I am a big fan of baked foods. These are not only sweets - cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cookies, etc. The oven is a wonderful tool for preparing healthy, healthy meals. The food is not fried, carcinogens are not released, and you don’t have to use oil at all. However, a big problem for bakers is the mold and baked goods sticking to it. Especially if you don't grease your baking dishes with a ton of oil.
I also started with sticking… everything. Casseroles, cakes, muffins, pies, meat, vegetables, lasagna, etc. If it wasn’t a stew, then I was sure to end up with an unappetizing black crust on the pan. And then it’s a hell of a job to wash it. I had one shape - large, rectangular and with a non-stick coating. Of course, I baked it without oil and the “anti” prefix in the name fried along with the dish.
Now I have acquired a large selection of all kinds of shapes and am still acquiring something new. So, let's get down to specifics.
What forms are there?
I classify forms according to 4 criteria:
- By material (silicone, cast iron, glass, steel, aluminum (foil), ceramic, Teflon non-stick, paper).
- By shape (round, square, “brick” - for cupcakes and bread, donut-shaped, for muffins, designer (with different patterns, reliefs), flat, tall, mat shapes).
- By purpose (for bread and muffins, for casseroles, for meat, muffins, vegetables and vegetable casseroles, tarts).
- By design (solid, collapsible, separate and multi-shaped (for example, for muffins or cookies).
The most important point is the material of the mold. Therefore, I will briefly describe each of them and tell you which forms to give preference to. 
Features of materials for forms
Silicone
I think this is the most convenient type of form. It's universal. The only difference is in thickness - for baking muffins it is better to take thinner silicone, for cottage cheese casseroles and meat - thicker so that the walls do not burn.
My collection mainly consists of silicone molds. They make great casseroles, pies, cookies, and muffins. Meat in this form is more likely to be stewed. Crust is only possible on top. I have never had anything burn in the silicone mold. The material cools quickly, and removing the baked goods is not difficult.
Silicone molds come in a wide variety. If you like non-standard shapes and beautiful, unusual baked goods, then choose among silicone.
By the way! I prepare cottage cheese casseroles and muffins exclusively in silicone molds! 
Teflon non-stick coating
The quality of the form comes into play here. If the manufacturer had brains, then the form will be excellent. I only got 2 of these forms that were successful. One of them has a separate bottom, the other is in the shape of a cake. The coverage should be uniform. Such forms cannot be scratched, scraped, or washed with hard brushes.
This form makes an excellent cake, bread and other baked goods using flour. You can also bake meat. Here it doesn’t burn, but it doesn’t stew either. The crust turns out crispier and golden. The variety of such forms is small, unlike silicone ones.
High-quality Teflon molds usually cost at least 300-400 rubles. 
Glass and ceramics
I like glass forms for their aesthetics. The dish looks chic in them and can be placed directly on the table in the form. But it takes an awfully long time to cool down (for some it’s a plus, for others it’s a minus). In glass I cook vegetables, vegetable casseroles, lasagna and any layered colorful dishes. It is convenient to observe the cooking process in them.
It is better to cook long-baking products in glass forms.. The dish is baked in them, but may stick to the bottom. Although it is not difficult to clean the glass form.
Ceramics have similar features. The only difference is the lack of transparency. I make portioned dishes such as julienne, ratatouille, moussaka, lasagna in ceramic forms. 
Aluminum foil
These are disposable forms. I don’t really like them, because I have to constantly buy them, and I bake them often. That's why I rarely use such forms. In addition, they are soft and easily deformed.
I sometimes bake vegetables in them or stew meat in the oven. But foil forms are not bad as covers for other forms. They reflect heat and the dish (especially meat) seems to be stewing and baking at the same time. 
Steel
The only exception may be very high quality ones, with a good non-stick coating. But these will be more expensive than regular ones, and their cost is the same as Teflon. 
Cast iron
This material has been used for molds since ancient times. It takes a long time to heat up, but the process of heat treatment of the dish in it is ideal. Heating is uniform and stable. The thicker the walls, the slower the heating process will be and the more evenly the food will be baked.
Meat and fish according to ancient, classic culinary recipes - this is what is best cooked in cast iron forms. Of course, they look rough, but this is rustic style. I like. Good quality cast iron does not cause food to burn, and the dish turns out much tastier, homemade, or something.
The advantage of cast iron forms is the ability to cook not only in the oven, but also on the stove. 
