When using a baking pan or any other pan, you should grease it before you start preparing the food item itself. In some cases, especially for baked items, you may need to put it in the oven right away, and if your pan isn’t greased already, you won’t achieve the end result you want. And these days, there are plenty of greasing items for pans in the market.
But in our opinion, this is the reason why people have confusion about what to use when greasing their pan. Before all this commercialization of greasing products, people used to use items like butter, and you should consider that too. Alright, now let’s talk about a few things you can use to grease your pan at home.
Ways To Grease A Pan
Butter
Butter is the most commonly used item to grease pans, especially baking pans. And it is for sure the best alternative to any other greasing product or item. Many people consider it as “buttering a pan,” rather than “greasing a pan.” The most common way to use butter as a greasing substance is by using a paper towel to spread the thin layering of butter in the pan. Some people prefer just taking a small stick of butter and rubbing it inside the pan. You can use a brush to coat the surface of the pan with butter in order to spread it evenly.
Vegetable Oil
You may know that vegetable oil is the main ingredient in most greasing sprays and other products in the same niche. So why not use vegetable oil instead of those commercial products? That’s what we are talking about, just pour some vegetable oil into your pan, and spread it with a brush or you can use a paper towel as well. Make sure not to leave an excessive amount of oil in the pan before you put it in the oven.
Products Like Shortening
One of the popular products for greasing the pans is Shortening, basically, it’s a dairy-based product. If you don’t have butter then you should use Shortening for the greasing. Rub it on the surface of the pan just like you would do if you had butter. Many people say Shortening doesn’t alter the taste of the baked or cooked item after greasing. But it totally depends upon your preference because some people like the rich taste of butter after baking.
Bacon Fat
If you are not vegan, and you love eating bacon, then you can also use bacon fat for greasing your pans as well. But it’s not very common since bacon fat has its own distinct taste that’s why it doesn’t go very well with most dishes. But yeah, if you think the bacon fat’s taste will suit your dish and taste preferences, then just go ahead and give it a shot.
Conclusion
Alright, these are our top picks when it comes to things that you can use for greasing your pan before baking or cooking. These are the most common options, however, as mentioned earlier, you can try other commercial products as well, it is totally your choice.
Hi, my name is Ashley Robinson. I’m a food blogger and a part time chef in Food & Drink Junction, Denver. With my blog I’m sharing information & tutorials about different kinds of cooking pans.
