There are many utensils that you can easily put in the oven and some that you cannot. So in which category do plates lie? It all depends on their material and their tendency to react with heat. Yes, you can put plates in the oven, but only certain types. Which ones? Read this article and you will find out.
Which Types Of Plates Can You Put In The Oven?
There are some kinds of plates that you can easily put in an oven. Often the ones that are okay to be put in an oven have “oven safe” written on one side of them. But you cannot trust this only as there are some other things too that make plates easy to put in the oven. Let’s see which types of plates you can put easily in the oven.
- Glass Plates
- Ceramic Plates
- Metal Plates
Glass Plate
Glass is the easiest material that you can put in heat. Most of the plates are made of glass, and even glass plates have two types. One is Corelle and the other is pyrex. Mostly the plates we use at our homes are made of Corelle. You can put Corelle in an oven with 350 Fahrenheit heat too. Pyrex is the best glass plate that can avoid thermal shock. It is best if you need to warm some leftovers.
Both of these types of glass plates are easy to use. You will not find it difficult to put them in an oven to make or heat something.
Ceramic Plate
Ceramics is also a common material used in plates that you can easily put in an oven. Ceramic plates are specially made so they can get through high heat. One thing you should keep in mind is that if your ceramic plates have paint on them, they can chip away while being exposed to the oven heat.
Ceramic plates tend to get warm and cold fastly. So if you put them in the oven, they can easily get through with the heat and won’t crack.
Metal Plates
Even though metal plates are not that common nowadays, they were a few years ago. But one thing about them is that they are most suitable for oven use. You can use stainless steel plates to make something in the oven or even heat the leftovers. Unlike the above-mentioned plate material, you won’t have to worry about thermal shock with metal plates.
You have to make sure that the metal plate you are using isn’t extremely thin because the high temperatures can affect the food as well as the plate.
Which Types Of Plates Cannot Be Put In The Oven?
Above you got to know about the types of plates that you can put in the oven. Now there are some types of materials used in the plates that you should avoid putting in the oven. Some of the common types are:
- Plastic Plates
- Paper Plates
- Styrofoam Plates
Plastic
Plastic is something that you should never be let near the heat, let alone an oven. Plastic plates shouldn’t be put inside an oven in any condition and you should avoid them at all costs. Plastic plates cannot resist high temperatures and as a result, melts and that plastic can get in your food too.
It is highly advisable to not use plastic plates for your everyday use too. You shouldn’t put your food on it and make sure you don’t even put them accidentally inside the oven.
Paper Plate
Paper plates are extremely inflammable so you shouldn’t put them on paper. When the heat gets a bit too high, paper can also catch flame even at low temperatures. So putting a paper plate is a big no. No paper should be inside the oven when it’s on and that’s something you should be aware of to avoid any mismanagement.
Styrofoam Plates:
Styrofoam Plates are also commonly used for everyday use and they are best to keep the food hot or cold. Just like paper plates, Styrofoam Plates also shouldn’t even get near the oven as they are easily flammable too. The fumes produced after the melting of plastic are dangerous and can make your food poisonous.
Which Temperature Is Best To Put A Plate In The Oven?
It usually depends on the type and material of the plate you have to put in the oven. Typically, a temperature of 250 Fahrenheit and less is good enough but you have to be cautious with a temperature higher than that. Some plates can also get cracked if the temperature inside the oven gets too much. You can put the plate inside the oven and then raise the temperature gradually. This is the best way to prevent anything from happening to the plate.
How To Tell If You Can Put A Plate In The Oven?
Usually, you can see “oven safe” written on the back side of the plate which indicates that the plate can be put inside the oven and won’t be damaged by doing so. But sometimes this isn’t the only way to see this. Just like we have explained above, the material of the plate matters. Make sure that the plate you are putting in the oven is oven friendly.
How To Prevent The Plates From Cracking In The Oven?
Even if some plates are oven safe, they can still crack. One of the main reasons for this is that you put cold plates inside a heated-up oven. This is known as thermal shock and it happens when the temperatures of two places aren’t coinciding with each other. If you want to put a cold plate inside the oven to heat up whatever’s inside, do not let your oven run at a high temperature beforehand.
What Happens If You Put A Plate That Isn’t Oven Safe Inside The Oven?
Many things can happen, and some can be more dangerous than others. Sometimes what happens is that the plate can get cracked if it’s not suitable for oven use. If you put a plastic plate inside the oven, there is a high chance that it will melt. If there is paint on the plate, it can come off because of the high heat and can get inside your food. This can contaminate it. Paper and Styrofoam plates can get caught on fire.
Conclusion
Sometimes when you need to put a plate inside the oven to heat some food. But making sure that the plate is oven friendly is a must. You can check that at the back of the plate, or can get help from the manufacturer who will guide you if the plate can be put inside the oven. Make sure you know the material of the plate before making it go inside the oven.
