Can you put porcelain in the oven?

When it comes to buying pretty dishes for baking and cooking, it’s always a good idea to be aware of its capabilities and limitations.

There are many different materials with different finishes. Some tableware is brittle, while others are made to be durable and strong.

One of the best ways to know what your crockery or oven battery can withstand is to understand a little about the materials it is made of.

For example, one of the current trends is ceramic casseroles and baking dishes. They look great and also work great when designed to be functional.

But can porcelain go into the oven? Most porcelain can go in the kiln. However, you will need to make sure yours is oven-safe and never exceeds the maximum temperature it can handle.

The good news is that most porcelain can withstand high temperatures.

In this guide, we’ll dig a little deeper into whether or not porcelain can go in the oven. We’ll talk about how to know for sure and discuss temperature capabilities as well.

There is a fair amount to know and understand about this subject before attempting to put the porcelain in the kiln.

Read on to find out how to use porcelain in the oven and much more.

What is porcelain made of?

The best way to really understand porcelain is to understand what it is, right? Porcelain is not an ordinary material.

Actually, it belongs to the category of ceramics. For starters, ceramic is made with a lot of heat, and most of the time it’s also designed to take a lot of heat.

This means that porcelain is made of clay, or perhaps clay-like substances. It is not always clay, but the key is that the material is not metallic.

It must also be resistant to heat and corrosion. These qualities stand out above things like aluminum or steel, or even baking glass. Because porcelain is made from these strong materials, it is often incredibly strong.

The materials are non-porous and ultimately one of the strongest materials out there when it comes to bakeware. Of course, you can also find porcelain in other types of tableware.

While some bakeware that claims to be high-temperature resistant can sometimes be subject to challenges like thermal shock, porcelain doesn’t really have that problem.

It can withstand high heat, doesn’t react to thermal shock as easily, and will probably hold heat for quite some time as well.

Can you put porcelain in the oven?

The best news from this article is that your china will most likely go in the kiln. However, there may be some porcelain that is not suitable for the oven.

However, you may be surprised. Your china dinnerware may very well be oven-safe, even though it’s not necessarily designed for oven use.

You always want to make sure that you use your tableware the way it was meant to be used. Before you put your china in the oven, take the time to make sure it really is oven-safe. We will talk about it later.

Oven-safe china can be subjected to really high heat. It’s almost unusually high when you compare it to things like a glass baking dish. Porcelain baking dishes are typically heat resistant up to 572°F, which is astronomical heat.

Best of all, the porcelain heats evenly too. This means that when you put your china in the oven filled with your new favorite stew, the entire stew will cook evenly. Basically, it’s the perfect partner for baking.

We have mentioned that porcelain dishes are not porous. The fact that they are non-porous makes them primarily a nonstick baking dish. The non-porous material will not absorb odors or elements from the food being cooked inside.

Most of these dishes will also be nonstick. However, if you really want to make sure that your ceramic baking dish is non-stick, just make sure that you have an enameled dish.

These are really easy to clean when you’re done cooking, even if something got burned in the process.

Lastly, when you put your china in the oven, you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals or materials leaching into your food. Porcelain does not have any chemicals and certainly will not release any.

How to know if porcelain is suitable for the oven

This is what we want you to understand. Not all china is designed for the oven.

Don’t turn around and stick a toy or china cup in the oven and assume it’s safe. Most of what we’ve said here is specific to porcelain bakeware.

That means these dishes were designed to be baked. They were created for that purpose. Those dishes withstand temperatures of 500°F and sometimes even higher.

Also, those dishes are all porcelain, or at least have a porcelain coating. They are not delicate or fragile.

On the other hand, there are many porcelain products that are delicate and fragile. If you put the porcelain on high heat when you shouldn’t, it’s likely to break.

Most things, like plates and bowls that are made of porcelain, aren’t really designed for the oven. It is very important that you make sure you know the difference. But rest assured, it is easy to distinguish.

Let’s do a comparison. If you have a porcelain bowl or plate, pick it up and look at the bottom.

At the bottom there should be stamps or marks that tell you if the dish is suitable for the microwave or oven. If it doesn’t have the symbol or words on it, you should assume it’s not oven-safe.

Now grab your favorite china platter and look at the bottom. We assume that the letter or symbol is there for that font.

Why are they different if they are both porcelain? Well, actually it all depends on how it was made and how it was finished.

• The “microwave safe” symbol is a small box like a microwave with horizontal waves
• Oven-safe is slightly larger and resembles an oven with vertical ripples.

They look pretty similar, so take the time to understand them well before you put anything in the oven.

If you have concerns about the oven safety of your china dinnerware, always check your owner’s manual to be sure!

Tips and tricks for using porcelain in the oven

If you are sure that your porcelain is safe for the oven, there are some recommendations so that you do not have any problems.

Although porcelain cookware is usually quite safe in the oven with very few problems, you should know some basic tips that could help save your plate.

• Do not use temperatures above 500°F
• Always check that it is safe for the oven
• Do not take porcelain directly from the fridge to the oven. Let it settle a bit first
• Put the pan in the oven when you start preheating so the materials get hot with the oven
• When you’re done cooking, turn off the oven and let the pan sit there for 10-15 minutes to start to cool slightly
• Don’t put a hot porcelain pan in the fridge
• Place the cooking rack near the center of the oven

Related questions

We hope you find this guide to find out if your porcelain tableware is suitable for the oven useful. Take a look at these questions and answers for additional information that may be helpful.

Are porcelain plates suitable for the microwave?

They can be. You should always check your dinnerware to be sure. Look at the bottom of the plate for the microwave safety symbol.

Is it safe to cook with porcelain?

Yes, porcelain is made from clay, a natural material. It has no chemicals. Plus, the dishes are non-porous, so they won’t absorb food or odors. If they are coated with a glaze, you just have to make sure that it is also non-toxic.

Is porcelain nonstick?

It depends. Most porcelains are nonstick to some degree. However, many companies also add a glaze to their porcelain dishes that increases their non-stick capabilities.

That glaze is often added to produce an even better non-stick effect. Most people don’t even grease their porcelain enamel pans.