When you test and write about home products for a living, it can be difficult to come up with one product over the year that you’d recommend above all else. This year, I’ve tested pruning shears, gardening gloves, wet and dry vacuums, stand mixers, induction cooktops, air fryers, meat thermometers, and a few more things in between.
While there are several products that are in my top 5 — and all the products that I’ve tested have their own merits — there was one that stood out for its practicality and price. What’s more, I’m gifting one to my eldest son this holiday season as he loves to bake.
Back at the beginning of 2024, I tried this Lazymi silicon baking mat and found it to be a game changer in the kitchen. In fact, I don’t know why I hadn’t come across one before, but as a regular baker, it’s made my life in the kitchen much easier. So, whether I’m rolling pastry for a pie, kneading dough for a homemade loaf or pizza, or cutting out cookies, this non-slip mat is the perfect tool.
What’s so special about the silicon baking mat?
There's lots to love about this silicon baking mat, and although this exact product is not available in the U.S., there are plenty of alternatives that offer the same practicality but with greater availability, such as Dwavele's version that's available for $11 at Amazon.
Light
As soon as you pick it up, you’ll see how light it is compared to a plastic or wooden pastry board. I was always getting into a fix with my heavy wooden board and worried that I would drop it on my floor and crack the tiles, or my feet!
But although it's light, it is still tough. I've been using mine for a year, and there's no evidence of wear and tear on the mat.
Non-slip
Apart from being lightweight, it’s also non-slip, meaning you can place it on a countertop and use it to roll out pastry or knead dough without it moving about. It saves you from placing a damp cloth underneath your board to stop it swiveling when in use.
Easy to clean
We love finding tricks to make cleaning tasks a breeze at Tom’s Guide. This silicon pastry mat is a surefire winner, as unlike solid boards, it’s easy to place in a sink and wash up with warm soapy water. It can then be left to air dry. Alternatively, it’s safe to clean on the top shelf of a dishwasher, as unlike wooden boards, the material won’t warp. In fact, the pastry mat is temperature resistant to -40°F to 450°F, meaning you can place it in the dishwasher, freezer and oven.
As an extra benefit it’s also easy to roll up or fold for easy storage, so you haven’t got a large board cluttering up your cupboards.
The measurements are right in front of your eyes
You would have previously found me halfway through rolling our pastry, with floury hands, rummaging around on my desk for a ruler, but with this silicon pastry mat, all of the measurements I need are before my eyes. So, if I want to roll our pastry for an 8-inch pie, I can use the guide on the board.
Apart from a guide to help me roll out pastry, it also converts temperature and measurement settings, allowing you to easily convert imperial to metric and vice versa, so you can use your preferred choice without reaching for your phone to check a conversion chart.
It's budget friendly
It’s always good to know that kitchen gadgets don’t have to cost a small fortune to make your life easier. And that’s the best part about the Lazymi pastry mat — it’s budget-friendly. I paid £8 at Amazon for a 50 x 40cm Lazymi mat in the U.K. I’d expect to pay at least double that for a basic wooden pastry board without the benefit of measurements to help when rolling out pastry.
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