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Tesco Professional Square Cake Tin
by Holland1
This cake tin is one of the most used cake tins in my collection, as I often like to do square cakes rather than round ones, as they are easier to carve and provide a more stable cake for decorating, depending on which shape you are trying to achieve.
The cake tin is from Tesco, and is part of their "Go Cook ... Professional" collection, which I spotted during a food shop and thought I would give a try as they looked decent quality. It is made from carbon steel, and like most cake tins is grey in colour. Tesco claim that this tin is non-stick, and is also dishwasher safe.
The tin cost me around £7, but I notice it's currently on offer costing £4.97. That's very good value for a decent quality cake tin of this size. The tin is deep (7cm) and is 21cm long on each side. Although the tin is a good size, I find it a little annoying that it is measured in centimetres and not inches, because most cake recipes are converted to inches. For example, you'd usually look at a conversion chart to figure out quantities of ingredients for an 8 inch cake tin, but this converts to 8.2 inches which isn't a huge problem but a minor annoyance. That said, my recipes tend to turn out ok if I follow the quantities for an 8 inch tin.
The tin is non-stick, but like most people I usually grease and line it before using it, as I'd never feel confident enough that a tin is non-stick to not use greaseproof paper. I've never had any problems with cakes sticking in this tin. It's nice and sturdy but without being too heavy to lift once it's full of cake mixture. When I first used it, I thought I might have trouble getting cakes out of it because the bottom is attached and so you can't just push the cake through the tin, but it seems to be perfectly fine if you've greased the tray, the cake just tips out.
Initially I used to put this through the dishwasher after using it, but annoyingly it doesn't seem to get it 100% clean. The main issue is the corners, where bits of cake mix collect and you can only get rid of this properly by scrubbing with a scourer after leaving it to soak. I tend to leave it to soak to get the worst off, then scrub it until it's completely clean. I expect most square tins have similar problems in that the corners are difficult to clean.
I've had this tin a few years now, and it has served me well. It is still in good condition and I don't see any need to replace it anytime soon. Four stars from me, as although it's great value and performs well, there are just a couple of niggles which knock a star off for me.
(This review also appears on Ciao under the username Gingerkitty)
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Silicone Baking Sheet
by k2705
I was given the Silicone Baking Sheet as a gift by my Nana, she knows I love baking and thought it would be handy. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I already have something similar from Lakeland and not wanting to hurt her feelings I accepted it gratefully, these sort of things are always useful anyway. I know it came from our ... local Homebase and a quick check online told me it cost £4.99.
The silicone sheet is sold in a plain grey card box with the side cut away so you can see the silicone sheet rolled up inside. The box is very plain with just Home Of Style written on the front along with the size of the silicone baking sheet which is given as 360 x 320mm. The back just shows the barcode and informs the customer that the box is recyclable and that's it. There's no instructions for use or how to care for the baking sheet. I know its not exactly difficult to work out how to use it but I really would have thought Homebase would have included some basic instructions for those who have never used this type of thing before.
The actual silicone sheet is a pale blue colour, I have no idea if this is sold in any other colours or not. It has slightly curved corners and is very flexible. As I mentioned theses no information on the packaging as to whether this can be cut to fit certain baking tins or not but personally I use it as it is. The idea of the silicone baking sheet is that it removes the need for greaseproof paper or greasing tins to prevent food sticking.
I have used my silicone baking sheet a lot now and I'm pleased to say that this is just as good as Lakelands. I have cooked several different things using the baking sheet including meringues, biscuits, Chelsea buns and pizza to name a few. Everything cooked on it slides of cleanly and easily. It eliminates the need for trying to prise a spatula under the goodies you have lovingly created and breaking most of them in the process.
To clean the baking sheet I simply give it a quick wash in soapy water and that's it. I always pop mine back into the still warm oven to make sure its perfectly dry before I put it away. I have no idea if this is dishwasher proof or not.
If you are a keen cook and love baking I would certainly recommend this silicone baking sheet from Homebase. It will put an end to any baking disasters caused by your food sticking, its easy to clean and takes up hardly any room in the cupboard. Its a useful addition to the kitchen.
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Silicone Pastel Cupcake Cases
by Holland1
These cupcake cases were given to me as a gift for my birthday a couple of years ago. My soon to be mother-in-law knows how much I love baking so she always buys cookware and bakeware as a thoughtful gift. They are from Lakeland, and they come in four different colours: blue, green, yellow and pink. There are twelve in a set, which ... consists of three of each colour.
The cupcake cases are made from non-stick silicone, and are reusable which makes them a good investment. They have a diameter of 7cm, and a height of 3cm, which makes them suitable for cupcakes and muffins. They are microwave safe, oven safe, freezer safe, and also dishwasher safe, making them very versatile. They can withstand temperatures up to 230 degrees.
The cases are currently on sale in Lakeland for £6.99. Although this might seem expensive for cupcake cases, they are reusable, and they do last a while so it probably works out good value in the long run. I've had mine for a couple of years now, and I use them quite often. They're in as good condition as they were when I first had them.
I mainly use these for muffins rather than cupcakes, although I do a lot of baking so have used them for both. The cases are sturdy so you don't have to place them in a baking tray with holes (not sure what they're called!), but instead they will hold their shape and the weight of the mixture if they are left freestanding on a normal baking tray. They have grooves/ridges around the side which gives your cake a nice shape.
The Lakeland website also states that these are useful for individual portions of things like jelly and mousse, which hadn't occurred to me before but as they are freezer-safe you could do other desserts than cakes in them, and they are very sturdy for this kind of thing.
I'm not sure whether it's true or not but I once read somewhere that silicone cupcases help the cakes to cook more evenly. I would say I've noticed a difference in the outcome of my baking since using these, either I'm getting better with practise or these cases do help the mixture to cook more evenly. The cupcases are definitely non-stick, as it's very easy to remove them once your muffins or cakes are baked. The cases just peel off and it avoids getting any paper bits stuck to your cakes.
In terms of cleaning, these cases are dishwasher safe so I usually just put them in the dishwasher to avoid the need to leave them to soak. They usually come out clean but sometimes bits of cake can be stuck in between the grooves so you just have to keep an eye on this and give it a wipe with a scourer if needed. The most annoying thing is that they take ages to dry. When they come out of the dishwasher they've usually turned upside down during the cleaning process, so you have to be careful when removing them that you don't soak your feet or the floor! They are usually a bit wet still so I leave them to dry on the draining board because drying in between all the little grooves is very fiddly.
I love these cases, and would never go back to using paper ones after using these.
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