I am fortunate to have an aunt who enjoys baking. When I mentioned that I had to test Chef’n’s Sweet Sheet 3-in-1 Silicone Baking Sheet, Auntie Linda quickly volunteered to bake cookies to test the product for me. These are her thoughts:
Manufacturer: Chef’n
Does it work?: Yes. The 3-in-1 is referred to as a silicone mat, baking sheet and cooling rack. All of which is true. Compared with a metal baking sheet, the Sweet Sheet produces a softer cookie.
Pros: In addition to its appealing look, it is easy to clean, the handles make it easy to put in and take out of the oven, cookies come off easily (no greasing or parchment needed), it won’t rust and it’s dishwasher safe. One-inch squares etched into the surface make it easy to space out cookie dough evenly.
I also tried baking refrigerator-dough croissants and cinnamon rolls on the Sweet Sheet. These would stick to my greased metal pans and the bottoms of the croissants would burn a little. On the Sweet Sheet, no greasing was needed and all the pastries came off easily. As with the cookies, though, the bottoms didn’t crisp.
Cons: My aunt likes crispy cookies and she can’t get those results from the Sweet Sheet, so she’d count that as a con. But she noted that her son likes soft cookies, so he preferred the Sweet Sheet results.
The item is touted as being a cooling rack as well, but if you use it that way you’d need more than one in order to keep baking while your first batch is cooling. And at $20 a sheet, that could get pricey.
The sheet will take up more space in cupboards because of its four tiny feet and two handles — they won’t stack as compactly as metal pans.
While my aunt had no problems with the feet, those who slide their baking sheets in and out of the oven will have to get used to pulling out the oven rack to place or lift the sheet. I usually move around my metal pans by grabbing one edge, but that can’t be done with the Sweet Sheet because of its feet and soft middle.
Also, the Sweet Sheet shouldn’t be used in ovens heated to more than 400 degrees.
Cost: $19.99 (quarter sheet) and $24.99 (half sheet) at chefn.com. A set of both is around $31 on amazon.com.
Worth it?: A little pricey, but if you’re making just one batch of any item — like a dozen refrigerator-dough croissants — one sheet is fine. It’s especially good for people who prefer soft cookies.
