While I was eyeing up a stunning Le Creuset enamelled cast iron terrine mold, I found myself wondering what other options there are for terrine molds. So, I did a little research to make sure I knew what I needed to know before buying my first real terrine mold. But instead of keeping all that knowledge locked up in my brain, I wanted to share it with you in this helpful article!
What are terrine molds made of?
Terrine molds are made out of enamelled cast iron, porcelain, enamelled stoneware, terracotta, silicone, tinned steel and stainless steel. The light terrine molds made of tinned and stainless steel are for making pâté en croute (pâté in a crust).
It’s great to know what terrine molds are made of but is that enough information to help you know what kind of terrine to look for? I don’t think so. To help you further, this article starts with a few basic definitions, information about each material terrine molds are made with and what you’d use each type of terrine mold for.
So, let’s get to it!
What is a terrine mold?
For our purposes on Forcemeat Academy, it’s fine to say a terrine mold is a dish used for cooking pâtés and terrines. These forcemeat delights are also called pâté en terrine (which technically means paste in a dish, which is probably why we use the French terms instead, ha ha).
But outside of the world of forcemeat, a terrine is simply a dish to cook food in. Dictionary.com defines terrine as, “a casserole dish made of pottery.”
The rest of this article focuses on the type of terrine mold used for pâtés and terrines, except for one small part where I mention a French casserole.
What are terrine molds made of?
Terrine molds are made of various materials. The heavyweight terrine molds are made of enamelled cast iron, porcelain, enamelled stoneware and terra cotta. The lightweight terrine molds are made of silicone, tinned steel and stainless steel.
Let’s look at each of these materials to get to know them a bit better, starting with the heavyweights.
Enamelled cast iron terrines
Cast iron is heavy and retains heat well. On the downside, it’s known for heating up unevenly and is prone to rusting if not seasoned properly. However, terrines for pâtés are generally made with enamelled cast iron rather than plain cast iron (though if you already have a cast iron loaf pan, you could use it as a terrine dish).
The enamel is a glaze “glued” to the cast iron by flame (kind of like evil was “glued” to the One Ring by Sauron). With the glaze, there’s no need to worry about rusting or seasoning the dish before you use it.
Enamelled cast iron can be used at high temperatures, including on the stove top (but you wouldn’t use your terrine dish on the stovetop). Enamelled cast iron is practically indestructible except for three things that can cause the enamel to chip: dropping the terrine, overheating it and adding cold water to it while it’s still hotter than the fires of Mordor.
Fortunately, these three enamel dangers don’t really apply to a terrine dish because:
- If you drop it and it chips, it will likely only be on the edge of the dish and who cares about that?
- You’ll never overheat your terrine because your pâté en terrine is cooked in a water bath which is a gentle heat. Even if you use it to make a standard meatloaf, you’re only going up to 350°F (probably) which doesn’t qualify as overheating.
- You’ll never pour cold water into your steaming hot terrine mold because you have to let your terrine rest in the mold overnight or longer. This means your terrine dish will be cold when you pry your pâté out of it and throw the mold in the sink to soak.
[To read more about why I ultimately chose an enamelled cast iron terrine mold, check out my resource page, The Best Terrine Mold for a Lifetime of Fine Terrine Making (Even if You Drop It).]
Enamelled stoneware terrines
Stoneware is made of clay and conducts heat well and evenly. It’s safe to use at high temperatures in the oven—not on the stove. When stoneware is enamelled, like cast iron, it has some non-stick properties which is great for cooking. (But let’s be real here, the level of non-stickiness is more like stainless steel, not like actual non-stick bakeware).
Stoneware is sturdy and weighs a lot less than cast iron. In my house, I see this difference in my two baking sheets. My Pampered Chef stoneware pan weighs four pounds while my Staub Cast-Iron Double Burner Griddle weighs nine pounds and isn’t even as big as the stoneware pan. Plus, the stoneware pan was less than half the price and I like it twice as much. Lesson learned.
Of course, stoneware being sturdy doesn’t mean it’s indestructible like cast iron. If you drop your stoneware terrine, don’t be surprised if what happens causes tears to spring from your eyeballs.
Porcelain terrines
Like stoneware, porcelain is also made of clay and has an enamel finish. It’s made of white kaolin clay which is why porcelain bakeware is typically white. During my research, I didn’t see many porcelain terrine dishes but there are a few on the Meilleur du Chef website including their Porcelain Rectangular Terrine Dish.
Like stoneware, porcelain is breakable.
