Silpat Baking Mat Review

Silpat is a product that takes the place of using aluminum foil or parchment paper for baking; According to advertising, the mats never need oiling if cared for properly. According to Demarle, the Silpats are nonstick sheets are made of woven glass coated with food-standard silicone.

Demarle advertises a useful life of 2000-3000 uses or 2 years, whichever is less. Note that you cannot use the Silpat under the broiler. It will ruin the mat and void the warranty.

You can use these for just about any kind of baking: cookies, breads, chicken nuggets, pizzas, etc. The advertising is true. Virtually nothing sticks to the mats!

Cleaning is really a breeze. Just use a sponge with hot soapy water, rinse, and when dry you can roll it up to store in your cabinet. Do not use any kind of abrasive cleaner or scrubber. You may wash the mat and then feel that the grease from the food never really came off. If you followed directions the mat will be clean.

The mats are wonderful except that while taking care of them as directed, we have never gotten one to last the advertised number of uses. We use them several times a week and take care of them as directed. After a while the mats start to turn brown. I wrote to the company and the reply was, " Unfortunately, what you're experiencing is a normal stage at the end of the life of a Silpat.The Silpat is a fiberglass weave coated with a layer of silicone. This silicone is porous, and will begin to absorb the fat/grease from the items cooked on it over time. As the silicone absorbs more fat/grease, it fills the valleys between these peaks, and creates more surface area for the mat, causing more friction. It also will start to appear stained.

Now with that said, even having to replace the mats every couple of years I believe they are a worthwhile investment!!