Last Updated on September 10, 2021 by Emma W. Thomas
Yes, Absolutely. Ceramic plates are usually a safe bet to put in the oven if you want to reheat some of your favorite leftover pizza or if you desire to be a master chef for the evening and treat your loved ones with some of your original creations. It’s much easier to use a plate to create the magic in the kitchen and saves us a lot of energy, by cutting down the use of various other kitchen utensils which we would have to clean up later.
You can fit as many plates or absolutely anything you want depending on the size of the oven you have. That is if your intention is to use the space inside it as storage. That being said, if you intend to use such plates as a base to reheat or to make something in the oven, your options get drastically limited.
Even though generally ceramic plates are the safest, there are some types of ceramic plates that are not recommended to use inside the oven.
Which Types Of Ceramic Plates Can You Actually Put Inside The Oven?
It’s an accepted and generally safe notion to put a ceramic-made plate inside the oven for the purposes of reheating your favorite food and/or to make something simple and avoid the unnecessary use of other kitchen utensils.
On the contrary, all ceramic-made plates are not safe for the oven. To understand why we must indulge in the process of making such ceramic plates. All ceramic plates are not made the same way. Not all ceramic plates can withstand the high temperatures of the oven.
Ceramic is made from clay, earthen materials, powder, and water. Then it is formed into the desired shape and in this case, a plate suitable enough to fit inside an oven. Once the shape is given to the ceramic clay, it is baked in a high-temperature oven, giving it a beautiful glaze. These glazed ceramic plates are prone to shattering in the high heat of the oven.
You should generally avoid ceramic plates that are decorated with adhesive designs.
If the ceramic plates you own are glazed, make sure they are oven-safe, as most of the ceramic plates come with a stamp on the bottom of the plate, which indicates that the plate is ovenproof.
Also, if you can’t figure out the same, try checking the thickness of the plate and, based on your good judgment, determine how much heat and temperature the plate can withstand. It’s a good rule of thumb to judge a ceramic plate if it’s oven-safe or not by its thickness of the same. The thicker it is, the more time it takes to heat up and to cool down. This protects the integrity of the ceramic plate from shattering due to sudden changes in temperature.
Can I Put A Glass Plate In The Oven?
You most definitely can put a glass plate in an oven. Also, glass is a little trickier than Ceramic plates. Glass plates are oven proof up to a certain degree, but it has a highly susceptible tendency to shatter from Thermal Shock.
Some tempered glass plates are still safer than normal glass plates. Then also there are instances where they too fall prey to Thermal Shock and shatter. To be completely safe, only use glass plates that come stamped with the ovenproof tag.
What About Plastic/ Melamine And Metal Plates? Can They Go Inside The Oven?
Okay, so glass and ceramic plates you can’t find. All you can find is a plate made of Plastic/ Melamine. What should you do? Take a bottle of water, drink it, take a deep breath. Then ask yourself if it is worth it to clean chunks of molten plastic and or melamine from the floor of your oven? If your answer is No, then congratulations, pat yourself on the back and go back to sleep or just have an instant noodle or something.
Plastic and melamine plates are absolutely a NO! for the oven. Even if it comes stamped with an oven-safe label, you should refrain from using the same. Not only can it melt, but the fumes from a melting plastic plate are very dangerous for your health.
On the contrary, you can use a metal plate. It does not matter if it’s stainless steel, cast iron, or even coated with enamel. It is safe to go inside the oven. Just be extremely cautious and wear oven gloves while taking out the plate as it will be extremely hot and may even cause a severe burn if it touches your skin directly.
How Should I Use A Plate In The Oven?
Even after considering what all could go wrong if you still feel like putting a plate inside an oven for the purposes of heating or making something, it is a good idea to keep the temperature lower than what you generally would use the oven at. Trying to use the plates in the oven at 250 degrees and above is really a bad idea and calls for a disaster bound to happen at any given moment.
The smart way to go about the process would be to leave the plate inside the oven for a longer time than what you would require with a microwave. The temperature should also be moderated to a lower number. Yes, it will take longer than a microwave, but it’s the best way to go about it. Keeping these small things in mind reduces the risk of a mishap by a considerable amount while letting you use the plates successfully in an oven.
Should I Really Use A Plate In The Oven?
In reality, even though you most definitely can use a plate in the oven, you probably shouldn’t. It may be safe to use various kinds of plates in the oven. There are just too many things, which are still uncertain. There is a considerable amount of risk involved, including the plates, breaking or getting burned by a plate. This is still uncharted territory, and we need to find out more substantial evidence before truly recommending you to use dishes in an oven. If you are desperate for some warm food and you don’t have a microwave, and you are not willing to use the gas stove, you should just use a baking tray instead of using a plate inside an oven.
Conclusion
Either way, it is advisable not to use plates or any utensils which are not specifically certified to be oven-proof, and if you still have to use something like a plate, you should take ample caution. Just keep in mind that washing dirty dishes is still better than cleaning up broken ones!
