Whether you purchased the nonstick pan or got it as a gift, you must have thought of using it on the stovetop. But you are not sure whether nonstick frying pans, saucepans, and skillets can go directly in the oven. Even if you are planning to buy a nonstick pan, whether it’s oven safe is usually one of the first questions on your mind.
Well, the general instructions given on the package of the pan would give you a fair idea about its oven-safe feature. Additionally, you can keep the facts mentioned below in mind to know if your pan can be oven-safe.
Factors Determining the Oven-Safe Quality of Nonstick Pans
Three factors determine whether nonstick pans are oven-safe or not:
-Nature of Nonstick Coating:
Nonstick coatings have their limits in temperature exposure, be it a ceramic coating or Teflon coating. Due to this, the nonstick pans have limits on the oven temperatures you can use for them. Some pans might come with a strict warning of never being put in the oven.
-The Material of the Lids:
The coating of your frying fan might be safe to use in the oven, but its lid is a different story. Based on the construction of the lid, it might limit the temperature the fan can reach in your oven. Moreover, if the lid comes with a plastic handle, you might not be able to use the lid when cooking with pans in your oven.
-The Material of the Handles:
Some nonstick frying pans are completely safe for you to use in the oven. You can even take the lid off and use the pans and pots at ease. But handles present a different story, and you cannot get the handles removed from the pans in most cases. If the handle is made of any kind of silicone or rubber, you need to read the manual to know its limit instead of blindly testing it.
The Oven-Safe Feature of the Popular Types of Nonstick Pans
As mentioned before, a non stick pan is oven-proof or not depending on the material or coating used on them. So, let’s take a look at the common material for nonstick pans and their oven-safe feature:
1. Ceramic Coated Nonstick Pan
You can put pans with ceramic coatings in the oven. But remember that the coating starts deteriorating after 500°F. So, if the handles are made of stainless steel, ceramic coated nonstick pans are good to go in the oven till about 500° F. You should stick to 350° F if the handles are silicon.
2. Teflon Coated Nonstick Pan
Teflon nonstick coating is a lot like ceramic in the sense that it will also lose its non stick feature when left at a temperature of over 500° F. The worst part is that temperatures higher than 500° F will make the Teflon coating release toxic fumes. So, it is best not to use cookware with Teflon coating in your oven.
3. Hard Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Pan
One of the best things about hard-anodized aluminum is that it’s nontoxic. Even high heat will not damage the anodized coating. Anodized surfaces usually remain heat-resistant up to the melting point of aluminum, i.e., 1,221° F. So, most of the quality anodized pans in the market are heat resistant up to 600° F.
4. Enameled Nonstick Pan
Most enameled nonstick cookware remains oven safe up to 360° to 500° F. However, remember that the handles and lids will be less heat tolerant than the sides and bottom of the pot.
5. Hard Titanium-Reinforced Nonstick Pan
Titanium helps to make oven-safe nonstick pans because it is non-toxic even at high temperatures. Most titanium-reinforced nonstick pans are oven-safe up to 400° F.
6. Granite Coated Nonstick Pan
Granite coating makes a nonstick pan safe for the oven, but make sure the temperature does not go above 500° F. Also, it is better not to leave the pan dry in the oven. High heat might cause food to stick to the surface and damage the coating.
You now have a fair idea of whether or not your nonstick pans should go in the oven, even if the instruction manual doesn’t clearly state the details.