Ovens are widely used in every household, and it’s actually making the cooking jobs easier for people who cannot handle the stove’s heat. However, one needs to use the right pans and pots to make sure they don’t explode in the oven. Similarly, people wonder if they can use ceramic pots and dishes in the oven, and this article has everything you must know about it!
Using Ceramic Pans & Dishes In Oven – Is It Possible?
It is possible to put ceramic pans and dishes in the oven but not all the time. This is because there are various types of ceramic in the market, and you can only put the ceramic in the oven that’s marked oven-safe. The oven-safe ceramics are designed to withstand high temperature and temperature changes without breaking apart. In the majority of cases, the oven-safe ceramics have a special glaze coating, which makes them safe for oven use as well as waterproof. However, the oven-safe ceramic dishes and pans are expensive.
Understanding Different Types Of Ceramics
There are three types of ceramic dishes out there, which are commonly used in kitchenware such as porcelain, earthenware, and stoneware. The comprehensive details about the ceramic types include;
- Stoneware – it is made from clay and has a dense and durable form. It has the capacity of withstanding high temperatures without any glaze
- Earthenware – this is the cheapest form of ceramic, given the brittle nature. Earthenware is not an oven-safe option. It is porous, which means it’s not suitable for baking and cooking either. However, it is often glazed to make it an oven-safe option
- Porcelain – this is the most expensive form of ceramic and is the most durable, but it’s still not oven-safe
The Consequences Of Using Non-Oven-Safe Ceramics In The Oven
The ceramic dishes and pans that aren’t oven-safe are still usable but just not in the ovens. On the other hand, if you end up putting such a dish in the oven, there are high chances that it will crack and its shard will be stuck in the dish. In various cases, the ceramic dish just creams down in half, which creates a huge mess in the oven (you could try laying down aluminum foil in the oven’s tray to prevent such messes).
How To Check If The Ceramic Can Be Used In The Oven
If you have a ceramic dish that doesn’t have the oven-safe label and you want to check its suitability for the oven, you have to turn down the dish. This is because the dishes often have the maximum temperature range mentioned on the bottom. In addition, some of them have a little flame or an oven symbol which shows that it can be used in the oven.
Putting Ceramic In The Microwave
Microwaves are much more convenient as compared to ovens, and their safety rules are lenient as well. The microwaves don’t have a preheating mode, which means the ceramic dish won’t be exposed to high temperatures for too long. As a result, there are very low chances that ceramic will break in the microwave or cause other issues. However, if you are still unsure, there is a water cup test that you can follow;
- First of all, you have to collect microwave-safe glass, a ceramic dish that you want to use, and water
- Once you have everything, fill the 3/4th part of the glass with water and put it inside the microwave along with the ceramic dish (if the two don’t fit, you can put the glass inside the ceramic dish)
- Set the microwave to the highest temperature and set the one-minute timer
- When the timer is over, take both of them out and test the temperature of the water as well as the dish. If the ceramic dish is hot, but the water is cold, the dish is not microwave-safe. On the other hand, if the water is hot while the ceramic dish is cold, it is microwave-safe
This process can also be used for checking different ceramic dishes (all three types of them) and don’t forget to label them to prevent confusion later.
The Final Verdict
To summarize, the ceramic dishes are suitable to be used in the oven and microwave but don’t forget to check the labels to be on the safer side.