The 9 Best Silicone Kitchen Tools, According to Fellow Home Cooks
Every kitchen tool material has its pros and cons, but the synthetic polymer known as silicone often takes the cake (so to speak). What makes silicone kitchen tools so great for cooking? Silicone is non-toxic, heat-resistant, and doesn't stain easily. It's flexible, durable, and dishwasher safe. Plus, silicone kitchen utensils won't scratch your pots and pans. Here, we've gathered several essential silicone cooking utensils that deserve to be in your kitchen.
- Best Silicone Spatulas: M Kitchen World Heat Resistant Silicone Spatula Set
- Best Pastry Brush: M Kitchen World Pastry and Basting Brushes
- Best Silicone Baking Mat: Amazon Basics Silicone, Non-Stick, Food Safe Baking Mat
- Best Muffin Pan: Funbaky Silicone Muffin Pan
- Best Ice Cube Tray: Doqaus Ice Cube Trays
- Best Silicone Oven Mitts: Gorilla Grip Premium Silicone Slip Resistant Oven Mitt Set
- Best Mini Silicone Tool Set: Porlik Mini Silicone Spatula Set
- Best Silicone Food Storage Bag: Stasher Platinum Silicone Food Grade Half-Gallon Reusable Storage Bag
- Best Silicone Tongs: Hotec Premium Stainless Steel Locking Kitchen Tongs with Silicone Tips
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Best Silicone Spatulas
Every kitchen needs a spatula (or four). This silicone set is ideal for the precise, catch-all movement needed for making the perfect scrambled eggs or cake batter. Its thin, flexible edges leave nothing behind and eliminate clumps and unevenness. Working with an easily scratchable stainless steel pan? Reach for these and toss your stir-fry with confidence.
"I was a short order cook for years [and] I am very picky as far as my kitchen utensils [go]," one reviewer noted. "These are a superior product."
To buy: M Kitchen World Heat Resistant Silicone Spatula Set, $10 at (originally $13) amazon.com
Best Pastry Brush
Pastry and basting brushes have a tendency to fall apart over time, leaving you with bristles and fibers stuck to your food. Avoid those unwanted ingredients with a set of food-grade silicone brushes that promise not to shed. One reviewer said that she preferred this silicone version of the standard bristle brushes and that she will "often use them to brush the oil in my frying pan for an even coating all over the bottom. I use so much less oil that way and food won't stick."
To buy: M Kitchen World Pastry and Basting Brushes, Set of 2, $6 (originally $14) at amazon.com
Best Silicone Baking Mat
Skip the cooking spray or parchment paper in favor of a heat-resistant silicone baking mat. Place it right on the cookie sheet for a clean, non-stick surface. These mats are so easy you'll find yourself regularly baking chocolate pretzel crinkle cookies. Or, like one reviewer, you can use them for "everything." "These baking mats are absolutely fantastic," she wrote. "The quality is superb, and SUCH a good price. I use them for just about everything I put in the oven."
To buy: Amazon Basics Silicone, Non-Stick, Food Safe Baking Mat, Set of 2, $15 at amazon.com
Best Muffin Pan
Chocolate chip and banana muffins, mac and cheese bites, cookie dough energy balls, and egg muffins all slide right out of these silicone non-stick pans that are oven safe up to 445 degrees Fahrenheit. One reviewer raved that she "didn't have to grease them," and that her egg muffins "came out without having to run a knife around them and they washed easily in the dishwasher."
To buy: Silicone Muffin Pan, 2-Pack, $15 at amazon.com
Best Ice Cube Trays
Those old-fashioned plastic trays that crack and break over time are a thing of the past. Not only will these silicone trays resist the urge to snap in half when you dare to push a cube out and into your glass, they also won't take on that weird freezer smell that eventually permeates your ice, too.
To buy: Doqaus Ice Cube Trays, 4-Pack, $11 at (originally $14) amazon.com
Best Silicone Oven Mitts
Not all oven mitts are created equally. Example: those cotton-poly blend, lemon-printed mitts you picked up at the dollar store. Sure, they're cute and they'll work with hot handles in your kitchen, but you definitely can't bring them outside to handle the heat of your grill. Enter these silicone oven mitts, which are heat resistant up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit.
To buy: Gorilla Grip Premium Silicone Slip Resistant Oven Mitt Set, $20 at amazon.com
Best Mini Silicone Tool Set
Whether you're decorating cupcakes, basting delicate pieces of fish, or trying to get every last drop of your favorite chipotle mayo out from the corners of the jar, you need a mini set of silicone tools. They're more delicate and precise than their larger counterparts and will come in handy more often than you think.
To buy: Mini Silicone Kitchen Utensils, Set of 5, $10 (originally $14) at amazon.com
Best Silicone Food Storage Bag
Cutting back on plastic usage is hard, but these sustainable baggies make it easy. You can reuse them, of course, but they're also built to be microwaved, frozen, and tossed in the dishwasher. When you're feeling adventurous, these half-gallon bags can be used to cook with a sous vide, too. One reviewer recommends that you "start with one or two (sandwich size is a good starter) and build your stash as you get rid of the ziplock bags in your drawers."
To buy: Stasher Platinum Silicone Food Grade Half-Gallon Reusable Storage Bag, $16 (originally $20) at amazon.com
Best Silicone Tongs
Delicate pieces of food like fish fillets and leafy greens are typically too fragile to withstand the sharp edges of metal or plastic tongs. Plus, you can't use them while cooking with surfaces that scratch easily, like stainless steel or enamel. Save your food and your cookware by reaching for one of these silicone-tipped options instead.
To buy: Hotec Premium Stainless Steel Locking Kitchen Tongs with Silicone Tips, Set of 2, $8 (originally $16) at amazon.com