Silicon Baking Mats - Easy to Clean

[Dragonheart]

The best I can tell I made the first post here on the Cast Boolets site about using silicone baking mats instead of foil, parchment or whatever to cook Powder Coated bullets. I also told all this was not my idea! It was my wife's idea because she got tired of looking for the non-stick foil in my garage. So she presented me with my first package purchased from Costco and those same mats are still being used.

Why do I use silicone mats? Because they are a one time purchase or at least have been since I got into PC in 2012. I don't have to be continually purchasing foil or parchment. The bullets don't stick to the silicone and the mats will withstand 500+ F. degree temp. The mats are heavier, lay perfectly flat and do not tend to slide when placed on a flat surface.

When the PC bullets are placed base down the powder tends to fill in casting imperfections on the base. Since imperfections on a bullet's base cause inaccuracy at least in theory the bullet's base is improved. When a tray is loaded the bullets do not tend to slide on the silicone like they do on slick foil or parchment, making it somewhat easier to transport the tray to the oven.

However, after one cook or hundreds of cooks, the mats do show signs of use mainly due to spots of powder buildup, etc. but the mats are easy and simple to clean. When I first used the mats I realized there were spots of powder that were bonded to the mats like glue, but I also noticed where the bullets were cooked and removed the mat was left pristine. So i thought why not try coating the entire mat with powder, cook it and see if I just ruined a mat or not. What I found is you simply peel off the layer of cooked powder and it leaves a clean mat.

If I am cleaning several mats I spray the mats with powder. if I am doing just one mat I shake powder in a fine sieve to put on a thin layer of powder. A paint brush, like I use to sweep up powder overspray, can be dipped in powder and dobbed on a mat to deposit a layer of powder. Cleaning my mats is one of the ways I use powder sweepings or some unused powder from Harbor Freight that I purchased and didn't like after trying it.

I did one half of this mat in the photo to show a before and after.

[45workhorse]

Thanks, I was starting to get a build up. I have some harbor freight powder I can 'waste' to get flat mats again. Don't want to waste my powder from Smokes.

[elmacgyver0]

Great Idea, I'm probably too dumb to have thought of it.

[Dragonheart]

Great Idea, I'm probably too dumb to have thought of it.

Just marry a smart woman and save your brainpower for the important stuff, she will tell you what and how to do the rest.

[Tripplebeards]

Sweet

[Minerat]

Nice tip thanks.

[dangitgriff]

Another tip is to give your wife a couple of those new mats and see if she has any problems making homemade buttermilk biscuits on them. I like mine buttered with a little honey...

[1I-Jack]

New to the whole s/b thing but I bought "Mainstays Bake & Grill" mats at wally world for <$9 (for 4 - 11.75x15.7 sheets).After half a dozen bakes there are hardly any "marks" on the sheet (cut to fit my tray).

[Dragonheart]

Another tip is to give your wife a couple of those new mats and see if she has any problems making homemade buttermilk biscuits on them. I like mine buttered with a little honey...

I wish my wife could make homemade buttermilk biscuits, but things like that are fast becoming a lost art.

[William Yanda]

Thanks for reminding me. I ordered some last month. I would have preferred U. S. made but couldn't justify the $ difference. My order is apparently in Customs limbo, due to arrive mid November!

edited to clarify:
I was spending some reward $, limited buying choices somewhat.

[Dragonheart]

If you have a Costco, they stock good quality mats on a regular basis. The ones I purchased were 2 half sheet and 1 quarter sheet pan mats for $!0.

[pacomdiver]

walmart carries 3 full sheets in a pack for $10

[Dragonheart]

There is a difference in the quality of the mats. I purchased some grill mats for the BBQ, but they were so thin they wouldn't lay flat and didn't hold up.

[pacomdiver]

ive been using the walmart ones for almost a year now, they get used hard and are still in good shape

[tomme boy]

I get mine at Aldi's if you have one near you. Cheaper than anywhere else here.

[Conditor22]

I'm going to try the non-stick baking paper pan my frozen deep-dish pizza comes in.

[DHDeal]

As soon as I saw the suggestion of baking mats instead of nonnstick foil, I ordered some and have been using them for the last few years. I have some build up, but it's never gotten any thicker and comes off onto the bottom of the next batch of bullets. To me that's not a bad thing.

I've never considered about the bullets not sliding on the mats compared to the foil, but it's true. Occasionally when using foil I'd have the "Oh Crap" of the bullets sliding into each other or them tipping over then the 52 card pick up. It hasn't happened once since using the mats. I always just attributed it to me being more graceful and you just busted my balloon Dragonheart.

This was a great idea!

[Dragonheart]

As soon as I saw the suggestion of baking mats instead of nonnstick foil, I ordered some and have been using them for the last few years. I have some build up, but it's never gotten any thicker and comes off onto the bottom of the next batch of bullets. To me that's not a bad thing.

I've never considered about the bullets not sliding on the mats compared to the foil, but it's true. Occasionally when using foil I'd have the "Oh Crap" of the bullets sliding into each other or them tipping over then the 52 card pick up. It hasn't happened once since using the mats. I always just attributed it to me being more graceful and you just busted my balloon Dragonheart.

This was a great idea!

At 72 I am certainly not graceful on my feet, but when it comes to packing my mats full of bullets and getting them all upright in the oven, I cheat, I use SS Baker's Cooling Racks. These are wire grid racks that come in different sizes overall and the grid itself. I just set the grid on my mat covered pan, fill up the grid with bullets, transfer the rack into the oven, lift off the grid and repeat the process until all my oven racks are filled. It's the only reliable way to get a tray of 22's in without a topple.