Best Drying Mats?

[frjeff]

Confused. See bamboo sushi mats, plastic, etc.
What is best for drying pressed cheeses (cheddar, etc)?

My gratitude

[mikekchar]

I don't know what's best, but I use bamboo sushi mats.  They *do* get mouldy though.  You can view this either as an advantage or disadvantage.  I do natural rind cheeses and so the sushi mats build up a colony of the flora that's on the cheese.  For me that's fine.  But if you were trying to age it and keep it super clean, I think a plastic mat or stainless steel rack would be better.  For just drying, I don't think it makes any difference at all.  Just use what you've got (or what's cheapest).  Sushi mats are $1 a piece here and they are eco-friendly, so it's kind of a no-brainer for me.  In other places in the world it might be a different story.

[awakephd]

I prefer plastic mats. For the cheeses where I want mold (cams, blues) I add it, but then I can put the mat in the dishwasher and sterilize it for the next cheese, which may be a non- or different mold cheese.

The purpose-made plastic mats (i.e., specifically for cheese) are best ... but I confess to using a lot of "needlepoint" mat that I picked up ultra-cheap at WalMart.