Is Porcelain Oven Safe Or Not?

Can You Put Porcelain In The Oven? Yes and no. Our article will help you determine an answer to the question: “is porcelain oven safe?”. Please read through the entire article until you decide to put your porcelain into the oven.

Glass cookware is another oven-safe alternative to porcelain.

How About Porcelain Dinnerware – Is it Oven-Safe?

Porcelain is a beautiful material that has been around for centuries, but there are many different types of porcelain, and not all oven-proof. Some formulas contain glass or bone ash, which can make it difficult to determine if they’re safe in your conventional ovens–so to play it safe, you should not put porcelain dinnerware into the oven.

If you have a porcelain dinnerware plate that you want to warm up at a low oven temperature, that may be okay, but remember that it is a risk.

Is porcelain oven-safe? Yes and no!

It is essential to understand that not all porcelain is oven safe. And it doesn’t matter if the piece of porcelain was made as an oven-proof dinnerware because cooking with porcelain can be dangerous and unpredictable.

On the other hand, porcelain enamel cookware has a hard white glaze that resists water penetration, making it more resistant to damage than most other types of glazed pottery. Porcelain enamel cookware usually has a metal interior with a hard porcelain enamal glaze on the exterior.

Porcelain and ceramic cookware can go into thermal shock when it’s rapidly heated or cooled.

Thermal shock is when the cookware rapidly heats or cools too fast, causing it to break or shatter. Have you ever had a hot ceramic or glass item, and you ran cold water over it to cool it down? Often taking a hot cookware plate and putting it under cold water will cause it to shatter.

The cookware is going into thermal shock. Let a hot porcelain plate or casserole dish cool down on its own for a few minutes before running cold water over it.

What  Exactly is  Porcelain?

Porcelain is a ceramic material that is often on a list for PFAS free cookware forms through the high-temperature process of heating materials such as kaolin. The porcelain-making process can result in translucence and strength relative to other pottery types.

Still, primarily because porcelains are made with vitrified particles, which make them more robust than most others on earth: they’re also responsible for making sure your dinner plate doesn’t break under pressure or weight when dropped from a height!

A wide variety exists within these categories – hard-paste being one type (basically just meaning pieces designed like china), soft-paste referring more specifically to porcelain that is not as hard or vitrified.

The paste composition and firing conditions determine a porcelain item’s category.

East Asia is home to a wide variety of pottery; the types: low-fired wares (earthenware) and high-fired ware, which often includes what Europeans call stoneware, but it also has porcellaneous or near Porcelain.

In some cases where the ceramic body approaches whiteness and translucency, terms such as ‘proto -porcelain,’ ‘porocobo’ are used by natives rather than “Porcelain.”

So as you can see, the word “porcelain” has different meanings to different people, and not all porcelain is the same. So it is hard to say “all porcelain is oven safe” because it is just not true.

What is Porcelain Enamel Cookware?

The slick coating on top of the framework material of pots and pans is what we call porcelain enamel cookware. Porcelain enamel cookware is significantly more hard-wearing and scratch and rust safe than most other types of cookware and certainly non-coated pots and pans.

They make porcelain-enameled cookware with porcelain-based materials applied in layers inside a kiln. The essential components are cleaned by sandblasting or pickling in acid. Then, a coating made of powdered glass, clay, and water is applied and dried. The last step is when you fire the cookware in a furnace.

Porcelain Enamel Cookware Pros and Cons

Porcelain-enameled cookware offers several benefits, including even heating and browning. The pots clean up very quickly as well as look almost brand new after months of constant use. 

A ceramic egg pan is one type of porcelain enamel cookware. Porcelain enamel is also scratch-resistant, which means you can cut or scrape with metal utensils without worrying about damaging the coating. Additionally, porcelain is very durable, and since porcelain doesn’t easily scratch or chip, you don’t have to worry about replacing your cookware too often.

Some of the disadvantages include fragility, which means they are easily breakable. Another disadvantage of porcelain enamel cookware is that it can be more expensive than some other types, and it is not dishwasher safe.

Can Porcelain Cookware Go in the Oven?

Yes, most porcelain cookware is made to withstand high heat and can safely go into the oven. When looking at the differences between dutch ovens and roasting pans, they can both come with a porcelain enamel coating. Both dutch ovens and roasting pans are safe for the oven.

