Glass Pans In Hot Ovens

I have always heard that you should not put glass pans in the oven at a temperature that is above 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet, I have seen many people do it, and some cookbooks even tell you to do it. Now I am confused as to what to do.

I have heard that glass pans can easily crack, shatter, or break at temperatures above 325◦F. If this happens, often shards and pieces of glass will break off, and can often end up in the food, leaving the entire recipe unsafe to eat. Cracked pans also have ragged edges and can be very dangerous if not handled properly. Glass pans are said to conduct heat more easily, so they should go at a temperature twenty-five degrees lower than usual. I have only put a glass pan in the oven at a high temperature once, before I knew that it should not be done. This was only at 350◦F for a short amount of time though, and nothing happened. However, my mother once forgot and put a glass pan in the oven at a high temperature, and it cracked, leaving her dinner inedible. It is very frustrating when this happens, as your food is ruined, and you have to spend the time, effort, and money to prepare and bake the dish over again. I say it’s not worth the risk.

However, I have watched cooking shows where the chefs put glass pans at high temperatures in ovens, without showing any concern whatsoever. I also came across a recipe I wanted to make, where it specifically said, “Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking dish.” Is there special, heavy-duty glassware that is able to withstand these high oven temperatures? I did some research, and discovered that many companies do manufacture such products nowadays. Most Pyrex products, for example, are now manufactured as oven safe. However, there are reports of incidents occurring here, too. The glass baking dishes I normally use are a few years old now, so they are definitely not ovenproof.

When we bake lasagna at our house, we always use glass pans, but we always have the oven at 325◦F. I know many people bake their lasagnas at 350◦F, but baked at 325◦F, our lasagnas only take five minutes longer, if that. In fact, most items that are required to bake at 350◦F, can very effectively be baked in a glass pan at 325◦F. The baking time is the same, or may take two to five minutes longer, but it will bake just as evenly. But when temperatures go higher than that, things can get confusing. When a recipe calls for a glass pan and a temperature of 375◦F, should I use a glass pan at 325◦F, or a metal pan at 375◦F? This is the dilemma I had. I was making a fruit cobbler, and fruits are supposed to be baked in glass dishes so the metal doesn’t react with the fruits’ juices. So I used a glass pan at 325◦F, and baked the cobbler for five minutes longer. It turned out perfect. Usually when a recipe calls for the use of a glass pan, there is a specific reason why a glass pan should be chosen. Glass pans are best for things such ass fruit cobblers, crisps, and pies. But if the material of the pan doesn’t matter, opt for a metal pan and the high temperature called for. Actually, the best solution of all is to buy ovenproof glass baking dishes, and you will never have this problem!

 PHOTO CREDIT:"images" http://chickensintheroad.com/cooking/raisin-bread/ .Chickens In The Road, n.d. Wednesday, August 22, 2012.