My most popular forms
Since I make healthy baked goods without or with a minimal amount of oil, I choose pans to which nothing sticks. Versatility is also important since my kitchen is compact.
That's why, Most often I cook in silicone molds. Everything bakes perfectly in them, cools quickly, does not burn, silicone is easy to clean and convenient to store. In addition, they can also be used in making no-bake desserts, all kinds of jellies, soufflés, ice cream, chocolate, and candies. The mass hardens quickly and is then easy to remove.
This is also the most budget-friendly option of all. But occasionally I buy identical forms - to replace the old one with a new one. About once a year.
By the way, almost every material has a shape for different types of dishes: universal round, flat mats for cookies and buns, “bricks”, low round ones, with a circle in the center, muffin molds, for Easter cakes, cupcakes. For example, I have small silicone molds for muffins and a large classic round silicone mold for pies and casseroles.
Educational program on forms is over. Before you buy a cookware, think about what you will bake in it. And good luck in finding the perfect shape!
Intricate cookies or a delicious cake can not only please with a pleasant taste and appetizing smell, but also decorate the holiday table. It's 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. There are quite a lot of them on sale, but if necessary, you can make them yourself. Which baking dish is best? This will be discussed in our article.
What forms are there?
A variety of materials are used to make culinary molds. In stores you can find:
- silicone;
- metal;
- ceramic;
- glass;
- paper;
- parchment.
Each material has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when choosing. Housewives have been using metal forms for more than one century; they are equally well suited for an electric or gas oven, and for a Russian stove. Ceramic dishes are also well known. But silicone began to be used relatively recently. Let's figure out which baking dish is best.
Silicone is indispensable in the household
If you choose between different materials, silicone molds are ideal if the recipe contains a lot of sugar.
pros
Such containers have many advantages:
- easy to clean;
- they do not need to be greased;
- they take up minimal storage space;
- products can be easily removed;
- baked goods do not burn;
- the material can withstand very high and very low temperatures.
More details about some points:
Important! The undoubted advantages of such containers include the speed of preparation - baked goods are prepared surprisingly quickly.
Flaws
Silicone molds are certainly good, but in order for them to last a long time, it is necessary to take into account the features of this material. Some things are strictly contraindicated for silicone:
- The mold must not be placed on an open fire or on an electric burner. Silicone may become deformed when exposed to open fire. You should not heat the pies directly in the pan.
- Pies must be removed from the mold before cutting. The material is easy to pierce or cut, so before cutting large baked goods, you need to remove them from the container, especially since this will not be difficult.
- It is better to fill the form with dough on a special grid. To work with silicone cookware, it is better to purchase a special grill (many ovens have one). The fact is that the form is quite flexible, so it is very difficult to fill it with dough without spilling it. The grid allows you to maintain balance.
Important! Nowadays there are also relatively hard silicone molds on sale. A stainless steel frame is inserted inside. Such models combine the advantages of silicone and metal containers. They are stable, but the baked goods are easy to remove. True, such forms are less plastic and weigh more.
How to choose a silicone baking dish?
On sale you will find a fairly large assortment of silicone bakeware. Many people only pay attention to what figures can be baked in such a container. But you need to look at more than just this to choose the best silicone baking pan.
You should be interested in:
- Thickness. The walls should not be too thin and transparent. Fold the edge of the mold. If the fold turns white, such dishes will not last long.
- Marking. High-quality silicone products always have markings by which you can identify the manufacturer, as well as learn about the features of use - for example, temperature.
- Color. The color should not be bright! Bright and rich dyes may contain substances that are hazardous to health, and they will certainly be released when the temperature rises and end up in baked goods. It is better to prefer pastel natural tones.
Important! In this case, the color should be the same everywhere, without streaks, dark or light spots. As for the smell, it simply shouldn’t exist at all.
- Availability of a stand. In any case, you will have to buy a grill or stand. But now there are models on sale that are already equipped with stands. So, all other things being equal, choose a form that can be used without additional equipment. This baking dish will definitely be the best.
Important! As for manufacturers, French and German companies are leaders in the silicone products market. Their shapes meet all quality standards. The products of such companies, however, are more expensive than those 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.
Silicone mold care
So, you bought a silicone mold or molds. Is it possible to immediately fill them with dough? Not worth it. First you need to wash the product with warm water and soap, and then lubricate it with vegetable or butter - most likely for the first and last time.
Important! If you wash silicone containers in the dishwasher, you will need to lubricate them before each use.