If you are shopping for the best oven-safe cookware, you probably wonder if it is possible to bake with porcelain. The most straightforward answer is yes, but knowing how to use porcelain in the oven safely takes a little bit of knowledge about your cookware.

There are casserole dishes often made from porcelain that can go into the oven. Below we have a table featuring many brands of porcelain cookware that are safe for the range.

However, you must read the manufacturer’s recommendations for the maximum oven-safe temperature for your porcelain cookware.

Can you put porcelain in the oven? Is porcelain oven safe? Yes, but do it with caution and knowledge of the recommended temperature range for your specific cookware.

To note:  there is solid porcelain cookware, and then there is Porcelain Enamel Cookware. There is a difference between them. Here is a chart that covers some of the more common porcelain cookware brands and whether or not they can go into the oven. Do not just go by this chart- please contact the manufacturer – to get the up-to-date information for your specific porcelain cookware.

To sum up: Is porcelain oven safe? Most are, but some brands are not.

 

Examples of Oven Safe Porcelain

Sweese 8×8 inch Square Porcelain Baking Dish – although their website does not say what the maximum oven temperature is for these, most people are reporting that they use it up to 475°F without a problem.

Revol Belle Cuisine Black Porcelain Baking Dish – 572°F

Rachael Ray Porcelain Enamel Cookware – 400°F

Cook’s Essentials® porcelain enamel cookware is oven safe  – 350°F

Tramontina Porcelain Enamel  – 350°F

CorningWare French White Ceramic Bakeware – 450°F

Is it Possible to Put  Porcelain in a Microwave?

We answered the question “is porcelain oven safe” but what about the microwave? Some ceramics are safe for the microwave, but not so much if you have older porcelain cookware. Older cookware often includes dishes with edges or finishes made from metal.

These metalized surfaces are often found on older pieces, making them unsafe when microwaved.  Their aluminum content can cause exothermic reactions (heating up faster).

Is Porcelain Oven Safe Or Not?
Older Porcelain Dinnerware With Metal Trim

Do not put porcelain into the microwave.

Is Porcelain a Good Conductor of Heat?

Answering the question “is porcelain oven safe” leads us to more questions about the material. The material porcelain does not conduct heat well, but rather it retains it as an insulator. You can warm bread in the oven by using a porcelain dish.

Porcelain has a low thermal conductivity compared to metals. The conductivity of porcelain is around 1.5 W/M*K, whereas most metals have a much higher conductivity greater than 200 W/M*K.

Porcelain, for example, has been used traditionally as an electric insulator because ceramic materials such as porcelain resist the flow of electrical current.

Is Porcelain the Same as Ceramic?

Porcelain is a type of ceramic, and ceramic cookware is a category that includes porcelain. In general, porcelain cookware refers to the coating on top of metallic pots and pans. Clays used for porcelain cookware are hardened at high temperatures, resulting in a glass-like material that is less porous.

On the other hand, you fire ceramic cookware at a lower temperature, which results in a more porous cooking surface. Some cookware brands are solid ceramic or solid porcelain, but more often, transfer you will find that they have a ceramic or porcelain coating on top of a metal. The inner metal layer allows for the quick tranfer of heat.

Ceramic cookware vs stainless steel is a whole other topic that deserves an entire article.

What Type of Plates Should You Not Use in Oven?

Even though we figured helped solve the debate about “is porcelain oven safe”, what about other materials?

  • Some glass plates should not go into the oven, and if the glass has not been tempered for the stove, it will go into thermal shock.
  • Paper should not go into the oven.
  • Never put Plastic in an oven.
  • Ceramic plates may break when you place them in a hot oven, especially older antique plates.
  • Wood plates do not go into the oven.
  • Bamboo plates should not go into the oven.

FAQ’s on Is Porcelain Oven Safe?

Conclusion: Is Porcelain Oven Safe or Not?

Hopefully, the above information has helped you to understand that not all porcelain pieces are oven-safe. It is best to check with your manufacturer or supplier before putting it into an oven, just in case there are any exceptions.

Porcelain is a beautiful material with a great deal of variety in color and design. It is a very dense, nonporous ceramic product that makes it a perfect choice for many dishwasher-safe dinnerware items. Most porcelain can also go into the oven without the risk of shattering or cracking, but just be aware that certain porcelain pieces should not go into the oven.


 

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