Best utensils for oven – Are you using the safe ones?

Written by: Kaushik Jethva

Last Updated: January 31, 2023

microwave safe utensils
A plastic container is kept inside a microwave oven for cooking.

There’s nothing more enjoyable than making delicious foods or baking beautiful cakes for the people we love. However, when baking or cooking in an OTG oven or convection microwave oven, many questions concerning the safety and right process arise and make the whole process confusing. You can never go wrong with a microwave oven when it comes to the convenience and functionality of an appliance. Despite their convenience, microwaves cannot endure any cookware materials you put inside them. Understanding which material is safe to use in a microwave is essential for one’s safety.

The possibilities of making baked food healthy food are endless. Deep-fried food is being replaced by baked dishes that are low in calories and healthy. The most important thing to remember when using the oven is to make sure that the utensils you use are oven-safe, otherwise, you could end up with an unexpected outcome. But, how do you determine whether kitchenware is oven-safe, and which kitchenware would be used in a microwave oven?

The use of microwave-safe baking utensils might not be safe in some cases even when they are safe in others. Also, microwave ovens should not also be used with certain kitchen utensils. The below article explains the compatibility of different metals and materials which should be used or should be avoided while cooking with microwave ovens.

1Utensils to choose from while cooking with a Microwave oven

Glass utensils

glass cookware utensils
A set of glass cookware.

Glassware is a universal material that can be used for any convection mode in a microwave oven. Whether you use it to melt chocolates, bake biscuits, or for grilling. Glassware utensils do not leach out chemicals inside your food items on high heat also.

The greatest risk associated with glass is its potential to explode. In particular, transferring glass utensils from the freezer to the oven directly is not recommended due to the drastic change from low temperature to high temperature.

Ceramic utensils

ceramic cookware
A set of ceramic cookware.

Ceramics is another safe option for microwave utensils that can be placed in a microwave oven to cook hot food inside it. Likewise, ceramic dishes and containers made of glazed pottery or china are also microwave-safe if heated at an ideal oven temperature.

When it comes to ceramics, they are known to withstand high temperatures much better than other materials, and though this is beneficial for cooking, it means you have to be cautious when handling ceramic utensils.

Plastic containers

plastic containers
A set of plastic containers with different sizes.

When it comes to oven-safe kitchen utensils, plastic can present a bit of a challenge. It may not be entirely clear to some manufacturers which plastics are designed to resist heat, and which are not. It is almost safe to microwave almost all plastic Tupperware. However, if a container is not marked ‘microwave-safe’, don’t microwave it.

Be sure to check the label and instructions on the plastic handles of the container before you microwave it. You can read the reviews of the product to ensure that it meets the standards of your microwave oven and be sure it is a microwave-safe plastic.

Aluminum

aluminum foil
A pizza cooked with the help of aluminum foil.

Aluminum foil can be used is to shield your food from the environment to keep it fresh and healthy. If you want to prevent eggs or meat from being overheated, you can cover them with smooth, and small pieces of foil. To prevent any arcing, the foil should be kept at least 2.5 cm from the oven walls. Do not microwave aluminum that has been bent, crumpled, or broken. You might see some sparks or aluminum catching up the heat.

Silicone utensils

silicon cookware
3 different bowls made of silicon in different colours.

The silicone material does not tend to hold a solid shape, so it is commonly used as a baking sheet and a cover for baking. The advantage of silicone is that it is cheaper, easy to work with, and easy to clean.

Stainless steel utensils

stainless steel cookware
Different utensils made of stainless steel including pots, dishes, and pans.

Finally, on our list, we have stainless steel utensils which are the most commonly used baking utensils with microwave ovens. Stainless steel cookware is perfect to use with both stove and oven. You can use stainless steel utensils not only for pots, bowl, pans, serving dish, and a baking dish that you are baking in, but other utensils like knives can also be used and put into contact with heat without being careful, and they are typically much cheaper than other materials on this list.

One issue is that stainless steel can leach chemicals into food, and this is something to be concerned about. But, similarly, there is much evidence that stainless steel cookware is non-reactive.

2Utensils to avoid while cooking in Microwave ovens

Wooden utensils

wooden cookware
A complete set of wooden cookware for cooking.

A wood utensil does not go well with microwave cooking. The wood you use for flavoring or fueling your kitchen shouldn’t have been treated to withstand kitchen heat sources unless you intend to use it for that purpose. By doing so, you are simply putting yourself at risk of fire.

When wood is treated, it is often used for mixing food or serving it, rather than withstand prolonged exposure to heating temperatures of oven toaster griller.

Metal

metal utensils
A wide range of metal utensils including pans, frying pans, bowls, and spoons.

Microwave ovens and metals do not go along with each other. Any metal utensils you intend to use that have curves or wrinkles will trap the microwave radiation and eventually cause a fire. The ignition of such sparks will result in a terrible fire if they interact with anything flammable. Avoid placing metals in the microwave unless the container is microwave-safe. Metals can also be used to reheat small amounts of food inside the microwave oven.

3Wrapping Up

Here’s the conclusion of our discussion of baking utensils. Now that you know how popular utensils work, you can choose between ceramics, glassware, or stainless steel as you like. As mentioned previously, a microwave oven is suitable for many purposes. Always choose the utensils according to your oven. Cook your favorite recipes without any hassle! You may also check our article on the best cast iron cookware for your kitchen.

FAQ's about Utensils for Oven

Can I use steel utensils in oven?

Yes, you can use stainless steel utensils with a microwave oven. Nowadays, majority of the people use stainless steel utensils for cooking with a microwave oven. There are a variety of stainless steel utensils like bowls, pots, pans, baking dishes, and serving dishes. High-quality stainless steel that does not react with food at high temperatures is ideal for use in an oven. Whether you are baking meat, vegetables, or sweets, anything can be baked with stainless steel utensils without introducing harmful chemicals.

If you want your food free from any toxic substances and chemicals, avoid using these materials while cooking with a microwave oven:
1. Wooden utensils
2. Any metal utensils
3. Wax papers
4. Non tempered glass utensils
5. Non stick utensils

You can use microwave-safe dishes made with the following materials to cook your favourite dishes without any hassle:
1. Glass cookware
2. Ceramic cookware
3. Stoneware cookware
4. Aluminum cookware
5. Plastic cookware
6. Silicon cookware

Yes, you can use glass while cooking with a microwave oven. Do understand that there are 2 kinds of glasses: Tempered and Non Tempered Glass. A tempered glass utensil is safe to use with an oven. The list do not include the glass used for drinking water. You can use tempered glass cookware for baking, grilling, or to melt chocolates.

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About This Article

Kaushik Jethva
Written by: Kaushik Jethva author

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Updated: January 31, 2023
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