Terracotta terrines
Terracotta is another type of earthenware material, made of clay. Before it’s glazed, the material is porous, but the glaze makes it suitable for cooking. Terracotta terrines for pâté are not very common in North America. In fact, I didn’t see any until I was researching my article Pâté en Terrine Glossary: Terrine Types in English & French and came across these words: terrines Alsaciennes and terrine à baeckeoffe.
Terrines Alsaciennes are artisanal, terracotta terrine molds made in Alsace, in the northeast part of France. They come in rectangular, oval and round shapes. (We often think of terrines as rectangular but it’s perfectly fine to use oval and round ones.)
These traditional pots are shaped and painted by hand. One of the companies that sells these functional pieces of art is the French company, Alsace Tradition. Though you might have to make a trip to France to get one.
Terrine à baeckeoffe is also known as baker’s oven terrine and refers to the dish itself and the traditional baeckeoffe meal you cook in the dish (which is an Alsatian meat stew with potatoes). The terrine à baeckeoffe is basically the oval version of a terrine Alsacienne—for this French casserole, not for pâtés.
All that to say … if you live in North America, it’s unlikely you’ll have easy access to an artisanal, French terracotta terrine mold.
And now onto the lightweight terrine molds…
Silicone terrines
I learned from the Live Science site that silicone is a flexible material made of silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, it’s like a mix between plastic and rubber. It’s heat resistant (which is why trivets and oven mitts are made of it) and low in toxicity.
Silicone is chemically inert, so it seems more environmentally friendly than plastic which is known to leach poisons into foods, especially when heated.
Silicone terrines are light, flexible and cheap, plus they come in many sizes. I have three mini ones (like five inches long) but I’m not crazy about the idea of cooking my food in silicone so I haven’t used them yet (I bought them either to make single serve pâtés for my neighbour or to use as soap molds; alas they sit untouched).
If you’re thinking of buying a silicone mold because it’s cheap, that’s okay. But what’s even cheaper is using an old bread loaf or meatloaf pan that’s already in your cupboard.
Tinned steel terrines
Tinned steel is steel covered with a thin coat of tin to prevent rust. It’s a cheap option and tinned steel conducts heat well. Even though the tin is supposed to prevent rust, it’s not entirely rustproof. You have to dry it carefully and avoid scratching it as scratched areas will rust more easily. To really protect against rusting, you can dry your tinned steel terrine in the oven and coat it with a thin layer of lard or oil.
Tinned steel terrines are also made with non-stick coating which might be a better option if it seems like too much babying to keep a regular tinned steel terrine rust-free.
Stainless steel terrines
Stainless steel terrines are less common than tinned steel terrines but they’re available if you look. I found one on the de Buyer website called, GEO forme – Stainless steel long mould that has hinges, is foldable and comes in a solid version and a perforated model. Made in France, of course.
Like the tinned steel with non-stick coating, stainless steel terrines don’t rust—and unlike the coated tinned steel—you never have to worry about ruining it with scratches.
Of the lightweight terrines, stainless steel is the most expensive option.
Now onto what the difference is between all these molds!
What are enamelled cast iron, porcelain, enamelled stoneware, terra cotta and silicone terrine molds used for?
Terrine molds made of enamelled cast iron, porcelain, enamelled stoneware, terra cotta and silicone are for cooking pâté en terrine. These pâtés are cooked in the terrine mold which is placed in a water bath in the oven so it can be cooked gently.
What are tinned steel and stainless-steel terrine molds used for?
Terrine molds made of tinned steel and stainless steel are for baking pâté en croûte, which is pâté/terrine in a crust. These terrines are lighter and conduct heat quickly which allows you to have a crusty pastry wrapped around your pâté.
The terrine molds for pâté en croûte never include a lid (you don’t need one) and often come with hinges. The hinges allow you to take the terrine mold apart when your pâté en croûte is cooked—a brilliant design to simplify the task!
What about terrines made of materials like aluminum and ovenproof plastic?
I read in the Restaurant Business article, The Basic Terrine that “terrine molds are produced from materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, ceramic, enameled cast iron, ovenproof plastic or glazed earthenware.”
However, in my research, I couldn’t find any evidence that aluminum and ovenproof plastic are being sold to the home cook as terrine molds for pâté en terrine. It’s true that I found plastic terrines for sale, but they were for shaping ice cream cakes.
And it’s also true that you could make a pâté en terrine in an aluminium loaf pan if you have one around. But if you were buying a new terrine mold today, you wouldn’t be able to find one made specifically for pâté en terrine. Of course, you can easily buy aluminum bread/loaf pans.
Conclusion
Well, that’s it folks. Now we know what terrine molds are made of, what the different types are used for and which ones are indestructible. I hope this helps and if you’re not sure which terrine mold is right for you, read my article, 11 Tips for Buying or Procuring Your First Terrine Mold.