleasant taste and delicious smell, but also to decorate the festive table. Much more interesting, when the cookies are not just
square, but in the form of leaves, nuts, shells and other figures. For this you need special molds. They are on sale quite a lot, but if necessary, you can do it yourself. What form is best for baking? This will be discussed in our article.

to the contents ↑

What are the forms?

For the manufacture of culinary molds are used a variety of materials. In the shops you can meet:

• silicone;
• metal;
• ceramic;
• glass;
• paper;
• parchment.

Each material has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account when choosing. Metal forms of the hostess have been used for more than one century, they are equally suitable for electric or gas oven, and for the Russian stove. Ceramic tableware is also well known. But silicone has been used relatively recently. We'll figure out which form is best for baking.

to the contents ↑

Silicone in the household is indispensable

If you choose between different materials, silicone molds are ideal if the recipe contains a lot of sugar.

Pros

These containers have many advantages:

• is easy to clean;
• they should not be greased;
• they occupy a minimum of storage space;
• products are easy to remove;
• baking does not burn;
• material withstands very high and very low temperature.

About some points in detail:

• To wash the product out of silicone, the most common foam rubber sponge is enough. You can do without even detergents.
• The surface itself is very smooth, dough and even jam does not stick to it, so baking never burns. Accordingly - and in order to extract cookies or muffins, it is enough just to turn the form over or turn it inside out - you do not have to knock out or pick out a knife.
• Silicone feels equally well both at -60 ° C and at + 250 ° C.That is, such dishes are suitable not only for baking, but also for freezing.
• The product is baked evenly and does not dry out.
• Large shapes are sold already labeled, so that the cookies are the same size.
• Silicone molds are remarkably well preserved. They practically do not take up space. They can be put one into another and carefully rolled up. The main thing is not to allow breaks and breaks.

Important! To undoubted advantages of such capacities it is possible to carry speed of preparation - baking is prepared surprisingly quickly.

Disadvantages of

Silicone molds are certainly good, but in order for them to last a long time, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of this material. Some things are silently contra-indicated to the silicone:

1. The form should not be placed on an open fire or on an electric burner. Silicone on an open flame can be deformed. Warm up the pies directly in the form is not worth it.
2. Pies, before cutting, it is necessary to take out of the form. The material is easy to pierce or cut, so before cutting large baked goods, it should be taken out of the container, especially since it will not work.
3. Fill the form with a test better on a special grate. To work with silicone dishes it is better to buy a special grate( in many ovens it is).The fact is that the form is rather flexible, so it is very difficult to fill it with a test so as not to spill it. Lattice also allows you to maintain balance.

Important! Now on sale there are also relatively rigid silicone molds. Inside the frame is made of stainless steel. Such models combine the advantages of silicone and metal containers. They are stable, but baking is easily extracted. True, such forms are less plastic and weigh more.

How to choose a silicone baking dish?

On sale you will find a rather large assortment of silicone dishes for baking. Many pay attention only to what figurines can be baked in such a container. But you need to look not only at this, to choose the best silicone form for baking.

You should be interested in:

• Thickness. Walls should not be too thin and transparent. Fold the edge of the shape. If the fold is white, such utensils will not last long.
• Marking. On quality silicone products there is always a marking on which you can identify the manufacturer, as well as learn about the features of use - for example, about temperature.
• Color. The color should not be bright! In bright and saturated dyes, there may be substances that are hazardous to health, and they will certainly stand out when the temperature rises and get into baking. It is better to prefer pastel natural tones.

Important! In this case, the color should be the same everywhere, without divorce, dark and light spots. As for the smell, it simply should not be at all.

• Stand support. In any case, you have to buy a grill or stand. But now on sale there are models already equipped with stands. So, other things being equal, choose a form that can be used without additional tools. This form for baking will definitely be the best.

Important! As for the manufacturers, the French and German companies are leading the market of silicone products. Their forms meet all quality standards. The production of such companies, however, is more expensive than that offered by little-known Chinese or Russian manufacturers. This does not mean that cheap products are necessarily worse than expensive ones, but there is a certain risk.

Care for the silicone mold

So, you bought a mold or molds from silicone. Can I immediately fill them with a test? It's not worth it. First you need to wash the product with warm water and soap, and then grease with vegetable or butter - most likely for the first and last time.

Important! If you wash silicone containers in a dishwasher, you will need to lubricate them before each use.

It's easy to care for silicone dishes. But there are things that can not be done:
• use metal sponges;
• apply abrasive paste;
• remove baking knife and other sharp objects;
• cut the pies straight into shape.

Important! Rigid washcloths and abrasive pastes can scratch the delicate surface. If the form is not immediately washed, it is best to soak it in soapy water for ten to fifteen minutes.

to the contents ↑

Ceramics

These are luxurious forms in which you can not only bake cupcakes, cakes and cookies, but also serve them on the table. Therefore, many rightly believe that if you decide which form is best for baking, then this option is ideal.

