I used to go through parchment paper like it was going out of style. Every batch of cookies, every sheet of roasted vegetables, another torn sheet, another roll finished in a week. Then I bought a silicone baking mat out of curiosity, and I have barely touched a roll of parchment since.

A silicone baking mat is a reusable nonstick sheet that replaces parchment paper for most baking.

Why I switched

• Reusable. Mine has lasted through hundreds of bakes, which beats a roll of parchment every time.
• Nonstick without oil. Cookies slide off, roasted vegetables release clean, and cleanup is a rinse.
• No edges curling. Parchment always curled up on me mid-bake. The mat lies flat.
• Even browning. The mat distributes heat a little more gently, which helped my cookie bottoms stop burning.

What to use it for

1. Cookies. They slide right off with a spatula.
2. Roasted vegetables. No sticking, no scrubbing the pan.
3. Bread and pizza. Dough does not stick while it rises or bakes.
4. Messy jobs. Rolling out dough, kneading, or making candy on top of the mat.

What to avoid

Do not cut on the mat with a knife, it will slice the surface. And check the heat limit, most mats are fine to around 450 degrees, so they are not for super-hot broiling. Use parchment for those jobs.

My first mistake

I put my mat in the dishwasher and it came out fine, but the instructions said hand wash, so I stopped. A quick rinse and wipe handles 99 percent of messes, because nothing really sticks. That ease of cleanup is the reason I actually use it instead of reaching for parchment.

Does it save money

A good mat costs about the same as a few rolls of parchment. If it lasts a couple of years, that is dozens of rolls of parchment saved. Mine paid for itself in the first month.

My parchment paper drawer is practically untouched now. The mat does the job, over and over.