Can stainless steel cookware go in the oven? yes, you can put stainless steel in the oven. However, there are other factors that can make it unsafe, such as lids, handles and temperature resistance.
Keep reading to find out if your stainless steel cookware is oven safe.
Why Some Stainless Steel Cookware Is Not Oven Safe
As we know, not all stainless steel cookware is made of only stainless steel. With some you get plastic parts such as a handle, and some you get different coatings, some even have aluminum or copper cores to help with heat conductivity.
Whether your stainless steel pan can go in the oven or not depends on various factors just like cast iron.
Below I will go over all the different factors that may or may not make your pan oven safe.
The handles are not oven safe
If the handles use stainless steel only, then the handles can be heat resistant up to 500 degrees fahrenheit, however this all depends on the quality of the stainless steel pots and you should check with the manufacturer the exact temperature their pans can take.
Silicone materials can generally take up to 450 degrees fahrenheit so if you are looking for a handle to protect your hands while cooking on the stove, this is generally the material you should look for.
Plastic materials burn at around 212°F so avoid putting any stainless steel pans in the oven if they come with a plastic material. In-fact, just avoid wooden or plastic handles all together as they simply can’t withstand oven temperatures. You’ll usually find these types of handles on nonstick pans.
The handles are not detachable
With some stainless steel cookware, especially on an oven safe skillet, you can remove the handle after you have finished cooking on the stove so you can bake in the oven after. This is great for dishes that require baking after cooking such as roast potatoes.
However, you need to check with the manufacturer prior to purchasing as not every stainless steel pan has a removable handle.
The lids are not oven safe
The lids of stainless steel cookware are generally safe, with most of the stainless steel products that are heat resistant, the lids are made of tempered glass and are safe up to temperatures of around 450°F which is a high enough heat for most recipes.
The oven safe temperature of the lids should be listed on the product when purchasing, so it’s a quick and easy way of checking to be sure.
The only thing to keep in mind is, with tempered glass, it’s sill susceptible to thermal shock, so if you place it in a hot oven, and then directly under cold water, you’ll shatter the glass. So be aware to let the pan cool before washing after it’s been in the oven.
The non stick coating is not oven safe
Not all, but some stainless steel cookware has nonstick coating, which turns it into nonstick cookware. Generally speaking, stainless steel cookware that’s got a nonstick coating on it’s cooking surface generally comes under oven safe pans.
Teflon coatings can withstand temperatures of up to 660°F and up to 500°F in the oven. Once it goes above any of those figures, the coatings will begin to deteriorate and that’s when your pan becomes damaged and can leak dangerous chemicals into your food, especially when baking.
So keep in mind which coating you use on all of your metal pans and ensure you look at the manufactures recommendations as they have performed countless tested to determine what is safe and what is not.
How do you know if your stainless steel pot is oven safe?
Generally speaking you should be able to figure it out using the information above, I.E if the handle is stainless steel and there are no plastic parts or coatings on, well then you safe.
But if you are a safety freak like me, and want to know for sure to cook food safely, then there are two ways you can find out for certain.
Use the symbols – Most equipment will have an oven safe symbol on, the design of the symbol will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the common trait amongst them all is they all have a picture of an oven in a square border with wavy lines inside. You can also find if it’s dishwasher safe by looking at the symbols. If you do find the symbols then this answers your questions. If you are not sure what the symbol should look like, the you will be able to find the answer in the manual or on the manufacturers website using their online manuals.
Check the manufacturers website – The manufacturers website is the best place to go for this information, find the product and see what they have said about it, you can also view their manuals on their website too. This will give you a definite answer as to whether or not it’s safe.
Can induction stainless steel go in the oven?
If the pan is oven safe then it can go in the oven regardless of if it was designed for an induction stove. However, keep in mind that different oils have different smoking points which means some cannot withstand high temperatures in the oven for some recipes. You can read about it more in our best oil for stainless steel guide.
Typically speaking, a metal such as cast iron or stainless steel can always cope with high temperatures, it realistically depends on the additional features the pan has for example if it has any plastic parts.
