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Silicone pans are a fairly new development in cooking, compared to hundreds of years of using cast iron pans.

There are two benefits of silicone pans that really stand out: They withstands extreme temperature changes (-58 to +428) so you can take it from the freezer and put it in the oven, and it's dishwasher safe.

But while it's claimed to be perfectly safe, the silicone used in cookware is not a naturally occurring substance. Claims are that it's inert and will not migrate from the pan to the food. However, this is impossible because all things, including diamonds, migrate to some extent at the molecular level.

Cast iron cookware, on the other hand, is not dishwasher safe, it becomes brittle at very low temperatures and does not withstand quick temperature changes.

Cast iron pans can, however, stand higher temperatures than silicone and cast iron is a natural substance. It does migrate, which is a good thing for the most part, because it increases the amount of iron in the food and in your diet.

The best quality of cast iron is heavy, so it may be difficult for some people to handle, but the weight is what keeps the temperature even.

All cookware has good and bad properties, so choosing whether you want silicone or cast iron probably depends as much on your view of tradition as much as anything.

Learn more about this author, Pat Veretto.
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