- Caring for silicone cookware is easy. But there are things that cannot be done:
- use metal sponges;
- use abrasive pastes;
- remove baked goods with a knife or other sharp objects;
- cut pies directly in the pan.
Important! Hard scourers and abrasive pastes can scratch the delicate surface. If the mold is not washed immediately, it is best to soak it in soapy water for ten to fifteen minutes.
Ceramics
These are luxurious forms in which you can not only bake muffins, cakes and cookies, but also serve them on the table. Therefore, many rightfully believe that if you decide which baking dish is best, then this option is ideal.
pros
In addition to their spectacular appearance, ceramic baking containers have other advantages:
Important! You can wash ceramic containers with anything. They are completely insensitive to hard sponges, abrasive pastes and detergents.
Flaws
There are few disadvantages to pottery:
- pottery breaks easily;
- in ceramic forms you should not cook on the burner;
- take up quite a lot of space.
Other features to consider when choosing which baking dish is best:
- You can bake food in clay pots in a gas oven, but you should do this carefully and strictly follow the recipe.
- Storing ceramic molds is not very convenient, but this drawback is more than compensated by its attractive appearance. Such products can be a wonderful interior decoration, so there is absolutely no need to hide them in a drawer.
Glass
Fire glass molds are durable and can withstand both very high and very low temperatures. You can bake them, freeze them, or simply cook first and second courses.
Advantages
Fireproof glass is similar in properties to ceramics, so it is an excellent alternative if you need to determine which baking dish is best:
- The walls of glassware are quite thick.
- Dishes are baked evenly.
- The food gets cold slowly.
- You can watch the process.
Flaws
Food glass breaks relatively rarely, but it does happen. Products made from this material also have other disadvantages:
- food may burn;
- It is quite difficult to clean burnt residues.
Important! To prevent food from burning, parchment or special baking paper is placed in a glass pan. If trouble does occur, you must immediately wash the container with dishwashing detergent, then the burnt pieces will come off much easier. Like ceramics, fire-resistant glass is not afraid of abrasives.
Metal molds
Metal is one of the oldest materials for making tableware. For the manufacture of molds the following are used:
- cast iron;
- steel;
- aluminum;
- tin;
- Teflon (used for coatings).
Let's figure out which baking dish is better if you give preference to durable metal.
Cast iron
Cast iron molds are heavy and thick. Food does not burn in them very often, since they are baked evenly. The material can withstand high temperatures and is difficult to damage with a hard sponge or abrasive paste. But it is necessary to protect products made from this material from mechanical influences - cast iron is quite fragile and breaks easily.
Tin
A popular material for making molds. If desired, you can make tin baking containers with your own hands. Products made from this metal are very cheap, but they have a lot of disadvantages:
- baked goods burn;
- the food is baked unevenly, so there may be raw dough left in the middle;
- the mold must be greased;
- Sometimes you have to pick out cupcakes and cookies with a knife;
- baked goods crumble at the slightest violation of technology;
- the shape is easily deformed.
In a word, the tin form needs an eye and an eye:
- strict adherence to recipes and temperature conditions;
- the need to keep track of time;
- When storing, do not allow a heavy frying pan to accidentally end up on the tin.
In addition, tin rusts, so we cannot say that this type of baking dish is the best.
Important! On sale you can find Teflon-coated tin containers. 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 coated with a special composition with silver ions.
Stainless steel
Excellent reliable forms. They do not rust, do not wrinkle, do not break, and warm up quickly. Perhaps the main drawback is that food still burns in them, and the mold itself must be greased.
Important! To get rid of the remains of burnt food, you can use anything - from any detergent to knives that will not cause any harm to the form.
Aluminum
Light, thin and cheap molds. Unlike tin, they do not rust, and the cost is about the same. As a rule, containers for cookies and other small products are made from aluminum.
The main disadvantages of aluminum products:
- deformed under mechanical stress;
- the dough burns quite often;
- Baked goods are heating unevenly.
Important! When choosing a metal mold, pay special attention to the quality of the surface. The smoother it is, the less likely it is that food will burn.
One-time forms
If you haven't decided how to choose a baking dish, pay attention to disposable molds. You will find quite a few of these in a hardware store or hypermarket. They are made from foil and parchment, they are very cheap, but they are not designed for long life. There is no need to wash them - just throw them in the trash after use.
