Can You Put Glass In The Oven

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Let’s face it. Almost all of us have encountered the urge to put glassware in the oven. The reasons are quite simple. For starters, it is quite inconvenient to change containers. Also, what’s the use of getting a beautiful casserole out of the oven that you can't even see from the bottom? Sounds relatable?

Nevertheless, putting glass bakeware inside the oven is fairly popular. Got some leftover meatballs and pasta in the fridge? Stick the glass bowl directly into the oven. Last night's party left you with half the casserole. No problem, just heat the oven to get the leftovers ready to be ingested.

See? Using glass containers in the oven is an easy choice all of us want to make. However, the pinching question here is that:

Can glass go in the oven?

The answer is Yes. You can use glass containers in the oven. Whether it's a casserole or a steam bath you're creating for your flan/cheesecake, you can use a glass dish to achieve the result. So, why is there so much buzz about the process when it is safe to do so?

Here's why:

Almost all of us have encountered a situation where a glass dish cracked inside the oven. Even worse, you came to see a full-blown explosion of the cake batter you put in the glass dish. Just like pressure cookers, we have a fear of the explosion of glassware inside the oven. So, that's why we all need the answer.

Although the answer is YES, there are some exceptions. You cannot put every type of glass inside an oven. Some types of glass (we will discuss them later) are oven-safe, and some are not.

The most popular name you will come across while reading on glassware is PYREX. Yes! You may know Pyrex as an interchangeable name for any glass dish you have. However, the truth is that PYREX is a specialized brand of kitchen glassware.

These dishes are made up either of borosilicate glass or soda-lime glass. So, are PYREX glass containers oven-safe?

Can Pyrex go in the oven?

Yes, PYREX glassware can go in the oven. However, there are some pointers to keep in mind:

The PYREX dishes can only go in preheated ovens.
The lids of the containers are not made with oven-safe plastic, so don't put PYREX glass containers with a lid on.
Do not put a PYREX dish in the oven right after taking it out of the refrigerator; make sure the dish is at room temperature when you stick it in the oven.
The oven must not exceed the upper limit temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to tell if glass oven-safe?

'Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?' The queen got the answer, but remember, we aren't queens (or kings), and we aren't talking about mirrors. We are talking about glass—oven-safe glass.

So, will the glass tell you itself if it is safe for oven use or not? Kind of, Yes. Flip the glass bakeware to see what the labeling says. Most of the oven-safe glassware is labeled with an oven-safe mark.

However, not all glass dishes have this label. If the label doesn't say anything about the heat-safe nature of the product, you can check the product manual for the safety instructions. Still, there's a fair chance of not having the product manual at hand (After all, who keeps them?)

Even if you don't have the product manual, you have a chance of knowing if the glass dish is oven-safe or not. Click a picture of the product, and ask on a baking community. Someone must know.

If that doesn't work, figure out the company of the dish and run a Google search. You will get your answer.

Even if none of these options work, your last chance is to see which type of glass it is. For having an oven-safe glass bowl/dish in your hands, it must be of the following types:

Pyrex

As mentioned earlier, PYREX is one of the most popular oven-safe glassware brands. The brand has its specific set of safety instructions and makes kitchenware and laboratory-grade glassware.

The company has been in business since the early 1900s and is the most sought-after brand of kitchen glassware. So, if your glass dish is PYREX, there's no need to worry (Do not miss the safety instructions, though).

PYREX dishes are made of soda-lime glass that has a low thermal expansion. Low thermal expansion means that the glass doesn't change too much volume when under heat. So, you can put a PYREX dish in a preheated oven without thinking much. ***Make sure to place PYREX dish in the oven with plastic lids. The lids will melt.

Borosilicate

In addition to soda lime glass, borosilicate glass also has a low thermal expansion coefficient. In fact, Borosilicate glass is much more heat-shock proof than soda-lime glass. So, if your glass dish is made up of borosilicate glass, you can place it in the oven without second thoughts.

Pro-tip: An easy way to determine if the glass is borosilicate, use a nail file at its corner. If it scratches the glass, it is not borosilicate. If it doesn't, you have the right type of glassware with you.

Tempered Glass

Tempered glass, like Anchor Hocking Oven Basics, is another type of glass that can withstand high oven temperatures. You can expect it to be almost four times more heat resistant than non-tempered glass. The reason for the heat resistance is that this type of glass is already exposed to 600 degrees Fahrenheit during the manufacturing process.

While there's no sure-shot way of identifying tempered glass, you can look out for the glassware set in your kitchen that did not break to shards. Instead, you lost one of the dishes broken into small, round-edged pieces (We know you have at least one such set at your home).

Can glass explode in the oven?

Yes, glass can explode in the oven. We hope that you don't have to experience this nightmarish incident, but it does happen quite often. The after-effects are disastrous. You will need hours of cleaning to settle everything down, and there's a danger of glass cuts.

So, as a precaution, let's get to know why glass explodes in the oven sometimes:

Temperature Shock

The main reason for breaking a dish inside an oven is the thermal shock it has received.

Sometimes, when the hot oven temperature and the glass dish temperature are too far apart, it can cause the glass to crack.

The excessive heat that hits the cooler surface of the glass dish can cause the glass to shatter.

Type Of Glass

Not every glass is the same, so not every glass is meant for the oven. Some glassware isn't the right type to stick in the oven. The thermal expansion coefficient may be too high to withstand heat changes, thus explosion or cracking.

As mentioned earlier, some types of soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass with boron oxide, and tempered glass are usually the safest types of glass for resisting high temperatures.

Glassware With Metal Attachments

While metal does just fine when put separately in the oven, it can cause the glass dish to explode. What does it mean? It means that if your glass dish has some metallic parts (metallic painted edge, the lid lining or the handles), it is much more prone to explode in the oven.

Since metal and glass have different thermal expansion rates, metal will expand quickly inside the oven, putting pressure on the glass dish making it explode.

Using Cold Liquids During The Cooking Process

If you're cooking something in a glass dish, avoid pouring a cold liquid during the cycle. For example, if you want to baste your whole chicken in broth, make sure you don't take it out of the fridge or freezer to pour over the already cooked meat.

The temperature difference can blast your dream of a delicious, whole chicken roast.

How to keep glass from exploding in the oven

Here are some pro tips to avoid any bad experience with glass dishes in the oven:

Never put a frozen glass-dish directly into the oven; make sure it comes to at least room temperature first. You want to avoid quick temperature changes.
Preheat the oven before putting the glassware inside; the ovens may have a thermostat setting of going to high temperatures in the pre-heating phase that the glass can't withstand if directly put.
It's a good idea not to use cold liquids in the oven when cooking in glassware.
A key thing is to make sure to check the dish for any structural weakness or damage (like small cracks or too scratched surface) before you put it into a preheated oven.
Use some liquid in the dish before placing any dry ingredients in the container (this will create a masking effect for the glass surface).

Can you put glass bowls or plates in the oven?

Like casserole dishes and baking dishes, make sure to check for the oven-safe symbol on the bottom of the glass bowl, glass plate, and any other glass products.

Conclusion

Using glassware in the oven can get a bit tricky. Besides some popular glassware brands, it is tough to figure out the heat withstanding the power of the glassware you are using. However, you can look out for the type of glass you're using and apply all the mentioned tips to avoid any glass exploding incident. Happy baking!