Oven liners are used by professional and home cooks alike to prevent food build up inside the electric oven.
If you’re anything like me, then cleaning your electric oven is one of the household chores that you absolutely dread and you may be looking to invest in an oven liner to save you the hassle.
Take a read of this handy guide to find out the best oven liners, what they can be used for and information on how to clean and use them safely.
Best Overall Oven Liner
Spares2Go Triple Pack of Oven Liners
(Check Amazon’s Price)
This oven liner by Spares2go comes in a pack of 3, so one can be placed at the bottom of the oven, one can line your grill pan to catch bacon fat and you’ll still have one spare.
It’s made to fit all fan assisted ovens with bases of 40cm x 50cm or smaller as it can be cut down to size if need be, which saves you getting your oven’s exact measurements.
The liners are dishwasher safe, so there’s no need to spend all day scrubbing, or if you prefer hand washing they can be cleaned with warm, soapy water.
These liners are relatively heavy, which means that you don’t have to worry about it flapping about if you use your electric oven on the fan setting and open the door – it’ll stay put.
Pros:
- Heavy
- Easy to clean oven liner and dishwasher safe
- 3 in a pack
- Can be cut to fit your oven
Cons:
- Not recommended for use in gas or bottom heating ovens
Best Silicone Oven Liner in the UK
3 x Silicone, Non-Stick Baking Mats
(Check Amazon’s Price)
These silicone oven liners make cleaning your electric oven sooo much easier! These are the ones I use at home.
They’re made with FDA (Food and drug administration) approved and BPA-free materials so you can be assured that it’s safe to cook your food on.
These liners can be used instead of greaseproof paper as it’s non-stick and extremely easy to clean.
The high-grade silicone distributes heat evenly across its surface to ensure that food is cooked evenly and can be used at temperatures ranging from -40°C to 248°C
These can even be used in the microwave if that’s your preferred method of cooking some items. Saves you cleaning the microwave base too.
A tip I have is to use these mats as a rolling mat, it’s non-slip and will stop your dough from sticking to your work surfaces as you roll it out meaning that you don’t have to mess them up with flour!
Pros:
- Dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe
- Non-toxic
- 3 mats, 2 at 42 x 29.5cm and 1 at 30 x 20cm
- Multipurpose usage, can be used as anything from an oven liner to a rolling mat
Cons:
- Not suitable for use in direct-fire ovens
- Can be difficult to remove tough stains, I recommend either hand washing or putting them in the dishwasher straight after use
Best UK Non-Stick Oven Liner
Spares2go Universal Teflon 2x Oven Liner
(Check Amazon’s Price)
These oven liners by Spares2go fit the bottom of the oven to catch any food drips.
I can honestly say there is nothing I hate more than baking a sweet potato only for it to drip onto the oven floor and bake itself on, so if that happens to you, these will make your life easier.
Instead of spending hours scrubbing the oven, all you have to do is remove the oven liner, wash with warm, soapy water and you’re done.
As the oven liners are non-stick you could even use them to line baking trays instead of using them on the bottom of the oven.
The liners themselves are easy to fit as they can be trimmed down to size, are non-stick and can withstand temperatures up to 260°C.
They’re a great alternative to tin foil as they’re heavy and don’t flap about in a fan oven.
Pros:
- 2 in a pack measuring at 40x50cm, but can be cut down to size
- Dishwasher safe
- Non-stick
- Temperature tolerant up to 260°C
- Reusable
Cons:
- Not suitable for use in gas ovens
Best Oven Liner For Electric (Fan) Ovens
Multiware Teflon Non-Stick Oven Liner
(Check Amazon’s Price)
These oven liners by Multiware are heavy enough to not move in a fan oven when the door is opened.
They’re also suitable for temperatures up to 260°C (500°F), so are great if you’re into making homemade pizza that requires extremely high heat!
They come in a pack of 3 so you can easily swap the liners out whilst one is being cleaned.
