Question: Silpat vs Baking Stone

[CHRIST1NE]

I have read threads on both of these, but if you could only pick one to buy (right now), which would you choose and why?

I make a occasionally make cookies and pizza and more frequently the December 2000 spinach calzone. I have made one pie (the Blue Ribbon Apple - yummy -)

I currently use parchment paper on cookie sheets. This works ok, but you all seem so enthusiastic about the others that I feel like I'm missing something. I was eying the rectangular baking stone at a Pampered Chef party last night, but didn't buy it. I wanted to pick your brains first http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

TIA for your input.
Christine

[Leslie w]

I bought the pc rectangular baking stone and I love it. You could probably get the same type stone at a kitchen store for a lot less but I wanted one with a handle and the pc had a nice handle. I have used it for everything but cookies. I still prefer cookies on my airbake sheets lined with parchment paper. I saw the silpats in Martha Stewart magazine and I thought they were expensive. The baking stone is great if you like to make bread or pizza because it gives it a nice hard crust. Pizza won't get soggy if you use the stone as a serving dish.

[This message has been edited by Leslie w (edited 01-12-2001).]

[luv2cook]

i like my stone but don't know what a silpat is...

[SHERRY]

I have both a pizza stone and a silpat mat. The really serve different purposes. The pizza stone, as mentioned above, creates a crispy crust, something the silpat will not do. In fact when I am making chocolate chip cookies, where we like a crispy bottom, I do not use the silpat. It really is for keeping things from getting brown and crispy. It works great for sugar cookies or delicate pastries that just need to bake, not crispen, if that is a word. Anyway, if you are going to choose one, I would choose the stone. It sounds like you might make more crusts, breads, pizzas, etc. than cookies. This would be a better choice.
King Arthur really has the best price on the silpat if you choose to indulge in one of these as well. I tend not to use my stone for cookies because it takes it too long to cool between batches, and if you put cookie dough on hot sheets or stone, they tend to spread more than puff up. So I would stick to your parchment paper for the cookies. Hope this rambling helps http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Good Luck.!

[Beth]

For me, it would be the baking stone, and it sounds like that may be what you would use most for your baking too.

My main reason for getting the baking stone first is that it does something you really can't get another way. The silpat is, in my mind, a convenience thing that is an alternative to greasing cookie sheets or using parchment. You are already doing that.

[CHRIST1NE]

As always, thanks for your input. I was REALLY hoping you would steer me towards the baking stone - I swear it was calling my name last night http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

PS for those of you that don't know, Pampered Chef has a 3 year warrenty on their stone products - even if you drop & break it! For that reason alone I will probably buy it from them even though it is a bit more expensive.

[lindrusso]

Hmmmm...they're so different that it's hard to figure which one to invest in. I'd say it depends on which type of cooking you do more.

Silpats are nice (I have two), but I like parchment paper almost as well - Silpats are better because they help prevent burning more, are reusable and don't need to be cut each time. However, Silpats might not change the quality of your final product for the better as much as using a baking stone might??? Does that make sense?

Good luck and I'm sure you'll be happy no matter what you choose!

[ShirleyD]

Can anyone tell me exactly what is a silpat?!

[Laura B]

Shirley, check out this thread:
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/003270.html

[JanetB]

OK - I have a stupid question. . .
I was looking at a pizza "set" in Lechters the other day. It included a deep dish pan, some other kind of pan and a pizza stone - and some utensils. So, do you just put the pizza on the stone or do you just put it in the oven under the pan???

I honestly have no idea - but my BF asked me if I wanted the set for Valentines Day (Yes, most of my friends are horrified by this gift idea!) And, I wonder if I need all this -or just a stone or what?

[Leonard]

I have a silpat and don't use it that often. I agree with all the other reviews. Using parchment paper is as easy as the silpat. It works well with the delicate cookies, but how often do you bake them?? I would definitely buy the stone. It's nice to have the silpat. But after thinking about it I should have saved my money!!

[56grapeape]

i dont have a pizza stone, but i think you just put the pizza ON the stone and bake.

(we dont make pizzas, dont know when we ever would either, lol we have found the BEST pizza joint here (in SD, Mama's Pizza on mission gorge is ours)

Rachelle ~:0) in Ca Originally posted by JanetB:
OK - I have a stupid question. . .
I was looking at a pizza "set" in Lechters the other day. It included a deep dish pan, some other kind of pan and a pizza stone - and some utensils. So, do you just put the pizza on the stone or do you just put it in the oven under the pan???

I honestly have no idea - but my BF asked me if I wanted the set for Valentines Day (Yes, most of my friends are horrified by this gift idea!) And, I wonder if I need all this -or just a stone or what?

[maccmedia]

I have both a baking stone and a silpat baking mat. I too think they serve 2 seperate purposes. I use the stone for baking pizza, scones, and all bread that is in a freeeform shape. I use the silpat for baking cookies, pastries etc. One thing I always use the silpat for is when I want to roll out a cookie dough really thin and then use cookie cutters that have more delicate shapes. The ones that can sometimes be hard to move to the pan without a part breaking off. I roll the dough out right onto the silpat then just remove the background leaving the cookies where they are. You can't get as many on a sheet this way but I have had great success doing this with some designs - a dragonfly in particular that I never would have been able to get the dough really thin and then move it without losing a wing or antenea!