Can You Put Glass in the Oven? Here’s the Truth

Putting containers made of glass in the oven can be confusing because some items are made for the high heat of an oven while others are not.

We have a lot of products in our kitchen made of glass, and just because it’s a cooking pan of some type doesn’t automatically mean that you can put it into the oven without any problems.

A glass oven tray full of food that can be put in the oven

Can You Put Glass in the Oven?

You can certainly put glass items in the oven if and only if the glass is made to handle that type of heat. How will you know if your glass bakeware can be put into the oven safely? It will indicate somewhere on the item itself that it is oven-safe. Oven-safe means that it can accommodate the extremely high temperatures found in the oven when you’re cooking or baking.

Why Some Glass Breaks in the Oven

Glass items usually break in the oven for one of two reasons. It’s either made out of a type of glass that isn’t oven safe or it has a crack or deep scratch on it that causes it to shatter once it hits that high heat.

Not all glass cookware is made the same, which means that your bakeware is going to react differently when exposed to enormous heat than an item made out of oven-safe glass. And even a glass product that is oven safe can crack or shatter when there is an imperfection in it.

How To Keep Glass From Breaking in the Oven

There are two main ways to prevent glass items from breaking when they’re in the oven. The first one has already been discussed: you have to have an item made out of the right glass and without any cracks or scratches in it.

Second, you should never expose the glass to extremes in temperature, or it may shatter once it gets in the oven. This includes bringing a glass baking dish from the freezer to the oven and vice versa. Oven-safe or tempered glass for cooking is strong, but not strong enough to withstand two extreme temperature levels so close together.

As long as you have a preheated oven, in other words, the glass dish shouldn’t have been exposed to extremely cold temperatures beforehand. This type of thermal shock is just too much even for glass that is safe for oven use.

A glass oven tray full of chicken that can be put in the oven

How To Tell If a Glass Container Is Oven-Safe

Simply put, glass containers are oven safe if they indicate such on the item itself, which is usually found at the very bottom of the dish. Keep in mind that many oven-safe glassware dishes are only safe up to a certain temperature, so this needs to be checked as well. If you’re not sure how safe the dish is, look at the bottom and see what it says. If it says nothing, it’s best not to put that particular item in the oven.

Types of Glass That Can Go in the Oven

Only glass that is oven safe or tempered can go in the oven. Oven doors, for example, are made out of tempered glass. At one time, Pyrex glass was made of borosilicate, although this is no longer the case. Tempered or oven-safe materials can also withstand very hot temperatures, so even if you’re baking with glass at 450 degrees Fahrenheit, you won’t have to worry about it exploding or cracking.

What Temperatures Can Glass Withstand?

Usually, glass types that are oven safe or tempered can withstand oven temperatures up to 470 degrees Fahrenheit, which means that you can cook or bake just about anything in this type of glass.

Can Mason Jars Go in the Oven?

No, they cannot. This is because mason jars tend to be a little thin and because they are not made of heat-resistant glass, such as glass that is tempered. The same goes for a drinking glass, glass bowls, other kinds of glass jars, and anything else not specifically made for oven use.

Can You Put Cold Glass in the Oven?

You cannot put cold glass in your hot oven because the shock of going from one drastic temperature to another can cause it to crack or even shatter. For the best results, make sure that the glass dish is at or very near room temperature before placing it in the oven. The only exception includes items made out of borosilicate glass, which can withstand extremes in temperature and will be safe if you go from the oven to the freezer and vice versa.