Here's an idea I got from Oly and "the Depot" - silicone baking mats on the galley storage bin lids to protect the stainless steel from scratches and hot pans. I put some in my galley and I've had several people ask me about them so I'm going to pass on the idea to the forum.
I’ve never been able to find silicone baking mats (Silpat-style) that would fit the storage bin lids - they were all too short or too expensive! The silicone mats I ended up using are a generic "counter-top" size - I think you're supposed to use them to roll out pie crusts and such. Anyway, they were larger than the bin lids so I simply cut off the extra using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter. They tell you not to cut the mats, or don't use them after they are cut, so I was a little nervous about cutting them to size, but I haven't had any problem with the inside "fabric" coming out of the silicone, so far. I got mine at Aldi (and I saw them there again last week), but I bet all the stores will be full of them for the Christmas baking season. They’ve been easy to clean, although sponges/rags don’t exactly “glide” over the silicone – more “dab” than “wipe.” And water splashing from the sink can sometimes get under the mats.
The one I got at Aldi looked a lot like this one (I cut off the measurement sides):
http://www.amazon.com/BuyDirect2Yo...3854098&sr=1-13&keywords=silicone+counter+mat
I'm not sure what the difference with this one is, maybe thickness? maybe construction? maybe just price?
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/counter-mat/s204230?a=1552
I have a 550 Ultra so my storage bin lids measure approx. 13” X 18.” The bin lids on the Base & Special models might be a little bigger/longer? Most of the counter-top mats I’ve seen are 18” X 25.” It’s a lot of waste, but I used the left-over pieces to line some small storage bins in the galley. I guess they can also be used to open jars?
A couple of notes for the OCD among us:
1. A quilting mat, rotary cutter, and quilting ruler work well - you can square the corners and cut a nice, straight edge (make sure your blade is sharp and go slow so you can maintain the blade next to the ruler edge). But a ruler and some scissors will work, too! I found that pen marks, even Sharpie ultra fine point, didn’t show up very well on the silicone – regular Sharpie fine point worked well but the line is thicker.
2. I cut the mat a little bit larger than the bin lid so I could trim as necessary so the mat fit just inside the metal trim. My bins were unbelievable square - good job Camp Inn!
3. I didn’t use any of the “factory” edges - I didn’t like the measurement scale and I didn’t want to have one “good” corner and one “cut” corner – so I cut my mat more-or-less out of the middle.
4. The "fabric" mesh inside the mats got pretty skewed from edge to edge (grain isn’t very straight) when they were made (better quality mats might be better? don’t know) so I cut off the worst edge first and tried to square the mats according to the “fabric” grain. It still isn't very square, but it's really not noticeable once the mats are on the bin lids and it really doesn’t matter!!!
5. The mats seem to stick better now that it's cold outside - in the summer, they would fall off when the bin lid was up (open) and slip between the bin lid and the frame - kind of annoying. Maybe my cheap-o silicone mat is crappy? Maybe the bin lid and/or silicone mat needs to be cleaned better? I'm thinking about putting a small piece of double-stick scotch tape in the corners next season.
I had an extra baking mat I cut-up to the line the bottom of the cabinet (which is also stainless steel). I have some Contact drawer liner on the two upper cabinets but if I can find some more counter-top mats cheap this season, I might switch them out because the silicone seems to help keep things from sliding around on the shelves better. I hear yoga mats work well, too. And they’re cheaper.
I’ve never been able to find silicone baking mats (Silpat-style) that would fit the storage bin lids - they were all too short or too expensive! The silicone mats I ended up using are a generic "counter-top" size - I think you're supposed to use them to roll out pie crusts and such. Anyway, they were larger than the bin lids so I simply cut off the extra using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter. They tell you not to cut the mats, or don't use them after they are cut, so I was a little nervous about cutting them to size, but I haven't had any problem with the inside "fabric" coming out of the silicone, so far. I got mine at Aldi (and I saw them there again last week), but I bet all the stores will be full of them for the Christmas baking season. They’ve been easy to clean, although sponges/rags don’t exactly “glide” over the silicone – more “dab” than “wipe.” And water splashing from the sink can sometimes get under the mats.
The one I got at Aldi looked a lot like this one (I cut off the measurement sides):
http://www.amazon.com/BuyDirect2Yo...3854098&sr=1-13&keywords=silicone+counter+mat
I'm not sure what the difference with this one is, maybe thickness? maybe construction? maybe just price?
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/counter-mat/s204230?a=1552
I have a 550 Ultra so my storage bin lids measure approx. 13” X 18.” The bin lids on the Base & Special models might be a little bigger/longer? Most of the counter-top mats I’ve seen are 18” X 25.” It’s a lot of waste, but I used the left-over pieces to line some small storage bins in the galley. I guess they can also be used to open jars?
A couple of notes for the OCD among us:
1. A quilting mat, rotary cutter, and quilting ruler work well - you can square the corners and cut a nice, straight edge (make sure your blade is sharp and go slow so you can maintain the blade next to the ruler edge). But a ruler and some scissors will work, too! I found that pen marks, even Sharpie ultra fine point, didn’t show up very well on the silicone – regular Sharpie fine point worked well but the line is thicker.
2. I cut the mat a little bit larger than the bin lid so I could trim as necessary so the mat fit just inside the metal trim. My bins were unbelievable square - good job Camp Inn!
3. I didn’t use any of the “factory” edges - I didn’t like the measurement scale and I didn’t want to have one “good” corner and one “cut” corner – so I cut my mat more-or-less out of the middle.
4. The "fabric" mesh inside the mats got pretty skewed from edge to edge (grain isn’t very straight) when they were made (better quality mats might be better? don’t know) so I cut off the worst edge first and tried to square the mats according to the “fabric” grain. It still isn't very square, but it's really not noticeable once the mats are on the bin lids and it really doesn’t matter!!!
5. The mats seem to stick better now that it's cold outside - in the summer, they would fall off when the bin lid was up (open) and slip between the bin lid and the frame - kind of annoying. Maybe my cheap-o silicone mat is crappy? Maybe the bin lid and/or silicone mat needs to be cleaned better? I'm thinking about putting a small piece of double-stick scotch tape in the corners next season.
I had an extra baking mat I cut-up to the line the bottom of the cabinet (which is also stainless steel). I have some Contact drawer liner on the two upper cabinets but if I can find some more counter-top mats cheap this season, I might switch them out because the silicone seems to help keep things from sliding around on the shelves better. I hear yoga mats work well, too. And they’re cheaper.
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