Can Stainless Steel Go In the Oven? An In-Depth Analysis

Whenever I cook steak, I love using my stainless steel skillet to get a perfect sear before finishing it in the oven. But that got me thinking—can all stainless steel cookware go in the oven safely?

Curious, I started checking out the rest of my stainless steel collection and doing a little research to find the answer.

What I discovered was not only useful but also pretty fascinating, and I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned with you in this guide! Let’s dive into what makes stainless steel oven-safe and what to watch out for.

In this article, I am going to cover:

Is All Food Grade Stainless Steel Oven Safe? 

Food-grade stainless steel is any stainless steel determined by the FDA and USDA to be safe to contain or cook food without reacting, pitting, or leaching chemicals.

During use, utensils, cookware, and other stainless steel items are subjected to high temperatures, water, and cleaning chemicals.

Food-safe stainless steel must have a smooth, impermeable surface that can withstand all these elements for use after use. But not all food-grade stainless steel is oven-safe.

Although to the untrained eye, all food-grade stainless steel might look the same, there are actually a variety of grades that have their own properties. Let’s look at these different steel forms to get to the bottom of this issue.

Food-Safe Grades of Stainless Steel

Food-grade stainless steel is categorized into series: 200, 300 and 400.

200 Series 

200 series stainless steel is the lowest quality food-safe option. It has a lower nickel content with additional manganese and nitrogen in its makeup. The 200 series is less corrosion-resistant, so it is mainly reserved for cutlery, storage containers, water bottles, or serving ware. The items are usually very thin and lightweight, so they are not oven-safe.

300 Series

The 300 series is the highest quality food-safe stainless steel with the highest percentage of nickel and chromium. It is entirely nonreactive even when in contact with salt or acidic food for long periods. 

304 and 316 are the most commonly used of the 300 series. You might notice your cookware is advertised as 18/8 or 18/10. This means it’s 304-grade stainless steel with percentages of chromium and nickel indicated.

So 18/8 stainless steel means it’s mostly iron with 18% chromium and 8% nickel. 18/10 has 18% chromium and 10% nickel. These added metals make the iron in the stainless steel alloy more durable and corrosion-resistant. 

The 300 series is the most common – and probably best – grade of stainless steel cookware. 300 series stainless steel pans will often be layered with aluminum or copper for maximum heat conductivity.

400 Series

The 400 series is a cheaper alternative to the 300 series but much higher quality than the 200 series. This stainless steel will be labeled 18/0 because it contains 18% chromium but no nickel. It is less corrosion resistant and won’t last as long as their 300 series counterparts.

Oven Safe Stainless Steel

So, yes, most stainless steel is oven-safe. Both the 300 and 400 series are oven-safe up to 500°F. These series are used to make stainless steel bakeware and pots and pans that are completely oven-safe.

But it’s not just bakeware and cookware that can be oven-safe. In this video, you can see how home cook Joe uses a stainless steel bowl to create an oven within an oven to bake bread.

This technique can only be executed using a heavy gauge stainless steel bowl with an oven-safe mark on the base. You can also see how much the constant use has discolored the stainless steel, but this is natural and not harmful. 

Non-Oven Safe Stainless Steel

As I mentioned above, not all food-grade stainless steel is oven-safe. Any lightweight, stainless steel items like mixing bowls, kids’ bowls, and stainless steel drinking cups are likely made from 200 series stainless steel. This grade is not oven-safe due to its lower levels of nickel.

My general rule of thumb is: if it is not marked oven-safe, don’t risk putting it in the oven.

Any stainless steel vessel, regardless of the grade, that has plastic or wooden handles or a non-slip base is not oven-safe. 

At Which Temperature Can You Put Stainless Steel in the Oven?

Although stainless steel has a melting point of around 2000°F, most cookware is labeled as oven-safe up to 500°F. But it is doubtful that you’ll need to cook anything hotter than that anyway!

Placing an empty stainless steel vessel in an oven that is too hot may discolor it, but this is not harmful. Very thin stainless steel could warp in these conditions, but I wouldn’t recommend using lightweight items in the oven at all.

Is Stainless Steel Broiler Safe?

Yes, any oven-safe stainless steel is broiler-safe unless it has plastic or silicone handles that can melt or burn under intense heat.

Are Lids on Stainless Steel Pans Oven Safe?

If your stainless steel pots and pans have steel lids, the lids are probably made with the same grade of steel as the pans themselves, and should be okay for oven use.

I should warn you, though, that most tempered glass lids that come with stainless steel cookware are not oven-safe or, if they are, not to the same temperatures as the pan itself. If your pan has plastic or silicone handles, it may not be oven-safe, so you will need to confirm with the manufacturer’s specifications.

Can You Put Coated Stainless Steel in the Oven?

Regarding nonstick or ceramic-coated stainless steel pans: you will need to consult the individual brand specs to see if they are oven-safe. 

Some brands do claim that their coatings are oven-safe, but it’s usually at a lower temperature than bare stainless steel – especially if you have nonstick-coated pans.

For example, the Blue Diamond ceramic-coated stainless steel pans are advertised as oven safe to 600°F, but the glass lids are only safe to 450°F. 

Gordon Ramsay’s famous Hexclad pans – which combine stainless steel and polymer nonstick coatings – are oven safe to 500°F (pans) and 400°F (lids). But this Bell Rock stainless steel frying pan with a nonstick (PTFE) coating does not appear to be oven-safe at all. 

How can you tell if a stainless steel pan is oven-safe?

There are two ways to tell if your pan is oven-safe. The easiest way to tell is to look at the bottom of the pan, where it will be marked as oven-safe. If you are unsure, you can check the manufacturer’s guidelines or website for your pan’s specifications.

What are the Advantages of Stainless Steel Bakeware?

Stainless steel bakeware provides a nontoxic, durable surface that withstands use after use without warping, scratching, or pitting. I know many people swear by ceramic or stoneware bakeware, but I prefer stainless steel because there is no risk of thermal shock cracking it. It conducts heat far more efficiently than glass bakeware, though not as well as aluminum. 

These days, many people are concerned with aluminum coming into contact with their food because the long-term health effects are not entirely known. In this case, stainless steel is a great alternative. Your cakes or cheesecakes baked in stainless steel pans may not be quite as fluffy as they were in your aluminum pans, but they’ll come out way lighter than if you used ceramic or glass. 

Safety Precautions 

Using stainless steel in the oven is pretty straightforward, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Most stainless steel cookware is oven-safe, but you should always check for an oven-safe mark on the base to make sure. But no matter the quality of the stainless steel, if it has plastic or wooden elements, then it is not oven-safe. 

If you have any extra questions, don’t hesitate to comment and share your thoughts!