baking trays

[SunWukong]

I want to start making cakes and things and want some baking tins and things, what is better the normal kind or these silicone things.

Far too many uses of the word things there.

silicone ones can be costly, so if you're a novice, maybe use/borrow conventional ones until you find what size/shape you're going to use most of and invest in good ones then?

i personally don't like them - they still need greasing and don't hold their shape as well for sponge cakes

the expensive thick silicone ones work well but do does a good tin. if i use silicone i buy the spray cake release from asda so the cake doesnt stick. cheap silicone is rubbish!

I don't do all that much baking, but the silicone stuff I've bought I've not been impressed with. A baking sheet I bought left an aftertaste on the food (could've been a cheap one though). I've got a couple of jamie Oliver silicone stuff and still not convinced. I just find bog standard non-stick cake tins have served me in good stead (always use greaseproof paper though). I have some Mermaid roasting/baking trays and they are excellent and very hard wearing. Not sure if they do cake tins.

I would always go for the most solid ones you can afford as they should last a lifetime. I spent about £21 per baking tray at Lakeland about 3 years ago and think I will be leaving them in my will :)
TKMaxx often has some good things at much cheaper prices.
I know very little about silicone ones but haven't liked any I've tried yet

Ok thanks I'll stick with the tried and tested, wasn't sure about the silicone things sounded like a strange idea to me, cooking things in plastic stuff.