Silicone cake pans -- do they work?

[Denninmi]

I've got like 5 or 6 of these now that people have given me as gifts over the past couple of years.

I've NEVER used any of them -- I'm chicken. To me, they seem too flimsy to move in and out of the oven without a disaster -- I'm afraid the batter will spill.

Obviously, they must work -- stores sell them.

What is your experience with them -- are they easy to use or hard to use? Do you need to set them on a baking sheet in the oven for stability? Do they bake uniformly and evenly?

[The empressof all]

1. I have mixed feelings about them

And I have had mixed results. I like them because they are inexpensive and really easy to store. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. I also like that they are light weight and easy to get out of the oven. They are more challenging to get into the the oven with wet batter in them. I find that I just place them on a cookie sheet and move the entire sheet rather than try to carry a floppy pan.

I also find them hard to clean. They just feel kind of ganky after a few uses and washes.

That all being said, I haven't thrown away my regular baking pans yet but I also haven't placed a firm moratorium on buying the silicone pans if I see a shape I need to have.

I really like the fluted muffin pan and the mini loaf pan.

[Warpy]

2. I have one I use as a liner for a slightly larger loaf pan

and it comes in handy when I do a bean terrine that tends to weld to the sides of even the most heavily greased and "nonstick" pans out there. You can sort of peel the silicone away and don't have to glue the loaf together before slicing and presenting.

Other than that, meh. They do flop and require being set onto or into another pan to get into the oven, changing the heat circulating characteristics of the oven.

I know people who swear by them. I've usually sworn at them.

[eleny]

3. I put mine on a cookie sheet and then fill it and put all in the oven

Mine are loaf pans and it's been fine.

[hippywife]

4. I don't have any

and really don't want to try them. I'm afraid that down the line there will be health issues with heating food in them and they'll turn out to be the new bisphenol A. I just tend to err on the side of caution on these things.

[tigereye]

7. never wanted any part of em - for all of the reasons stated above, plus the

chemical issues.

I'll just use my metal and glass ones, thanks.

[Lucinda]

5. I have the large individual muffin cups

Love em. They work beautifully with no paper to throw away, or tough metal pans to cleanup. I turn them inside out to wash.

[cbayer]

6. I hate them because they are so hard to clean.

I don't have a dishwasher and limited hot water, so the problem may be uniquely mine.

:hi: