Beyond plastic
Silicone works its way into the kitchen
By ROBIN OLIVER
BIRMINGHAM POST-HERALD
The latest trend in cookware and gadgets is easily illustrated by a new, and some say improved, muffin pan.
It feels like a thin piece of rubber and bends as such. With it, you can pop your muffins out like ice cubes, rinse your pan in warm soapy water, fold it up and stick it in the smallest drawer in your kitchen.
No wonder the world of kitchen product manufacturing is obsessed with silicone.
"Everything in the kitchen is going to silicone," said Wesley Lassen, owner of The Cook Shop in Mountain Brook. "We have it in bundt pans, loaf pans, muffin pans ... gloves and pot holders.
"Every time you turn around, they're coming out with something else in silicone."
Silicone items are typically a few dollars more than their traditional counterparts, Lassen said, but she believes the durability and flexibility is worth the additional cost.
Michael Karyo, owner of Silicone Zone, one of the first U.S. distributors of silicone kitchen products, said the idea has been around for more than 15 years. It was a hit in France long before its recent arrival in this country, he said.
Karyo said silicone transfers and distributes heat evenly when correctly made, has natural nonstick properties, is light weight and bends and twists to easily unmold baked or refrigerated foods.
Since Silicone Zone sent its first shipment in March of 2002, many more companies have jumped on board.
"I see it in all of my gadget companies," Lassen said. "Anything that they can try in silicone, they are trying."
Her favorite items include the easy-to-clean silicone basting brushes that move easily between savory and sweet marinades, the Silpat nonstick cookie sheet liner and spatulas in an array of fun colors.
"Color is a big, big part of the story," Karyo said. "(Silicone Zone) is know for our red. It's fun with color, and that's part of the appeal of silicone."
For Valentine's Day 2005, Silicone Zone plans to release a new line of vibrant pink baking dishes, including a rose-shaped cake pan and heart-shaped muffin pans.
"There's no reason why bakeware couldn't be as fashionable as any other part of the kitchen," he said.
While the cool colors many be a fad, Lassen said silicone as a bakeware and gadget material is likely to be a permanent addition to what's available in kitchen stores.
"I think it is definitely here to stay because it's so effective," she said.