Can you put a plate in a toaster oven?

You can use toaster ovens for more than just baking, broiling, and toasting. Many people use them to heat dishes, as well as to keep food warm when it is already plated and the guests have not yet arrived.

But can you put a dish in a toaster oven? The dishes can go in a toaster oven as long as the manufacturer says they are oven safe. If the oven safety symbol does not appear, read the oven manual. Glass, ceramic, and metal dishes are generally safe in the toaster oven. 

If you’ve ever had trouble deciding which dishes to heat in the toaster oven, this article will put an end to your doubts.

Can you put a plate in a toaster oven?

Not all dishes can go in the toaster oven.

To find out if a particular dish is toaster oven safe or not, turn it over and look for a symbol or text on the bottom base of the dish that indicates it’s oven safe.

In addition to this, it’s also helpful to read the manual that came with the appliance, as most manufacturers list what materials can go into your specific toaster oven.

What if the oven lock symbol is missing and you have no idea where the instruction manual for your oven is?

This is where general knowledge about what materials are oven safe comes into play. Knowing which materials are oven-safe will help you avoid problems like thermal shock and fire in your toaster oven.

In case you didn’t know, thermal shock occurs as a result of drastic changes in temperature. It can cause ceramic or glass plates to crack and metal plates to warp. 

Also, it depends a lot on the temperature of the oven. If you’ve set it to low to simply keep the dish warm before serving, this can work with many materials.

However, you should never ignore the “not oven safe” label. This is especially important if you are going to set the temperature at 250 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

What dishes are safe to put in a toaster oven?

There is no definitive answer as to which dish materials are toaster oven safe. But here are the most popular materials the dishes are made from and whether or not they can go in the toaster oven.

Ceramics

Ceramic dishes can go in the toaster oven if they are designed for it . The same goes for stoneware dishes. You can also put crockery dishes in the toaster oven if they have the oven safety label.

Keep in mind that while your ceramic dinnerware is considered oven-safe, it can crack if the toaster oven heats too unevenly.

If you take a chance on ceramic, opt for sturdy, thick, and durable dishes that are more likely to withstand heat. We can’t promise anything, though, so it’s best to stick with what you know is oven-safe.

Glass

Glass dishes can go in the toaster oven as long as they are labeled oven-safe.

Although most glass dishes are not oven-safe, some manufacturers produce glass dishes that are oven-safe. With them, be sure to check the maximum heat that your glass dishes can withstand.

If you don’t know how your glassware will perform in the oven, you can always opt for a small, shallow glass pan. You know it’s going to be oven-safe, and it’s probably worth washing an extra pan instead of replacing a cracked and battered plate.

Metal

Dishes made of metallic materials such as stainless steel or aluminum are not as popular as ceramic and glass tableware. However, they are dishes that, for the most part, can safely go in the toaster oven.

When using aluminum plates to heat food, you should keep the plates from touching the heating elements in the oven. As for stainless steel dishes, they can go in the oven as long as the manufacturer says they are oven safe.

Dishes You Should Never Put in the Toaster Oven

There are certain materials that you should avoid putting in the toaster oven, as the chances of them burning are high.

Plastic plates

Plastic and heat are not the best of friends. You probably already know this, but we remind you in a friendly way.

However, keep in mind that well-made plastic plates can withstand up to 400 degrees of heat. But even with these dishes, popping them in a toaster oven is not recommended.

paper plates

Even if you’re going to set the toaster oven to the lowest temperature, paper plates are a big no-no.

Because toaster ovens are small and there is a high chance that the dish will touch the heating elements, you risk setting the kitchen on fire if you try to heat food on a paper plate in the toaster oven.

Even if the paper plate does not touch the heating coils, it can catch fire in the high heat. For the same reason, paper plates shouldn’t go in the toaster oven, either.

styrofoam plates

Styrofoam plates are useful for storing cold foods. But it is not safe to put them in the oven, since they start to soften at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also, high heat causes Styrofoam plates to not just melt, but leach into the food.