Spread your love around with a Pampered Chef Mini Loaf Pan
Written: Jan 06 '06 (Updated Jan 06 '06)
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Pros: Bakes 4 mini loaves at same time; easy to clean; great results
Cons: Heavy!
The Bottom Line: This pan is great for those to bake mini loaves. Bakes evenly without any burning. Fuss free cleaning. Great addition to your bakeware collection.
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| pilarzmom's Full Review: Pampered Chef Classics Stoneware Mini Loaf Pan 141... |
My love of baking returned last year once my kitchen remodel was finished and I started using my new convection oven. Wow! What a difference. To celebrate the occasion I decided to get some new Pampered Chef stoneware, including the Mini Loaf Pan from their Classics collection. I love baking mini quick breads for my friends and family during the holidays and this wonderful piece of stoneware made the job so much easier.
Product Information
This pan conveniently bakes four mini loaves. Each well has a 1.5 cup volume capacity and measures 2 inches high X 3 inches wide X 5 7/8 inches deep. The pan itself measure 9.5 inches wide and 15 inches long. It is perfect for baking yeast breads, pull-apart breads, quick breads, and meat loaf.
For the uninitiated, stoneware is a great choice for baking for several different reasons. First of all (and most important for me) food never burns and tends to cook more evenly than traditional bakeware. Secondly, clean-up is much easier. Simply soak in hot water and scrape off any stuck-on food. Once your stoneware is well-seasoned you will be amazed at how little food sticks to it.
Like every piece of Pampered Chef Stoneware, the Mini Loaf Pan is made with high quality lead-free clay and is fired at temperatures over 2000 degrees. While it is light gray when new, it does gradually change in color and texture, becoming darker brown and somewhat smoother as it becomes seasoned.
Stoneware does not come cheaply. The Mini Loaf Pan is priced at $30 and comes with a 3-year guarantee. However, expect it to last many, many years with proper care. I have several pieces of stoneware that I've had for close to 15 years and they still deliver wonderful results.
Usage
With previous pieces of stoneware I was able to season the pieces by simply cooking a high-fat content food on them. For example, some of the frozen breads, such as crescent rolls, are ideal. However, since I initially planned to make quick breads in my mini loaf pans which don't have a high fat content, I needed to season first by pouring some cooking oil on a paper towel and rubbing it over the well surfaces. As the surface is porous, it doesn't actually lay on the surface, but rather absorbs into the stoneware, causing it develop a nicely seasoned non-stick surface. I made several batches over the course of a week and did this each time until it started to change color and take on a seasoned appearance.
Pampered Chef suggests that the wells in Mini Loaf Pan be filled with no more than one cup of batter. When baking do not allow stoneware to touch side of oven and if using a convection oven make adjustments to your oven temperature and baking time as suggested in your oven's owners manual.
I did find that it took about 10 minutes less to bake my mini loaves using my convection oven. I flipped the pan over on a wire rack and within 10 minutes the loaves came out on their own, perfect and evenly baked. Some crumbs did stick to side of the pan but with each successive use as the seasoning improved the loaves came out a little bit more cleanly.
One issue I have with mini loaf pan is that it is HEAVY! It is quite a load putting it in and taking it out of our oven, especially since our oven is a built-in oven that sits a little bit lower than most. Additionally, it is quite cumbersome to flip.
Probably the nicest thing, as I mentioned earlier, is that nothing has ever burned in these. A Pampered Chef rep told me once how she left a cake baking in stoneware in her oven too long, and it still came out wonderful. A similar thing happened to me when I got a phone call and forgot to set my timer. The mini loaves baked 15 minutes longer than they should have, but did not burn. They did seem a little dry, perhaps due to hot blowing air of the convection oven, but they still were quite edible.
Although it is doubtful you would ever use this pan in the microwave, it is safe to do so. Likewise, all stoneware is freezer safe.
Cleaning your stoneware
Always allow your stoneware to cool first. The only piece of stoneware I ever broke was because I put water in it when it was still hot and it cracked. When cool, soak in hot water only and scrap off food bits with the scraper that comes with your stoneware. Never, ever, use dish soap when cleaning your stoneware. The soap can absorb into the stoneware and affect the taste of the food. Likewise, do not wash in your dishwasher.
If deep cleaning is needed you may make a paste using half a cup of baking soda and 3 Tablespoons of water. Apply paste, allowing to stand 15-20 minutes and scrape off.
Safeguards
Do not use under broiler.
Use oven mitt or pad when handling hot stoneware.
Stoneware can scratch surfaces such as granite. Use trivet or other appropriate counter protector.
Final Thoughts
This is obviously a specialty piece of stoneware and not one you probably would use everyday. However, it is great for what it is designed to do and I am very pleased overall. I lack the baking skills of my mother so I needed a fool-proof piece of bakeware to help me bake gifts people actually would consider eating. This Mini Loaf Pan is perfect for just that and therefore an invaluable addition to my kitchen bakeware collection.
Purchasing Information
Pampered Chef Products are sold exclusively through Pampered Chef consultants. You may purchase either at parties or through a consultant's Pampered Chef website. To get connected to a consultant near where you live, check out www.pamperedchef.com.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30
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