Pros

In addition to the spectacular appearance, ceramic baking containers have other advantages:

• Thick walls. In a dish with thick walls, baking burns extremely rarely - well, unless you leave the oven on and leave for the day. Ceramics lets in air, which allows the products to be baked evenly. So to be afraid, that the cake inside will appear crude, while the crust will turn black, it is not necessary. This material refers to heat-resistant, it can withstand any temperature.
• Ability to pass air. Ceramic containers are suitable for puddings, casseroles, soufflé.In addition, clay pots have long been preparing the first and second dishes. This dish is suitable for ovens, microwave ovens, and fire. In any case, the food warms up evenly and gradually, and then it does not cool down for a long time.
• Heat resistance. In pottery, a dish can simultaneously be baked and languished. In the ceramic container, moisture accumulates, which is then transferred to the products. To take advantage of this opportunity, keep the form in water for about ten minutes before cooking.

Important! Washing ceramic can be anything. They are completely insensitive to hard wool, abrasive pastes and detergents.

Disadvantages of

There are few drawbacks for pottery:

• pottery can be easily beaten;
• in ceramic forms should not be cooked on a burner;
• takes up a lot of space.

Other features that need to be considered when choosing which baking dish is best:

• In a gas oven, baking foods in clay pots is possible, but it should be carefully and strictly followed by the recipe.
• It is not very convenient to store ceramic molds, but this disadvantage is more than compensated by an attractive appearance. Such products can be a magnificent decoration of the interior, so that there is absolutely no need to hide them in the box.

to content ↑

Glass

The shapes of refractory glass are durable, withstand very high and very low temperatures. In them you can bake and freeze, and just cook the first and second dishes.

Advantages of

Refractory glass is similar in its properties to ceramics, therefore it is an excellent alternative if you need to determine which form for baking is best:

1. The walls of the glassware are thick enough.
2. The dishes are baked evenly.
3. The food is slowly cooling down.
4. You can observe the process.

Disadvantages of

The food glass is beaten comparatively rarely, but it still happens. There are other drawbacks to products made of this material:

• food can burn;
• to clean burnt residues is quite difficult.

Important! That the food does not burn, a parchment or special paper for baking is placed in a glass form. If the trouble still occurs, you must immediately wash the container with a dishwashing detergent, then the burnt pieces will depart much easier. Like ceramics, fireproof glass is not afraid of abrasives.

to the table of contents ↑

Metal molds

Metal is one of the oldest materials for making utensils. For the production of molds are used:

• cast iron;
• steel;
• aluminum;
• tin;
• Teflon( used for coatings).

Let's see what kind of baking is better, if you prefer a durable metal.

Cast iron

Cast iron forms are heavy and thick. Food in them burns not very often, as it is baked evenly. The material withstands high temperatures, it is difficult to damage it with a rigid sponge or abrasive paste. But it is necessary to protect products from this material from mechanical influences - cast iron is quite fragile and easily beats.

Tin

Popular material for making molds. If desired, tin cans for baking can be made with their own hands. Products made of this metal are very cheap, but they have a lot of flaws:

• baking burns;
• food is baked unevenly, so that in the middle there may be a raw dough;
• form must always be greased;Cupcakes and cookies sometimes have to be picked out with a knife;
• baking at the slightest violation of technology crumbles;
• form is easily deformed.

In a word, a tin shape needs an eye and an eye:

• strict adherence to the formulation and temperature regime;
• need to keep track of time;
• must not be allowed to be stored in a tin pan when it is stored in a heavy frying pan.

In addition, the sheet rusts, so you can not say that this form for baking is best.

Important! On sale you can find tin containers with Teflon coating. They not only do not rust, but also do not allow food to burn. The difference in price will be insignificant. In addition, there are also tin containers with antibacterial protection. They are covered with a special composition with silver ions.

Stainless steel

Excellent reliable shape. Do not rust, do not crumple, do not beat, quickly warm up. Perhaps the main drawback is that the food in them still burns, and the form itself should be greased with grease.

Important! To get rid of the remnants of burnt food, you can use anything - from any detergent to knives, which will not cause any form of harm.

Aluminum

Lightweight, thin and cheap molds. Unlike tin, they do not rust, and the cost is about the same. As a rule, containers for biscuits and other small items are made of aluminum.

The main disadvantages of aluminum products:

• are deformed under mechanical influences;
• dough burns quite often;
• baking is warming unevenly.

Important! When choosing a metal mold, pay special attention to the quality of the surface. The smoother it is, the less chance that the dishes will burn.

to the contents ↑

Single forms

If you do not decide how to choose a baking dish, pay attention to single molds. In the hardware store or hypermarket you will find such a lot. They make them from foil and parchment, they are very cheap, but they are not calculated for a long life. They do not need to be washed-enough to be taken to the trash after use.

Important! Some manufacturers say that one-time forms should not be smeared with fat. Experience suggests that this is not quite so. If the shape is made of foil, and you are going to bake cupcakes, lubrication is simply necessary.

Single capacities are sold separately or in sets of 6-12 pieces. You can find a kit with a stand.

Important! For the production of molds, other materials are also used - for example, special boards are made for gingerbread. Single molds can be made from the most common cardboard.

As you can see, baking is an immense field for creativity, not only in terms of recipes, but also in choosing a container for its molding and baking. We hope, by practical experience, you could pick up several options for a better baking dish for a particular dish, and now all your culinary masterpieces are always deliciously tasty, without the silt and dampness inside.