Sometimes a recipe consists of you cooking your food over a stove then putting it in the oven. More often than not, you don’t want to use too many pots because let’s face it, doing dishes can be quite a pain in the flesh.
If you don’t have a dishwasher, doing dishes is such a draining chore. I bet the idea of putting your pot in the oven has crossed your mind one too many times.
To answer your question on whether you should put your pot(s) in the oven, it depends on the type of pot you are using. If you are wondering what type of a pot you can use in your oven; here are some of the things you should look out for; The first thing you should do is to check at the bottom of the pot to see if there’s a symbol showing that you can put it in the oven.
Some pots have words like “oven-safe” which means the pots are oven safe while others will have some symbols showing an oven or something close to an oven. The metal used to make a pot also shows whether it is oven safe or not. Some of the metals used to make oven safe pots are:
What Kinds Of Pots Go in the Oven?
1. Non-stick pans
These pans are some of the best pots because they are easy to use as well as clean. With non-stick pots, you are able to experiment with a lot of dishes especially the ones that don’t need you to use oil or a lot of oil.
Other than easier cleaning, they are oven friendly so long as they don’t have plastic handles or plastic knobs for their lids.
When you are using oven friendly pots, you are able to make a whole lot of dishes because some of the most amazing dishes are the ones that have been put in the oven.
Did you know that some of these dishes like Italian pizza, savory bread pizzas, or focaccia can have the same crisp feeling and taste if they are cooked with a non-stick pan?
When you make your pizza with a nonstick pot, you can get the same taste as a person who bakes theirs using an aluminum pot. The best thing about aluminum pots is that they retain heat thus keeping the oven temperatures so long as the oven is hot.
2. Dutch oven pots
A Dutch oven is one of the best pots because they are shorter and wider as compared to other pots. This pot is made of cast iron; the pot is a bit heavier as compared to other pots and with thick sides.
This pot can be used to bake just about anything and it can also cook pretty much everything. It can also be used to deep fry foods as it has been made using sturdy material.
This pot also works well for slow cooking meals. Thicker meals tend to cook for a longer time and that’s why this type of pot comes in very handy for both open flame and oven cooking.
3. French pots
French pots are similar to Dutch pots; the only difference is that the French pot’s interior is made of enamel which means it doesn’t require any seasoning. Sometimes French pots are referred to as enameled Dutch ovens. These French oven pots are used for cooking a plethora of dishes for example briskets, beef, roasts and poultry.
4. Stainless steel pots
Most stainless steel pots can be used with inside ovens. Other than being oven friendly, they are also easy to clean as they can either be hand-cleaned or dish washed; they are also easy to maintain and they are long-lasting.
5. Carbon steel pots
Carbon steel pots are a combination of stainless steel. They are susceptible to rusting but if they are properly seasoned like cast iron, they will not rust. They are cheaper and lighter than cast iron pots thus great kitchen investments.
6. Enamel cast iron pots
Enamel cast iron pots like cast iron can be put in the oven. Enamel iron pots are also non-stick but fortunately they can do with no seasoning.
The enamel coating is what acts as the non-stick coating thus making it easier for the cook to make meals with little or no oil.
When compared to normal cast iron pots, enamel cast iron pots tend to be more expensive. These enamel cast iron pots are also heavier as compared to other pots. They are quite versatile which makes them an amazing investment.
When Should You Not Put Pots Inside The Oven?
If the pot’s manufacturer has clearly stated that you should not use it inside the oven, you should follow the instructions.
Pots with plastic handles should not be used in the oven because the handles will definitely melt. You don’t want toxic fumes emanating from your oven and neither do you want melted plastic on your oven grills.
Also, standard non-stick pots should never be used in the oven because the non-stick coating will deteriorate from high heat.
The gas that results from the PTFE types of pots is quite harmful. If the pots have silicone handles, they should also not go into the oven because once it melts, it is extremely dangerous.
Silicone might be able to tolerate high temperatures for up to 500 degrees, but you don’t want it melting and clinging onto your skin.
You might be wondering if your slow-cooking pot is oven safe; the answer is yes but only if the pot is the traditional ones. Since it is a ceramic pot, you can use it even with very high heat and it’ll not crack or melt.
Conclusion can you put pots in the oven
In conclusion, always ensure you check whether the manufacturer has indicated if the pot is oven safe or not. As usual, pots with plastic or wooden should not go into the oven because they’ll come out damaged.
If you can get your hands on pots with detachable handles, the better because you can detach the oven unfriendly handles and reattach them when you are done using them with the oven.