One is covered in heat-resistant silicone, the other is covered in flammable wax.
Silicone isn’t what makes parchment paper heat-resistant (and isn’t even used on most standard parchment papers). Cellulose pulp is treated with sulfuric acid to cross-link the cellulose molecules, making them more chemically and thermally resistant, and the result is parchment paper.
I would prefer you to be correct, because I am reading other comments that say some parchment paper is teflon coated. PFA pollution arising from PTFE production for pots and pans is bad enough, but to use Teflon on a consumable item should be an obvious “ban the fuck out of it already” action item. I mean, all PTFE production should be banned based on what we’re learning about PFAs, but for fucks sake, disposable items? EDIT: google says the vast majority of parchement paper is silicone coated, not teflon coated like one German asserts in another comment in here.
It’s really grocery stores fault. They sell them right next to each other and often have like 8 different brand choices of one but only 1 or 2 of the other which is nestled somewhere inbetween the others.
It’s an American language fault. Parchment paper is called baking paper elsewhere. You can’t make a mistake when choosing between baking paper and non baking paper.
I was reading this and thinking how come you even have two papers to choose from. Baking paper goes in the oven and parchment… isn’t that like an animal skin you write on? I don’t think I’ve ever used wax paper for anything, so I can’t imagine what that’s for.
Wax paper is non-stick so has a lot of different uses as long as you aren’t heating it up. For example you could put some down while you roll out cookie dough if you don’t want to clean flour off your countertop. Can use it to make decorations for your baked goods like chocolate strings or something similar. Drizzle the melted chocolate on the wax paper and once it cools and hardens it will come right off.
And I have yet to see a single one with a giant badge that says “not for oven use!” Moreover, wax paper is always marketed as “microwave safe.” I know a microwave is not an oven, but it’s not ludicrous to equate the two.
Also each of them resists different type of foods better. Wax paper will hold up to wet food, and parchment paper holds up better to oily food.
This is not anything I can prove just personal experience so take it with a grain of salt
And let’s not forget about butcher’s paper. Also totally different application but still no oven.
You can use it for lower temperatures. (< 300°F). You can realistically go up to 400°s but I think it starts to do odd things when above 300°F (it’s been awhile since Ive used it so take that with a grain of salt).
It’s used in a lot of smoking/roasting applications to keep the moisture in. Just don’t let it touch the element and you should be fine.
It’s used in a lot of smoking/roasting applications to keep the moisture in. Just don’t let it touch the element and you should be fine.
What is this, “el-em-ent?” I don’t understand. Are you talking about the hot coals?
(On a related note, Hank Hill was wrong.)
Which one holds up better to a grain of salt? Should I use aluminum foil for that?
I recently got “food wrapping paper” for bundling up sandwiches, it is still coated but has just enough stickiness left for tape to hold it shut.
Previously I was using parchment paper and if you wanted to hold it shut you needed to use a rubber band or run the tape all the way around to stick back to itself.
Image Transcription:
Tumblr post by user turing-tested: guess who just found out the difference between wax paper and parchment paper the hard way Reply by user vraska-theunseen: wait what’s the difference? Reply by user turing-tested: one you can use in the oven safely and the other you can also use in the oven if the thing you are trying to make happens to be fire
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Which one is which?!?
You understand that the reason we make candles out of wax is because it’s a solid fuel, right? The same reason candles work is the reason wax paper isn’t oven safe.
A lot of people think that the wick itself is the fuel. I only recently realized that it’s “wicking” up melted wax, and the wax itself is the fuel.
Somebody on Reddit once called me a backward Amish for knowing how a candle works.
Yeah, I recently learned that most people are totally misunderstanding candles when Hank Green had to do a whole series on “where does the wax go?” on tiktok. Blew my mind that it wasn’t obvious to everyone.