They measure 45 x 55cm but can be cut down to size. They’re FDA approved and non-stick so can be used to cook on too, to save wasting countless rolls of tin foil or greaseproof paper.
They could even be cut to fit a cake tin so you don’t have to grease it every time.
Pros:
- Withstands high temperatures
- Doesn’t flap about in fan ovens
- Dishwasher safe
Cons:
- Liner can scratch easily with excess scrubbing, I’d recommend soaking the oven liner to soften tough messes
- The material is porous, so oils can slip through the oven liner
Best Oven Liners For Gas Ovens in the UK
Navaris Non-Stick BBQ Grill Mat
(View Amazon’s Price)
These liners by Navaris are the only liners on this list that are safe for use in gas ovens, as well as on barbeques and charcoal grills.
They’re suitable for temperatures up to 260°C, so they can be used to line baking sheets, or line the bottom of the oven or grill pan to catch food drips.
The pack comes with 3 mats, 1 measuring 40 x 50cm and 2 at 33 x 40cm, and they can be cut down to size too.
As these are not only safe for oven use but use on barbeques too, they’re a great way to keep meat fat away from any vegetarian products.
It can be difficult to accommodate everyone at a barbeque, especially if you have vegetarian guests, but using these oven mats you can cook the meat products on one and the vegetarian products on another.
This ensures that fat dripping from the meat products doesn’t contaminate anything else!
They also save scrubbing the grill at the end of the party, you can just pop the mats in the dishwasher.
Pros:
- Safe for use in all oven types, including gas ovens and on the barbeque
- Non-stick
- Dishwasher safe
- Withstands temperatures up to 260°C
Cons:
- Folding the mats to store them compromises the material, instead roll them up
- Can be difficult to clean if you cook products with a lot of grease in them
Are Oven Liners Safe To Use?
Oven liners are safe to use if instructions are followed correctly (source: Ovenclean.com).
Before purchasing, you should research what types of ovens the liners are suitable for use for, because if instructions are not followed the liner could become a safety hazard.
Safe temperature ranges vary by manufacturer, but most liners are safe up to 260°C. Here are some tips for using oven liners safely:
- Do not use oven liners above the maximum temperature stated, not only is this a fire risk, but it may cause potentially harmful fumes to be released too!
- If you’re using an oven liner on the bottom of your oven, it’s important to ensure that there is at least 1 inch around the edges of the oven liner to ensure good airflow.
- You should also ensure that your oven doesn’t have a bottom heating element as this can cause the oven liner to melt and stick.
- You should always be sure to remove your oven liner before starting a self-cleaning cycle too, as this can also cause the mat to stick.
- Always ensure that you are cleaning your liner regularly, as if there is food debris that is baked on then this can cause smoke inside your oven.
If all of this is taken into account, then you should have no problem using an oven liner safely.
Where Should Oven Liners Be Placed?
Most oven liners are safe to be placed at the bottom of the oven to catch any drips, as long as the oven doesn’t have a bottom heating element.
However, if your oven is bottom heating you can line a baking tray with a liner and place it on the bottom shelf instead, allowing it to do its job but still remaining safe.
Oven liners can also be used to line the bottom of a grill or microwave (if it’s safe to do so), line baking trays instead of greaseproof paper or foil and some liners are even safe to use on barbeques.
Here’s a short video from eSpares for a visual guide on where to place an oven liner:
If you’re still unsure about using a liner, or where to place it in your oven I recommend contacting your oven manufacturer for clarification.
How Do You Clean An Oven Liner?
All the oven liners recommended in this article are safe for dishwasher use, which saves you having to clean it yourself.
Nevertheless, if you prefer to hand wash things then oven liners are easy to clean.
Ensure that the liner has had time to completely cool before removing it from the oven, and wear oven gloves just in case.
Then, remove the liner from the oven and wipe it with a damp cloth, or soak it in warm, soapy water, wipe with a cloth and rinse under running water.
Either leave to dry, or dry with a cloth and return the liner to your oven. Easy!