I hate PAM

[Shimmer]

I like the convenience of spraying a pan before baking brownies, but I do NOT LIKE WHAT IT DOES TO THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF MY BROWNIES!!!

The taste is funny, the texture is weird, the color changes. I guess I'll go back to butter....

~~Shimmer~~

[kokopuffs]

The word, PAM, never existed in my vocabulary. Shame on you.

[Afra]

LOL at you two! I think this is a hilarious thread! hehe I never really used PAM and since I have seen this thread, I don't think I shall ever do so either. Every time I make cakes, brownies, cookies, etc., when I grease the pan, I always use real butter and the result is just perfect, giving me delicious cakes, brownies, cookies, etc. hehe

[Pooh]

Tried it once and it made me so !!

I ALWAYS use butter! It makes me !!

even as a novice, i tried *** once, please forgive me, but i learned from that, i only use butter or my no stick pans, for most of my baking and even cooking i would rather use a splash of olive oil or something anyways thats my two cents worth.

[monpetitchoux]

Pam is evil. And so are all its cousins. Anyone familiar with Vegelene? besides leaving a sticky film on sheet pans that the dishwashers curse about, it does us no good to be breathing that stuff in. Not to mention how the spray also falls through the air and leave a slippery floor. Maybe one day we can sue the makers of this stuff the way States are suing tobacco companies? Oh who am I kidding? They'd create reasonable doubt just by sifting powdered sugar or mixing flour in a Hobart.

[Murrmaid]

Hee! Hee! Yes, P** is an instrument of Satan, but I do have a little can of it in my cabinet. I was making a low-fat cheeseckae (yes, I know - how ridiculous) for all of the points-counting Weight Watcher junkies in my office and it does shave off a few calories and a wee bit of fat. Everyone else was quite pleased, but all I could taste was PAM. Blech!

Bakers' Joy is a bit less offensive, but nothing beats butter.

[Mezzaluna]

I also hate PAM. I have used Weight Watchers Buttery Flavor Spray when I was eating low fat. It also left a nasty film on my pans, but the flavor wasn't bad. In fact, I was so fanatic that I sprayed it directly on freshly popped popcorn. Now I use only good oils and butter and never eat popcorn!

[m brown]

I bake in individual pans for everything and use industrial Pam, the stuff is a god send and saves my butt daily. I rarely have a problem with cleaning because the tins are mostly disposible. It helps with terrines and frozen mousse too.
Maybe the industrial stuff is better than the store bought stuff.?

[Pastachef]

This is an interesting board. At home, I use butter, but at work, because the girls have fits over calories, etc., I use Vegelene. I know what you mean about the film, but I first cover all of my baking pans with foil for quick clean up. Sometimes I use parchment paper. The girls and my boss beg for my cakes, so I've never had complaints about the flavor. Maybe the industrial stuff IS better.

[W.DeBord]

Ditto with m brown I couldn't live with-out it in my work kitchen! Rarely can it be noticed on a baked item...if so you doing something wrong! But many items aren't appropriate for a light spray...like brownies they need something heavier to release properly. P.S. I foil my pans alot at work, makes for perfect releases and perfect cut bars.

You want to buy a release product that lists oil/fat as it's first ingredient. Some of the "pam" type products list h2o as their first ingredient. The more water content the more likely sticking and excess moisture will accure. Butter has more h2o in it then my release spray and it isn't a good choice for many baked items.

If your tasting the spray your using too much.

[Pooh]

Ever heard of oil misters/sprayers?

this one is from Tavolo.

this one is from Williams-Sonoma.

Would this work with melted butter?



[ May 18, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]

[mudbug]

pooh,

These have become very popular in the last few years. They Started out at $20 and now I see them for $5. They tend not to be consistent in their spray unless the pressure is just right and it has just the correct amount of oil in them. A fantastic alternative is to go to your beauty supply store, get a few small plastic bottles with nozzles and fill them up with your various cooking oils. You could probably get them for $0.50 each and they won't be as finicky as the one's you're referring to.

As far as melted butter, if you're willing to handle the prep work and clean up, yes, you can do it. But you'll have to make sure you clean it out before it solidifies, or you can nuke it in the microwave (make sure it's all plastic) for a few seconds but not so long as to melt the plastic. A really good basting brush would work just as well. Look for one with many thin bristles at least 1/2" thick and 1" in length. This will retain a lot of whatever you choose to baste with and make it much easier.

[Pooh]

Great advice cchiu.

Thanks.

Why don't you try clarified butter or ghee!