Svetlana Dmitrieva | 10/14/2014 | 1167Svetlana Dmitrieva 10/14/2014 1167
Today on store shelves you can find baking dishes made of completely different materials: cast iron, tin, aluminum with non-stick coating, glass, ceramics and silicone, which is increasingly becoming fashionable. So which baking dish should you choose?
Cast iron molds
A cast iron pan is an ideal choice for those who want to achieve baking perfection. It is also suitable for roasting meat, poultry, and fish.
Cast iron heats up for a long time and evenly, so the pie in it will always be baked and with an appetizing crispy crust. In addition, the cast iron mold is durable and can serve for more than one generation.
Disadvantage The advantage of using cast iron cookware is that it requires habit and some physical effort: cast iron is a heavy material.
Cooked dishes should not be left in a cast iron pan. Moisture condensing on food can cause rust.
Cast iron molds require special attention when caring. After use, it is better to immediately wash them, dry them and store them in a dry place (you can first lubricate them with vegetable oil).
Finding a cast iron baking pan today is not such an easy task. If you are lucky and have a uniform in your kitchen that you inherited from your mother or grandmother, take care of it.
It is unlikely that you will get a good pie the first time in a new cast iron pan. It is quite possible that it will burn and will not want to separate from the mold.
Before it can acquire good non-stick properties, cast iron needs to absorb a certain amount of oil into its pores, and this happens mainly during cooking. So, if you didn’t succeed the first time, don’t despair: each next time will be better than the previous one.
Ceramic forms
These forms are suitable for preparing casseroles, soufflés, gratins and similar dishes. Ceramics have low thermal conductivity, but in the oven it heats up evenly, and dishes are baked well.
The non-stick properties of ceramic molds depend on the quality of the clay and the outer coating. Food burns more strongly on a glazed surface, and less on an unglazed surface. However, unglazed forms are less durable: moisture entering the pores gradually destroys the ceramics.
Ceramic molds are easy to clean and are not afraid of metal spatulas.
Flaw ceramics is that it does not like temperature changes. Accordingly, the liquid should be poured into the molds at room temperature and placed in a cool oven, heating gradually.
Like any other ceramic tableware, the molds are fragile and are susceptible to impacts and falls.
Metal molds with non-stick coating
Non-stick pans are the most affordable and common on store shelves today. Thanks to the coating, it is not difficult to remove even a slightly overcooked cake from these forms.
Most often, such forms are made of aluminum. It heats up quickly and evenly and cools down just as quickly. The service life of the baking sheet and the price largely depend on its thickness, as well as the quality of the coating.
Thin forms have the most unstable non-stick coating; their service life with regular use is about a year. Thick forms are more expensive, but have much better properties and a longer service life.
Flaw: Nonstick baking pans and pans do not allow the use of metal spatulas or knives. The non-stick layer crumbles over time, does not tolerate hard abrasives and does not tolerate high temperatures, only up to 200°C.
Heat-resistant glass forms
These forms are not only attractive in appearance, but also very convenient: through the transparent walls you can monitor the cooking process. When heated, heat-resistant glass does not release any reagents, which allows you to preserve the natural taste of the product, without foreign flavors.
Due to the low thermal conductivity of the material, dishes in glass forms do not cool down for a long time, and after cooling they can be stored directly in the form in the refrigerator.
Flaw: glass forms do not like sudden temperature changes. Therefore, they must be heated gradually and cooled in the same way.
Silicone forms
Silicone baking molds appeared relatively recently and in a short time became very popular not only among housewives, but also among professional confectioners.
Silicone is suitable for both baking and freezing, since it can withstand temperatures from -60 to 250°C, and also does not require constant lubrication - it is enough to do this once before the first use.
The baked goods come out well from the silicone mold. To remove the biscuit or cupcake, simply turn the mold inside out.
Silicone has virtually no shortcomings. The only thing these forms are afraid of is sharp metal objects (knives, forks, spatulas). In addition, before you start putting the dough and filling into the mold, you need to take care of a hard stand: due to its softness, without it the mold will not be able to be placed in the oven.
- Don't try to find a universal pan that fits both a cupcake and a pizza. There are no such things!
- You should not bake and prepare jellied meat in the same form. For dishes that need to harden in the refrigerator, it is better to buy separate dishes.
- When preparing dough products, it is better to use baking paper, regardless of what form you use (except silicone).
Which baking pan is better - silicone or metal?
What I like best about silicone molds is that the baked goods are easy to get out and that after baking the mold takes its original shape. But it is advisable to keep it in cold water after washing. Then she will return to her real form one hundred percent.
