Products You Can Live Without: Silicone Bakeware

Silicone is the material of the moment in the kitchen. Non-stick without any kind of coating, flexible, versatile and colorful, it seems like an option worth considering. But here's the hitch: Its potential health effects are unknown.

Sand and oxygen, the main ingredients of FDA-approved, food-grade silicone, are safe enough. But then there are the additives that provide the colors and some of the properties of flexibility. "[Silicone] can have other things in it, just like a petroleum-based plastic," says Erika Schreder, staff scientist for the Washington Toxics Coalition. These additives aren't disclosed on labels, so consumers never know what the bakeware contains.

There's also a potential for melting and fumes. Improperly cured silicone, says Hugh J. Rushing, executive vice president of the Cookware Manufacturers Association, is to blame for any "objectionable odor" when baking. As for melting, silicone products can melt at temperatures as low as 428 degrees F. Most home ovens can be set up to 500 degrees.

Environmentally speaking, silicone is long-lasting, and baking sheets made from it eliminate the need for parchment paper, aluminum foil and non-stick finishes derived from perfluoro-octanoic acid (PFOA), which an EPA advisory panel has designated a likely carcinogen. Yet, silicone is rarely recycled at the end of its useful life, and there are plenty of other materials that have equal longevity and are readily recycled. Lacking more health information on silicone, bakers might want to err on the side of caution and opt for the following proven-safe pans.

GLASS

Non-reactive as it gets, cheap and recyclable, glass allows for even browning, especially for pies. Caution: Even-tempered glass can break. Sudden temperature drops can cause shattering, so avoid cold or wet surfaces when hot. Pyrex pie plates ($4.59) and loaf dishes ($7.59; www.pyrexware.com, 800-999-3436).

PORCELAIN ENAMELED CAST IRON

This non-reactive bakeware, made by Le Creuset and others, is covered with a fused hard coating of fine glass particles. It's as indestructible as cast iron but costs quite a bit more. Recycling isn't an issue, since cooks hold on to this stuff forever. Le Creuset tarte tatin dish ($99.95; www.cooking.com).