Can you bake in a pyrex dish? (+5 ways to safely use pyrex)
In this article, we will answer the question “Can you bake in a pyrex dish?”, and what are the alternatives to pyrex dish for baking?
Can you bake in a pyrex dish?
Yes, you can bake your pasta, casserole, and even cakes in a pyrex dishes if used carefully. If not handled with care, the pyrex dish can shatter into pieces and you will end up with a lot of cleanup to do. The glass can shatter in the following cases:
- Uneven heating
- Direct exposure to heating elements
- Extreme temperature fluctuations
While this may not be the case with the pyrex dishes manufactured before 1998 because they were made with the borosilicate glass unlike the present dat pyrex dishes made up of soda lime glass.
How to use pyrex dishes safely?
With carelessness, even the pyrex made with borosilicate can shatter. In order to safely use pyrex in the oven for baking, follow the instructions given below:
- Always place your pyrex dish in a preheated oven to avoid it from temperature shock.
- Do no place your refrigerated dishes directly into the oven. Let it come to the room temperature before heating it in the oven.
- Do not place your pyrex dish on the stove top.
- Do not place the heated pyrex dish straight out of the oven into the fridge or freezer.
- Use oven mitts to handle hot pyrex dish and make sure it is not wet because it can conduct heat and burn your hand.
Temperature tolerance of pyrex glass
Borosillicate glass is better adapted to withstand temperature shocks. It can safely tolerate a thermal shock up to a 170°C. Pyrex can withstand temperatures as low as 446°C and up to 914°F. However, care should be taken when heating about 450 degrees celsius.
Never place an empty pyrex in the oven or else it will burst into pieces.
Why does glass shatter?
A glass shatters due to its exposure to thermal shocks beyond its tolerance. Under the sudden and extreme shock, glass expands and relaxes. In doing so, glass loses its structural integrity and shatters into small shards.
Borosillicate pyrex glass is the most suitable for baking. It has 5% boric acid added to it that makes it thermal shoch proof and chemical corrosion resistant.
Hence the perfect bakeware award to make casserole and pies goes to the borosillicate pyrex glass.
Glass vs metal pans- Which is better for baking?
- Metal pans have a greater temperature tolerance than glass bakeware. So consider using metal bakeware to bake dishes that require a high temperature and short baking time.
- Metal heats up quickly. So, if a recipe calls for baking for 30 minutes, check 10 minutes earlier because metal quickly heats up and your food might burn.
- Broiling in metal is a good idea because of the temperature tolerance. Moreover, you can use your metal pans to start your cooking from the stove top and finish off in the oven in the same pan.
- Glass will slowly heat up to the required degree but once heated, it will evenly warm your food at a steady temperature. Glass allows you to see what is happening with your food.. So you do not have to worry about burning your casserole, cakes and pies from the bottom.
Other FAQs about Baking which you may be interested in.
Can you bake with ghee? (3 Potential Problems)
Can I Bake With Aluminum Foil?
Can you put baking cups in the oven?
Alternatives to pyrex dishes
Cast iron
Use cast iron to bake pizza, biscuit, pie, cornbread and even pancakes. Cast iron is safe to use both on the stove top and in the oven. Moreover, the ability of cast iron to evenly bake until a nice and brown crust is achieved is commendable.
Ceramic
Ceramic pans act just like glass in terms of heating but better looking. Yo can serve your baked food direct out of the oven on the table. The cleanup is also easy, like glass.
Silicon pans
Silicon pans are a good substitute for glass if the end-product is sticky and burdens you with a lot of cleanup. However, silicon pans are a bad conductor of heat so they wont heat up quickly or to the desired temperature if at all.
Metal pans
Light -colored and glowy metal pans are a good substitute fro glass. They impart and even light brown color to the crust. Use dark colored metals for darker crusts.Baking in metal makes the food more crispier.
Aluminum is better in terms of even baking than stainless steel. However, avoid using aluminum when baking acidic or too spicy foods to prevent aluminum from leeching into your food.
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “Can you bake in a pyrex dish?”, and what are the alternatives to pyrex dish for baking?
References
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/pyrex-glassware-safety-shatter-exploding-tips-article
