Wax Paper Vs Parchment: What To Know Before You Ruin Your Oven

We know parchment paper makes cleanup much easier when using the oven and helps protect your baking pans. But what about wax paper? The two are very similar, but you should never use wax paper when cooking with an oven. Otherwise, you may not only ruin that tray of beautiful chocolate chip cookies but the whole appliance as well.

True to its name, wax paper is coated in a layer of wax, which helps prevent it from sticking to food and makes it repel moisture. Meanwhile, parchment paper is coated in silicone. As Rena Adawa, founder of Healthy Fitness Meals, told sister site Tasting Table, wax paper "is not oven safe and should only be used for separation and holding cold or room-temperature items." If you try to use it in the oven, that wax will likely melt off and coat your food, the pan, and potentially the entire bottom of your oven.

Parchment paper, on the other hand, is heat resistant thanks to its silicone coating. It's oven-safe, unlike wax paper, so it should be the only kind you use in the oven. However, neither wax nor parchment paper should go in the microwave. Wax paper experiences the same issues in the microwave as in the oven (but could possibly do even more damage), and parchment paper, while not necessarily dangerous, doesn't do much to help either.

The best way to use wax paper is with cold or room-temperature items. Once your baked goods are finished and have cooled down, wax paper can keep them from leaving grease stains on your surfaces. It's also great for cooking prep since it's moisture repellent and nonstick. Consider lining your countertop with wax paper when you're rolling dough or tenderizing meat.

The main purpose of wax paper, though, is to store food. This includes when you've prepared something ahead of time and are leaving it in the fridge overnight to cook the next day, or if you're letting something chill or set. Just like wax paper doesn't belong in the oven, you should not be using parchment in the fridge. As Awada explained, "Some people wrap food in parchment and stick it in the fridge [...] The problem is that parchment absorbs moisture. In the fridge, it softens and can even glue itself to your food."

When we say parchment paper is oven-safe, that's generally only for temperatures below 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Any higher and it can burn and potentially create a fire hazard. Cut parchment paper precisely to the shape of your pan to ensure it doesn't accidentally touch any heating elements. Finally, don't use the same sheet more than once to avoid cross-contamination, and also because the coating can break down when used and can become more susceptible to heat.

Static Media owns and operates Foodie and Tasting Table.