If you’re preparing a stovetop meal that requires finishing in an oven, you might be wondering:
Can you put a frying pan in the oven?
In this quick guide, you’ll learn:
- Whether you can put a frying pan in the oven
- The temperature restrictions when cooking with a frying pan in the oven
- How to determine if your pan is oven-safe
- And much more
Let’s get started.
Use the links below to navigate this guide:
- Are Frying Pans Oven-Safe? The Short Answer
- Can Non-Stick Frying Pans Really Go in the Oven?
- How to Know If Your Frying Pan Is Oven-Safe
- 19 Examples of Oven-Safe Frying Pans
- Are Frying Pan Lids Oven-Safe?
- Precautions When Cooking With a Frying Pan in the Oven
- Bottom Line: Are Frying Pans Oven-Safe?
Are Frying Pans Oven-Safe? The Short Answer
The short answer is, yes, most frying pans are oven-safe up to at least 350°F (many pans can go much higher), but the oven-safe temperature varies by brand, materials, and pan types.
Stainless steel, cast iron, copper, and carbon steel frying pans have the highest oven-safety ratings, with an average maximum temperature of 500°F. Non-stick pans are oven-safe up to 450°F on average.
Non-stick pans with PTFE (Teflon) coatings should never be used in an oven above 500°F. Exposure to high heat can degrade the coating and release harmful fumes (more on this in the next section).
Before putting a frying pan into your oven, check the product specs and determine what temperatures are safe for your particular cookware.
For context, let’s look at a few examples and compare their oven-safe temperatures.
Carbon steel and cast iron frying pans:
- Made In carbon steel frying pan: oven-safe at up to 1200°F.
- Le Creuset cast iron frying pan: oven-safe to 500°F.
Stainless steel frying pans:
- All-Clad stainless steel frying pan: oven-safe at up to 600°F.
- Made In stainless steel frying pan: oven-safe to 800°F.
Copper frying pans:
- Mauviel M’Heritage copper frying pan: oven-safe at up to 500°F.
- Lagostina copper frying pan: oven-safe to 500°F.
All of these options provide context to the strong heat-resistant qualities of carbon steel, cast iron, stainless steel, and copper. Other materials have a bit less heat resistance than these, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t oven-safe.
Pans with silicone- or plastic-wrapped handles typically have the lowest oven-safe temperatures. For example, the Anolon Advanced non-stick fry pan is oven-safe up to 400°F, and GreenLife Soft Grip pans are oven-safe up to 350°F.
If a pan has wooden handles, such as this example from the Swiss brand Carote, it’s not oven-safe at all and should only be used on the stovetop.
Can Non-Stick Frying Pans Really Go in the Oven?
Most people are reluctant to put a non-stick pan in the oven due to fear that the coating will break down.
While that reluctance has some logical basis — non-stick coatings do degrade when exposed to high heat — most non-stick pans are oven-safe up to certain temperatures.
It’s important to know what these safe temperatures are, especially if you’re cooking with PTFE-coated (often referred to as Teflon-coated) non-stick pan. At temperatures exceeding 570 °F, these coatings may release toxic fumes that will give you flu-like symptoms if you’re exposed to them for an extended period.
That said, you can cook with most non-stick pans in the oven, but you need to check the temperature recommendations listed on the packaging or the manufacturer’s website before you do it.
To demonstrate, below are examples of non-stick frying pans and their oven-safe temperatures, according to each manufacturer:
- Made In non-stick frying pans are oven-safe at up to 500°F
- Faberware aluminum non-stick frying pans are oven-safe to 350°F
- All-Clad HA1 non-stick frying pans are oven-safe at temperatures up to 500°F.
- GreenPan Rio non-stick frying pans are oven-safe up to 350°F.
As you can see, the relative heat tolerance of a non-stick pan can vary significantly by brand and material. Always check the specs before placing any pan in the oven.
How to Know If Your Frying Pan Is Oven-Safe
The simplest way to check the oven-safe temperature of a pan is to refer to its user manual. The manual should include all the safety information related to your cookware, including whether it’s safe in the oven and to what temperature.
If you have lost or accidentally thrown away your manual, most brands provide digital versions online. Even if your pan is an older model, the user manual should be archived somewhere on the manufacturer’s website. It can also usually be found in the product’s listing within any retailer’s online store.
This listing for one of Calphalon’s frying pans is a good example. The product description clearly states that this pan is oven-safe up to 450°F.
Another resource is a brand’s FAQ page, which is usually labeled on the top or bottom page menu on the website.
