Grill Mats Make Clean-up Easy



T
his is a Maria-approved product.

I don't know why it took me so long to use grill mats. I've spent oodles on foil paper when I could've used reusable grill mats.

I originally bought a set for Greg a couple of years ago for his smoker/bbq pit. He didn't use them right away, but once he did, he was hooked. He asked me to order him more.

Then one day, I saw a commercial for a baking liner. Little did I know it was virtually the same thing as the grill mat. The baking liners are generally white or gray while the grill mats are black. Both are made of PTFE  (teflon) and BPA free. Both can withstand temperatures of up to 500 degrees F.

They charge significantly more for the baking liners. I suppose they do it because they can.

I use my grill mats interchangeably for baking, roasting, or broiling. As long as the liner doesn't sit directly on open flame, it can handle anything.

• Grill mats are washable. You can even put them in the dishwasher.

• Since food won't stick to them, you don't need to oil the mat.

• Economical. Much cheaper than using aluminum foil--which you then have to throw away.

• Trim to fit. You can trim them to fit any size pan.

• Line the bottom of your oven. One of the smartest things I ever did was line the bottom of my toaster and regular ovens. Makes cleanup way quicker.

Two words of caution.
  1. Don't use them over an open flame.
  2. Don't use them in heat over 500 degrees. Once it gets over 500 degrees it can emit a toxic gas. Anything less is fine and remains inert.
I've bought a variety of different brands but I think all of them are exactly the same so look for size and price as a determining factor. I like the extra large sizes for the oven, but the regular size handles almost every pan and tray I own.

Have you tried grill mats? I'm sorry it took me so long to try them. They're super functional and cost effective.

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Comments

jacabur1 said…
"Have you tried grill mats?" Not exactly Maria since the "drip catcher mats" that I put in bottom of my oven are not used for cooking. However have loved those for years because of easy spill-over cleanups.

Now though since you pointed them out and conveniently left some Amazon links available am going to purchase some for cooking to cut down on aluminum foil use/waste.

Funny you should post this one, just cleaned a nasty mess today off the mat am using now for my oven.
Maria Zannini said…
Jackie: i really like them. It's one of those products that I wasn't sure would be useful, but it saves me a lot of cleaning time. I hate scraping out ovens.

I've found too that it's easier to toss them in the dishwasher than wash them by hand. This way they have a place to dry.

There's long been some health controversy about using aluminum foil. I limit my foil usage immensely now--just in case they're right. :)
Gwen Gardner said…
I only just heard of them from a co-worker last week. Next time I'm at Bed, Bath & Beyond I'm going to check them out. Thanks for the review, Maria!
Maria Zannini said…
Gwen: Check them out, but I wouldn't buy them at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I'm pretty sure they'll be more expensive than Amazon. I've bought several different brands and I cannot tell the difference between one or the other. Go for the cheapest on this item.
Betty said…
I've seen these advertised, just wasn't sure about them. Thanks for the great review of their effectiveness. Will probably buy some soon!

betty
Michael Keyton said…
I'm sure you've extolled their virtues once before because I remember determining to buy some ONCE I've cleaned out the bottom of my oven. This post reminds me I have to clean out the bottom of my overn
Michael Keyton said…
Thank you!