Parchment Paper vs. Wax Paper

Emma Cizmazia

Class 7

Parchment Paper vs. Wax Paper

Any person whose substituted wax paper for parchment paper in in there lifetime can tell you that the after affects can be disastrous and result in the burning of your food. About halfway through the baking of your food, I’m sure a strange smell and soon after smoke, could be seen and smelled coming from your oven. That smell can be classified as the wax paper overheating, and then burning in your oven. This weekend I was one of those unfortunate people who almost set there ovens on fire because I was to simple minded to care about the very subtle, but very important differences between wax paper and parchment paper.

The basic difference between wax paper and parchment paper is in how they are each coated. Wax paper is coated with a wax to give it smooth, nonstick surface, but it is not heat-safe.  Wax paper is typically waterproof thanks to a wax coating. It is similar to standard tissue paper and it will usually have around 3 coatings of wax. This means you probably wouldn’t want to stick it in the oven underneath you’re freshly made from scratch chocolate chip cookies, like I so unwisely did. Parchment paper, on the other hand, has a type of silicone coating, which gives it slickness and a heat-resistant surface, and makes it perfect for those delicious cookies. Parchment paper also removes the need for grease on a baking tray or pan and is just what you need when it comes to baking. Believe it or not, some brands of wax paper can be made heat safe and you can use them in the oven.

For most types of baking, parchment paper tends to be the better option. It doesn’t stick to the food or the pan and that makes cleaning up afterwards much easier. Wax paper can be a different story and comes with plenty of nasty consequences. While baking with wax paper, it can melt and this is what causes the food to burn and smoke.  Not only can this be messy and inconvenient, but it can ruin the taste of the food you worked so hard to prepare. The only real disadvantage of parchment paper when compared to wax paper is the price.  Although it's slightly more expensive, parchment paper is still the better choice for most of your baking needs. Wax paper is best to use when lining pans and baking sheets, or when you need grease to spread evenly over a surface.