Can You Put a Frying Pan in the Oven?

Putting a non-oven-safe frying pan in your oven is a great way of melting handles, ruining meals and panic-calling takeaways! That’s why it’s so important to check that the pan is oven-safe first.

One of the best methods of knowing whether a frying pan is suitable for oven-use is simply by looking at the bottom of it. All oven-proof frying pans should have a symbol of an oven on the bottom of them that tells you that it is oven-proof.

If you want further confirmation that your frying pan is oven-proof, you should find out what materials it is made from.

Most metal and ceramic frying pans are oven safe. However, it depends on the type of non-stick coating used (if any).

 

Can You Put a Frying Pan in the Oven?

Yes, you can put stainless-steel, copper and cast iron frying pans in the oven, provided they don’t have a plastic handle. Non-stick pans can be put in the oven at temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius), unless they have a plastic handle. Don’t put a pan with a plastic handle in the oven unless it is labelled as oven-safe.

Just because a frying pan that has a plastic handle can withstand the heat on the hob, this doesn’t mean you can put it in the oven. When it’s on the hob, the plastic handle isn’t in direct contact with the heat. If you put a frying pan with a plastic handle in the oven, the handle will melt.

So, just because frying pans can cope with the heat on the hob, this doesn’t always mean they are suitable for oven use too.

So, if you’re looking a frying pan that you can use in your oven, you need to look at the parts of the pan that aren’t in direct contact with heat first.

For example, if your frying pan has a plastic handle, it’s best to avoid putting it in the oven. There are ways of wrapping plastic handles up to protect them in the oven, but if you want to use your frying pan in the oven a lot, it’s much easier to buy one that is already suitable.

Frying pans with handles that are made from stainless steel, copper and cast iron should all be oven-safe, but there are exceptions to this.

 

Can You Put Non-Stick Frying Pans in the Oven?

Non-stick frying pans can sometimes be used in the oven, but only at lower temperatures. Non-stick coatings can usually withstand temperatures of about 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius).

However, just because non-stick coatings can withstand lower oven temperatures, that doesn’t mean it’s always wise to put a non-stick pan in the oven. The best thing is to check the base of the pan for the oven-safe symbol. You can also check the manufacturer’s user guide or product description to see if it is oven safe.

Putting a non-stick pan in the oven might ruin the coating, and make it lose its non-stick properties.

What Is an Ovenproof Frying Pan?

An ovenproof frying pan is simply a frying pan designed to be used on the hob that can also withstand the temperatures of the oven too.

So, there isn’t really much of difference in appearance with these frying pans, but components of frying pans that are designed for oven-use will typically be made from metal, rather than plastic.

All frying pans that are created with oven use in mind too, will have handles that can cope with the oven heat.

 

How Do You Know if a Pan Is Oven-Safe?

As I said, the best way to tell whether a frying pan is oven-safe is to look for a symbol that states that the frying pan is safe to use in the oven. This symbol is sometimes replaced with text, it just depends on the manufacturer.

Another way of knowing is simply by looking at the components. This is easy if you are buying online or still have the box the pan came in. The John Lewis website has a category for oven-safe frying pans here, which makes it easy to choose an oven-safe option.

For example, if a frying pan has a metal handle and all of the pan is made from stainless steel, it’s probably oven-safe. Alternatively, if the body of the pan is copper and has a metal handle, it’s probably oven-safe too.

So, if the body and the handle of a frying pan is metal and/or ceramic, then that pan will do well on your hob and in the oven.

If the handle is plastic, then the frying pan isn’t probably designed to be used in the oven.

Now, you can work around a plastic handle on a frying pan by covering it in paper towels and foil, but if you are using your frying pan in the oven all the time, it is worth getting a frying pan with the symbol or text on it letting you know that it is oven-safe.

 

Conclusion

I hope this look at oven-safe frying pans has helped you understand whether your frying pan is oven-safe or not. Check out our guide to the best hob-to-oven pans if you’re looking for something oven safe!

If you need more advice then explore our website further. We have lots of articles to help you choose the best cookware for your kitchen!