Since we are all tight on space (I never have enough space), I thought I would post my experience with the silicone I use. I have some of the bakeware: Mini muffins and mini loaf pans. The longer I use the bakeware, the less I like it. It never really seems to come clean. It's hard to explain and I use a really good (commercial) dish detergent. I also have a couple of Progressive International collapsible silicone colanders (
one large 5 quart,
one smaller hand held) that I bought several years ago as a set at Wal-Mart.
I also picked up a
3 pc set of graduated collapsible silicone mixing bowls and have been using them for several years. So far, no cracks or holes. I have used a metal mixer beater in them many, many times. My old set did not come with lids. I have reheated greasy foods as well as tomato based sauces which seems to be a death knell for many bowls and food storage containers.
I have discovered that you can find a wider selection of collapsible silicone products online than in stores. The great thing about the collapsible silicone is that it doesn't take up a lot of room. All our cabinet doors are going to be thick plywood. This is so I can screw metal cup hook on the inside of the doors and hang stuff on the doors. Like the collapsible silicone. I have had to use a small drill and make "hanging holes" in the hard plastic rims on a couple of pieces. Most of my silicone dates from 2006 -2008. So I have been using them long enough to see what the long term effects are.
Collapsible silicone search on Amazon.
In the past I have used a folding "X" shaped wooden dish drainer But it has it's limitations (I rebuilt it so many times I lost count). The
Collapsible Dish Drainer is a product I will definitely buy.
I even found a
collapsible silicone tea kettle). I think the tea kettle might be something that could find it's way into our galley since we usually use the microwave to heat up small amounts of water.
We may end up with more of the collapsible silicone. Space hogging items like
funnels,
food storage bowls,
measuring cups are candidates for being replaced with collapsible silicone. Just not for baking in. I have found that I prefer metal pans for baking and restaurant grade at that. Now the
steam table pans are fantastic to cook in and we already have several 1/3 and 1/6 pans that are 4" deep! We have the anti jam type and they stack very nicely inside each other.
Many years ago I bought some
Rubbermaid collapsible storage bowls (still have some). It was translucent and it peeled and discoloured after microwaving tomato based pasta sauce several times. I need to toss the Rubbermaid ones. They are too yukky to use and we simply keep moving them around. I would not recommend buying them.
Linear Mode