It seems that with silicone it is much easier to pull out, for example, a pie, a cupcake, etc., since it almost does not stick to its base. It also seems to cool faster and does not even seem to heat up at all
It depends on what you cook and what shapes these shapes have. For example, for flat cakes, I liked the metal one better, but in the silicone one (I have it with a frame), the bottom turned out to be not completely flat. If the dough is completely liquid, then the detachable metal form is inferior here, it undermines. And if you want interesting shapes for baked goods, there are all sorts of daisies, etc., then it is more convenient to take them out of silicone.
I think it’s silicone, although I myself use Teflon molds. It’s easier to get the product from silicone, but I haven’t used metal ones for a long time - they burn more often, and they often rust.
Lately I have really fallen in love with silicone molds, and the old ones - iron detachable and Teflon - are gathering dust, quietly forgotten and abandoned.
Silicone molds have a lot of advantages - the product is easy to remove, the mold is easy to clean, the variety of shapes is amazing, what else is needed for happiness? My child just loves what he calls a cake with a hole, an iron mold of this shape (I apologize for the clumsy syllable) was given to me, but I have never been able to get the finished cake perfectly, it always sticks somewhere, I had to mask imperfections for a long time, but with silicone this is not a problem at all, the result is consistently pleasing.
I am for silicone (in the kitchen :))).
The silicone mold is much better than the metal one. And it’s easier and more convenient to use and nothing burns. And it’s a pleasure to take the finished baked goods out of such a mold; you don’t have to pick it up with a knife or try to shake out the contents in any way. And the silicone mold is much easier to clean.
I tried a lot of things: Teflon, silicone, and metal molds. I came to the conclusion that it is more convenient for me... a glass baking dish. First of all, it is definitely safe. You don’t have to think that under the influence of temperatures, Teflon or silicone is released into the baked goods. But I didn’t like the metal one because it sticks to it. I also use a cast iron skillet as an alternative. The results are also good and also safe.
I have both silicone and metal baking pans. If the metal mold is of good quality, then it is more reliable than the silicone one. Moreover, it is not completely known how silicone affects the product being prepared in it. But silicone molds make it much easier to remove baked goods and the range of silicone molds is much more diverse.
Whether our baked goods will rise in the oven depends not only on the products, but also on the form in which we bake.
If you use a dish that is too low, the dough will leak out; if the baking sheet is of poor quality, the desserts will not be baked and will stick.
Metal plus coating
Many people use non-stick cookware. But experts believe that you still shouldn’t ignore the lubricant and sprinkling of such utensils - with them the dough will come off the walls even better.
To make the sprayed mold last longer, do not scratch it with a spoon or spatula, do not pour cold water on it after the oven, and before use, read the information about what temperature it can withstand - there are coatings that are not afraid of heat of +230º, and there are those that begin to deform already at +130º. The filling of non-stick cookware can be either steel or aluminum.
In the latter case, the molds are very light and instantly conduct heat, so make sure that the baked goods do not burn on the bottom.
Soft silicone
A new unique material for baking – silicone. It has many advantages. Withstands temperatures from -40º to +230º, so it can be used not only for baking, but also for freezing. The mold needs to be greased only once - before the first use, and then immediately pour the dough into the bowl and do not be afraid that it will stick.
To get the finished dish, you just need to turn the silicone inside out. Unlike other materials, it does not break, does not rust, does not react with acids, is pleasant to the touch and beautiful. But! Soft silicone does not hold its shape well, so you must first place the dish on a wire rack or baking sheet, then fill it with dough, and only then put it in the oven.
And don’t try to take out the finished baked goods quickly - they need to cool down first. To ensure that the silicone mold serves you for a long time, do not cut baked goods in it and do not wash it with brushes or products containing abrasives.
What forms are there?
This is the most popular form for baking cakes - it turns out with perfectly smooth edges, so it can be cut into any number of identical layers. When choosing round dishes, pay attention to the height of the sides - for a cake you need at least 5-6 cm, for pizza 1-2 cm is enough.
For a cupcake with a hole
Mini molds
Separate molds are provided for baking.
Detachable
If you can’t remove the finished cake from a tall dish, buy a springform pan - after baking, you simply open the lock on the side wall, and it will “fall apart” into two parts.
However, there are other options for devices to make the work of housewives easier - insertable bottoms, circular knives, etc.
