Silicone Kitchen Products
With all the reports about Teflon and plastic harming both our bodies and nature, some people are switching to silicone kitchen products. This flexible material can be used with metal or wooden utensils and won’t scratch non-stick surfaces like ceramic or stainless steel.
Silicone is a polymer made from silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. Look for food grade silicone that is free of fillers and binders.
Utensils
Silicone kitchen utensils are lightweight, heat-resistant and flexible. They work well with nonstick cooking surfaces and are safe to use in the microwave. They’re Silicone Kitchen Products also less likely to scratch or damage bowls and pans than metal, wood or plastic utensils. Depending on their quality, silicone can last for years, although they may show signs of wear and tear over time.
Most silicone utensils are dishwasher-safe and many can be tossed in the freezer. They’re also easier to clean than rubber, wood or metal utensils, which can be stained by foods and odors that are difficult to remove. Silicone can withstand extremely high temperatures, including those found in a hot oven.
When shopping for silicone utensils, be sure to consider the handle size. Choose a size that fits comfortably in your hand and won’t strain your wrist. Also, check that the utensil is one piece of molded silicone, rather than having a separate metal or wooden handle attached to the base. This makes it more durable and prevents the unruly seam between materials from leaking during washing or becoming a source of bacteria.
XHF produces high quality BPA free silicone kitchen tools, including silicone spatulas. Our products are widely used in the food industry. For more information, please feel free to contact us! We will reply to you as soon as possible.
Cookware
When it comes to silicone cookware, there are a wide variety of options. From cake pans and cupcake liners to slotted turners and bagel cutters, silicone bakeware offers an alternative to non-stick cookware made of Teflon.
Silicone is durable, heat-resistant and doesn’t react with food like other materials can. It also works well with many types of cooking surfaces and is oven-safe, making it ideal for a range of kitchen tasks.
Most silicone cookware is coated in food-grade compounds or agents to ensure that no chemicals leach into the food being cooked. Although some silicone utensils (such as spatulas) have been reported to bleed siloxanes into foods, it’s important to choose those that are labeled as food-grade and to avoid using them for high-heat cooking, such as boiling or deep frying.
If you are concerned about potential chemical leaching, ceramic cookware is a safe alternative. It’s also important to note that some silicone products, such as silicone baking mats or nipple-like baby bottles, have been shown to leak siloxanes into food when heated.
Baking Tools
There are plenty of silicone kitchen tools that can help you make cakes, cookies and other baked goods. For example, a set of silicone baking cups can replace paper ones for cooking muffins and cupcakes. Silicone cookie cutters can help you cut even, neatly shaped silicone manufacturer cookies. And silicone stretch lids can cover bowls and other containers to keep foods fresh.
You can also use silicone cooking utensils with non-stick pans, including those made from Teflon and other brands that don’t contain perfluorooctanoic acid. Silicone is heat-resistant and won’t melt, crack or degrade at the hottest oven temperatures. And unlike metal, silicone is soft and pliable enough to handle with your fingers.
One silicone spatula set that Gonzalez recommends is made from BPA-free premium silicone with stainless steel cores for added strength. You can choose from a mixed-color set or an all-black option, depending on your preferences.
Silicone molds are available for making jellies, ice cubes and popsicles, as well as cookies and other desserts. They can be used in place of standard baking pans, and they come in a variety of shapes to suit different purposes. While some people worry that silicone can leach harmful chemicals when heated in the oven, Health Canada says that limited migration of siloxanes has been observed from silicone baking sheets and from silicone nipples on infant bottles.
Storage
There are silicone household products for every part of the kitchen. You can make food in silicone bakeware, use a silicone pot holder or oven mitt to protect your hands, and find flexible silicone storage bags to hold leftovers. You can even buy bundles of silicon baking cups and silicone baking mats to make it easier to stock your kitchen with this versatile material.
Silicone is a synthetic polymer made from bonded silicon, oxygen and other elements like carbon and hydrogen. It’s an insulator with low toxicity, heat resistant and great for making rubberlike plastics. It’s important to only purchase food-grade silicone, which doesn’t leach chemicals into foods. It’s also safe to put silicone in the dishwasher and microwave, as well as use it on non-stick cookware.
Since it is made from natural materials, unlike plastics, silicone can be recycled and doesn’t create any hazardous waste. However, it’s not accepted in most curbside recycling programs, so most of it ends up in landfills. To see if your silicone is good quality, you can test it by pinching and twisting a flat surface. Pure silicone shouldn’t change color or become hard at all when you do this.
You can reduce the amount of single-use plastic in your kitchen by replacing disposable parchment paper and aluminum foil with silicone versions. Plus, silicone utensils are more durable than plastic ones, so they can last longer and be used over again.