Parchment paper and wax paper: How are they different Master chef Ahmad Maadarani

A tasty and well baked cake or cookie is something that we all love to relish upon. Baking is all about using the right quantity of ingredients and letting them cook for the right amount of time. Thus, accuracy in terms of quantity and time is essential in the process of baking. Baking also requires certain materials and provisions that are as necessary as the required ingredients. These include baking utensils, oven stands, oven mitts, parchment paper, wax paper, etc. It is important to have basic knowledge of all these if you are new and trying your hands at baking. For those of you who are amateur bakers, here is an important lesson: the difference between parchment paper and wax paper.

Parchment Paper
Parchment papers are cellulose based papers used for baking. These papers are acid treated and they give a non- stick like surface while baking. Generally, parchment paper is made by running sheets of paper pulp through a bath of sulfuric acid or zinc chloride. This process is done in order to gelatinize the paper. It forms a sulfurized cross-linked material which has high density, stability, heat resistance and low surface energy. This imparts good non-stick and release properties in the paper.
Wax Paper Wax paper, also known as paraffin paper or waxed paper, is simply a paper that has been embedded or coated with wax on one or both sides. However, it is advisable not to use wax paper in the oven. This is primarily due to the limited amount of heat that wax paper can stand before melting.
How are they different?
1. The main difference between wax paper and parchment papers is their respective coatings. Parchment paper is coated with silicone to give it a nonstick, heat-resistant surface, and wax paper is coated with a soybean or paraffin wax.
2. As wax paper is made with a coating of wax, it cannot handle heat well. Anything significantly above room temperature will cause the wax to start melting, and anything too high will be at risk for catching the paper underneath the wax on fire. Parchment paper, on the other hand, is covered in silicone and can thus handle heat well. Even at high temperatures (over 450°F), the paper may brown, but it will not burn.

3. Wax paper cannot be recycled due to the coating, nor can it be composted. On the other hand, parchment paper can’t be recycled if it’s stained with food, but can still go in the compost bin.

Master chef Ahmad Maadarani