Putting a cold glass dish in the oven is something that many people wonder about. After all, we’ve all heard the warnings and know that it’s best not to put hot glass in the oven. But what about putting a cold glass dish in the oven? Can you do that safely? There are many people who claim that it’s unsafe to put a cold glass dish in the oven, but we’ll explain why this doesn’t have to be true. In fact, you can safely put a cold glass dish in the oven if you know how to handle it properly. Here are some tips on how to do so.
Can You Put A Cold Glass Dish In The Oven?
Yes, a cold glass dish can be safely placed in an oven heated to 350. F. However, you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your oven, as well as the manufacturer’s safety warnings for the specific dish you are using. While oven temperatures may be high enough to melt plastic dishes, metal dishes will likely retain their shape and dimensions during baking. You may need to adjust cooking times to account for the additional weight of glass dishes inside the oven.
What Happens When You Put A Cold Glass Dish In The Oven?
- When you put a cold glass dish in the oven, it will instantly heat up. When this happens, the edge of the glass will expand before the center does. As a result, the center of the glass will be more compressed than the edge, causing it to shatter.
- This is why you’ve often been told not to put hot or cold glass dishes in the oven. If you put a hot glass dish in the oven, the heat will distribute evenly throughout the glass.
- As a result, the glass will not be able to expand and contract in the way that it needs to. This will cause it to crack.
- When you put a cold glass dish in the oven, the glass will expand quickly. This can cause the glass to shatter.
- When you put a hot dish in the oven, it doesn’t need to expand as quickly since it’s already hot.
How To Safely Put A Cold Glass Dish In The Oven?
Watch out for steam
Steam can cause a glass dish to crack in a way that’s more pernicious than heat alone. If you’ve ever put a hot dish in the fridge to cool it, only to find a pool of water on the bottom of it when you take it out again, you already know this. Water is a more effective solvent than heat, so while it may not damage the glass, it can certainly damage your baked goods. Crusty bread, crispy edges on a cake, or gooey middles on cookies – all might become soggy and inedible if too much moisture is in the air. If you don’t have a place where you can put a dish that’s out of the direct path of steam, put your cold dish in a warm oven instead. It will be a little slower to cool down, but it will be a lot safer.
Change your dishware
If you have a simple, cheap dish that you know is too delicate to handle even a slight change in temperature, try to change your dishware. If it’s a baking sheet, try to put it directly on the rack. If you’re baking a pie, try to put it on a pie pan. If you’re baking a cake, try to put it in a glass casserole dish. In all of these cases, you’re bringing the temperature of the dish more in line with that of the oven, lessening the chance of cracking it.
Use a towel
If you’re baking something large and heavy and it’s just not worth it to change your dishware, try to keep the cold dish away from the hot baking sheet or rack by using a towel to lift it. If it’s just a baking sheet you’re dealing with, you can put a folded towel under it. If it’s a baking sheet that you’re trying to put a heavy dish on, like a casserole dish, try lifting the baking sheet out of the oven with a pair of tongs and setting it on the counter. Put the dish down on the baking sheet and use a folded towel to lift it off when it’s done.
Use a pot holder
If the item you need to put in the oven is small, use a pot holder to lift it up. It will be easier to control the temperature of the item, and you’ll be less likely to accidentally knock it against the oven or change the position of the rack. If the item is a little too big for a pot holder, try using a folded dish towel instead.
Rotate your dishes
If you’re baking something that needs to be on the very bottom rack, you may find that it’s on the same side of the oven as another dish. If the two are going to be in contact, it’s best if the hotter one is on the dish. Even a small difference can make a big difference when it comes to the risk of damage. If you’re baking something that needs to be on the top rack, rotates the dishes so that any with a hot top surface area on the bottom and the cold ones are on top. This will keep the surfaces of your baking dishes from becoming too hot to handle.
Tips For Putting Cold Glass Dishes In The Oven
- If you put a cold glass dish in a cold oven, it will take a lot longer to heat up.
- If you put a hot glass dish in a cold oven, the temperature will decrease. This can cause the glass to break prematurely.
- The thicker the glass, the less likely it is to break.
- It’s best to put a cold glass dish in a warm oven so that it can heat up gradually.
When Can’t You Put A Cold Dish In The Oven?
- If your glass dish has been in the freezer, you should wait until it’s at room temperature before putting it in the oven.
- If your glass dish has a food item in it, you should wait until the food has been heated to the right temperature.
- If you have a glass dish with liquid in it, you should wait until it has evaporated completely.
- If you have a glass dish with a gaseous substance in it, you should wait until it has been completely released.
- If you have a glass dish that has been contaminated with a chemical, you should wait until it has dried completely.
- If your glass dish is broken, you should wait until it’s been repaired.
Conclusion
Everyone knows that it’s a bad idea to put a hot glass dish in the oven. But when it comes to putting a cold glass dish in the oven, the rules are less clear. You can safely put a cold glass dish in the oven if it’s been tempered correctly. When you put a cold glass dish in the oven, you should also make sure that it has a wide base and is not broken. It’s also best to put your glass dish in a warm oven to ensure that it heats up gradually. If you follow these tips, you can safely put a cold glass dish in the oven.