You can also try online forums. Sites such as Reddit, Amazon (especially within the reviews or FAQ section on a product’s page), or even Facebook groups can have valuable information. But be wary of that information’s accuracy and double-check it whenever possible because users can sometimes relay incorrect information.
Finally, if you can’t seem to find the oven-safety specs for your frying pan through any of these resources, call or message the brand’s customer service department.
The customer service team will provide you with any specifications or related info on a given product.
As a general rule, if the handles are steel and there is no silicone, plastic, or wood anywhere on the pan, it’s likely oven-safe up to at least 350°F.
19 Examples of Oven-Safe Frying Pans
As a quick reference resource, here is a chart of confirmed oven-safe frying pans and their specifications:
| Frying Pan | Type | Oven-Safe Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Caraway Cookware | Ceramic Non-Stick | 550°F |
| Staub | Enameled Cast Iron | 500°F |
| Circulon | Non-Stick | 400°F |
| All-Clad D3 | Stainless Steel | 600°F |
| All-Clad HA1 | Non-Stick | 500°F |
| Made In | Stainless Steel | 800°F |
| Made In | Non-Stick | 500°F |
| Made In | Carbon Steel | 1200°F |
| Misen | Carbon Steel | 900°F |
| Misen | Non-Stick | 450°F |
| Misen | Stainless Steel | 500°F |
| Swiss Diamond XD | Non-Stick | 500°F |
| Scanpan Classic | Non-Stick | 500°F |
| Cuisinart Chef’s Classic | Non-Stick | 500°F |
| Cuisinart Advantage | Non-Stick | 350°F |
| Cuisinart Ceramica | Non-Stick | 350°F |
| Calphalon Premier | Non-Stick | 450°F |
| Calphalon Contemporary | Non-Stick | 450°F |
| Calphalon Signature | Non-Stick | 500°F |
Are Frying Pan Lids Oven-Safe?
Most of the time, frying pan lids are not meant to go in the oven. They are usually made from glass or other tempered materials, so exposure to high temperatures can severely damage them and make your pan unsafe to use.
The exception to this rule might be a lid made from solid stainless steel or cast iron. But even then, some pan lids are still not oven safe. For example, All-Clad stainless steel lids are not oven-safe.
Again, the best way to know for sure if a pan’s lid is oven-safe is to refer to the user manual and related resources. If the information is not available, it’s best to err on the side of caution and refrain from putting your pan’s lid in the oven.
Precautions When Cooking With a Frying Pan in the Oven
This section will provide a few important tips for preventing damage to your frying pan or yourself when using it in your oven.
- Never assume the oven-safe temperature of your frying pan, especially if it’s non-stick; this could result in irreversible damage to the coating and the potential release of harmful chemicals into your home.
- Always avoid sudden temperature changes when cooking with your pan, as this can cause warping, breakage, or the weakening of the pan’s base metal.
- Always use both hands and good-quality pot-holders or oven-mitts when removing your pan from the oven; although pan handles are designed to stay cool on the stove, they will be extremely hot when coming out of the oven.
- Keep a close eye on your food throughout the process of finishing it in the oven. Liquids may splash or flare up during the oven phase.
- Never use a non-stick frying pan under the broiler. The heat from broilers can quickly exceed 500°F, and the direct exposure to the flames will degrade the non-stick coating and release harmful fumes.
- Never put an empty frying pan in the oven. Without food, the pan will get extremely hot and is more prone to warping.
Bottom Line: Are Frying Pans Oven-Safe?
Almost all frying pans are oven-safe, but the oven-safe temperature varies by brand and collection.
Stainless steel, carbon steel, cast iron, and aluminum (including hard-anodized) pans usually have fairly generous temperature ratings, with an average oven-safe temperature of 500°F.
Although they’re rare, some high-quality carbon steel frying pans can handle temperatures up to 1200°F.
Non-stick pans or pans with silicone-wrapped or plastic-wrapped handles are oven-safe at lower temperatures — most are oven-safe up to at least 350°F, but many can handle up to 450°F.
Pans with non-stick coatings can begin to release harmful fumes when exposed to temperatures exceeding 570°F (most manufacturers limit their non-stick pans to 500°F).
Frying pan lids are usually not oven-safe, and, in general, it’s best to err on the side of caution in this regard.
Regardless of relative oven safety, always exercise certain precautions when handling a frying pan before or after it has been in the oven.
Generally speaking, if you want a pan that is oven-safe and provides exceptional cooking from stovetop to oven, stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron frying pans are the best options.
If you’re looking to buy new cookware, check out my guide to the best oven-safe skillets.
