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When buying cookware, we don’t always pause to consider whether it is oven-safe. We are then left with a dilemma in the middle of meal prep. Can you use this ceramic plate to reheat your food in the oven? Can you finish a meal in the oven if you’ve started making it in a ceramic pan?
Can any ceramic dish go in the oven, or are there some exceptions, and how can you identify them?
Can Ceramic Go In The Oven?
Yes, ceramic can go safely in the oven if it is labelled as oven-safe. It can withstand temperatures of up to 1.6000 degrees Celsius, which is much higher than what you would need in a home kitchen.
Ceramic dishes are moulded with heat and fire, so they will neither crack nor melt when you place them in the oven. However, you do need to check that a dish is oven-safe, as it may come with a plastic sticker or a glazed coating that could cause dangerous chemicals to leak into your food.
What Type of Ceramic Can Go In The Oven?
As long as the dish in question has an over-safe mark, you can use it in the oven. A lot of ceramics can withstand high heats, but be sure to check.
There are different types of ceramic that we use as kitchenware: earthenware, stoneware and porcelain.
Earthenware is not usually oven-safe if not glazed. Stoneware is made of durable clay that can easily withstand high heat even without a glaze.
Porcelain is the most durable kind of ceramic, but it is not automatically oven-safe. Most newer dishes have the oven-safe mark on them, but older items can be tricky. Avoid putting them in the oven, as you never know how they have been made and treated.
Not all glaze is oven-safe either, so just because an item has a protective coating does not mean it can be used at a high heat.
Can a Ceramic Plate Go In The Oven?
Yes, a ceramic plate can go in the oven as long as it has the oven-safe mark. Make sure to heat it up gradually though, as a cold plate can crack if suddenly exposed to very high heat.
Don’t immediately assume that a ceramic plate can go in the oven. Those with glazed or adhesive designs for example may not be suitable for high heat. Plain plates are usually perfectly okay, but still, check to be sure.
Also, don’t put a ceramic plate directly from the fridge into a hot oven. Put it in a cold one and let it gradually heat up, with the food.
Can Ceramic Cups Go In The Oven?
Yes, most ceramic cups will be oven-safe. Check their label to be sure, and don’t put a ceramic cup that has adhesive decorations in the oven, as they contain toxic materials.
Ceramic cups that can go in the oven are perfectly safe and will be made from durable materials that can both tolerate heat and that don’t emit any toxic fumes. This is why it’s so important to check the label: even if a ceramic cup does not crack or melt, you may inadvertently be exposing its contents to cancerous materials.
Can a Ceramic Crock Pot Go In The Oven?
The ceramic insert of a crock pot is most likely oven-safe. Other parts may contain rubber or silicone though that will melt in the heat, so only place the insert in the oven.
Crock pots usually have ceramic, oven-safe inserts you can use to finish off meals in the oven. Their handles or lids may however contain rubber or silicone, so leave them out. Of course, check the manufacturer’s instructions and the label on the bottom of the crock pot just to be sure. You don’t want it to crack, especially if you’ve had a hard time finding one you really like.
Can Ceramic Pans Go In The Oven?
Yes, ceramic pans can go in the oven, as long as they have the oven-safe sign on the bottom. Also consider the coating of the pan, as some non-stick pans might not give you the results you were looking for.
Some delicious recipes, like mac and cheese or pan lasagna, will need to be finished in the oven. Before you get started, make sure to check the dish you intend to use is oven-safe, and that you like the bottom.
Can Ceramic Ramekins Go In The Oven?
Yes, most ceramic ramekins have been made for oven use. Check before you throw them in though, as those that have glazed or adhesive elements may not be oven-safe.
As you already know, some of the materials used in the manufacturing of ceramics may not be safe at high heat and can literally poison your meal. If you’re unsure about a dish, don’t place it in the oven, not even to reheat a meal.
What Happens if Ceramic is Not Oven-Safe?
If a ceramic dish is not oven-safe, it can crack or break in the high heat. This will make a huge mess and ruin your meal, as you end up with shards in your food. Toxic materials could also be seeping into it.
Ceramic that can’t withstand high heat will do one of two things. It can break clean in half, in which case your meal will end up either at the bottom of the oven or on your kitchen floor. The other scenario is that you will end up with sharp shards of various sizes in your food.
If the ceramic container also contains materials that emit toxic fumes at high heat, you can also be doing a lot of damage to your health, perhaps completely unknowingly.
Can Ceramic Melt or Crack?
While ceramics are unlikely to melt, they can crack and break if exposed to heat they weren’t manufactured for.
Ceramic dishes are made using high heat and from materials that won’t melt. The melting point of ceramic is actually higher than that of metal, so you won’t have to worry about an item melting in the oven.
Cracking and breaking can however happen. If a non oven-safe ceramic is suddenly exposed to high heat, or if it is exposed to a heat higher than it can take, it can shatter or crack.
Even oven-safe items can crack if you shock them, by putting them directly from the fridge into an oven preheated to a high temperature.
At What Temperature Does Ceramic Crack?
Ceramic can withstand temperatures up to 1.600 degrees Celsius, which is not something your oven will ever reach.
Just because it can withstand high temperatures does not make all ceramic oven-safe, so make sure to check the label before use.
Will Cold Ceramic Crack In The Oven?
Yes, a cold ceramic dish placed in a hot oven can crack, even if it is oven-safe.
The reverse is also true: placing a hot ceramic dish under cold water can also damage it.
When placing a ceramic item in the oven, make sure there is no sudden temperature shock. Either let the plate warm up to room temperature, or place it in a cold oven and let it heat up slowly.
How To Identify Oven-Safe Bowls?
Oven-safe bowls will have the oven-safe sign on them (it looks like an oven), usually on the bottom. The packaging may also use the term ove-safe, or have the same symbol.
You can also check online and see what the manufacturer says about a particular bowl. If you have any doubts, rather use a different bowl.
Can Ceramic Cookware Be Dangerous?
If the ceramic has been glazed with a non oven-safe material, it can leak dangerous compounds into your food. This is why you should always use cookware only as intended.
Oven-safe cookware is perfectly safe, so you don’t have to worry at all if the dish you are using has the appropriate label.
Wrapping It Up
Always check the label of every item you bring into your kitchen before placing it in the oven, microwave or dishwasher. You can inadvertently cause a lot of harm if you use it in a way other than intended.