Transferring a frying pan to the oven is a perfectly reasonable to do when cooking certain dishes so, if you’re looking for tips and tricks for ensuring proper use of this technique, we’re on hand with them. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions about how and when to put a frying pan in the oven.
Why would you put a frying pan in the oven?
You wouldn’t be the first person to wonder why on earth a frying pan would ever need to go into the oven in the first place! However, it’s a common practice in kitchens around the world, because it can have real results in delivering tasty dishes.
One of the more familiar meals that can be made using this method is a casserole. In this case, you would begin by cooking your meat in the frying pan before adding all of the other ingredients to make the sauce. Once they’re all mixed together, you’ll need to pop a lid onto the pan and then place it into the oven to allow it to cook through slowly.
The result of this clever combination? A delicious, flavourful dish that’s all been done in one pan – so it even reduces on the washing-up afterwards as well.
For example, this is a fantastic method for cooking braising steak in a frying pan.
Can frying pans go in the oven?
In short, it depends on the frying pan.
Most oven safe frying pans are marked as safe for oven cooking. To check for this, you’ll want to look for oven-use instructions on the pan – these are often located at the bottom of the frying pan.
If a pan is not described as being suitable for use in the oven, it is not likely to be because the metal is unsafe for the oven; instead, it is typically to do with the material that was used to make it non-stick, or to do with the materials used in the handle.
If you’re unsure about whether you can put regular or copper frying pans in the oven, your answer is likely to depend on the pan’s non-stick material.
Always check your pans before putting them in the oven; if it is not listed as being safe for the oven, it could end in disaster.
Can Circulon frying pans go in the oven?
All Circulon pans will come with use and care guides, that will give information about what temperature they are oven-safe to.
Our newest range, A1 Scratch Defense, is oven safe to 200°C - meaning you can feel confident in moving your frying pan between hob and oven!
What are the risks of putting a frying pan in the oven?
The risks associated with this cooking method vary from dangerous to just plain annoying so it's important to take the steps to avoid any messes or worse.
The first set of risks come from putting a non-oven-proof frying pan into the oven, which might result in the melting of handles – and that would entirely destroy your pan, causing you to have to fork out more money to replace it.
One other potential threat that you should keep in mind when placing your frying pan in the oven is spillage. Frying pans on too high a heat will bubble over, which can leave you in a sticky situation given how laborious it is to properly clean an oven.
Ways to avoid this include lowering your heat to allow the food to cook at its own pace, using a deep frying pan or a chef's pan, or placing a lid upon the pan so that it’s no longer possible for liquid to spill over.
How to clean your oven in the event of an emergency
Even with the best of intentions, though, it’s always possible for a mess to be made in your oven regardless. If that happens, you’ll want to know exactly how to clean it with the minimum of fuss – just follow the steps below.
- Collect cleaning supplies: you’ll need baking soda, water, rubber gloves, white vinegar, a spray bottle and a dishcloth
- Remove the oven racks
- Mix half a cup of water with half a cup of baking soda in the spray bottle to create a sprayable paste
- Coat the entire oven – including the glass door – in the sprayable paste and leave it to sit for a while (we recommend overnight)
- Use a damp cloth to wipe off the cleaning paste
- Spray vinegar on each surface of the oven and wipe everything out
- Clean the exterior with a mixture of water and vinegar
Dirty old pans can often cause further mess in your oven so, if you’re installing a new kitchen this year, it might also be time to consider upgrading your frying pans while you’re at it.
Buy a Circulon frying pan today
You can put a Circulon frying pan in the oven up to certain temperatures – just one among many of their helpful capabilities – so check out our range of frying pans, which are great for all kinds of cooking.
In need of more than just one frying pan? We make it easy and cost-effective to do so with our Build a Bundle scheme: when you buy three or more items from us, you’ll qualify for a 20% discount at checkout. It means that you can complete your collection of frying pans all in one place with Circulon.
If you have any queries about finding the frying pan that suits your needs then please feel free to contact us today and our team will be on hand to help you as best we can.
