Stainless steel cookware in the oven?

Question

I was watching Everyday Italian today, and she cooked some stuff in her stainless steel sautee pan, then put it right in the oven. Is it okay to do that? The brand is Tramontina and they are all stainless steel. I would love to be able to sautee then put straight in the oven, but I don't want to ruin my beautiful new pans!

Also, does anyone have any good suggestions for cleaning them? I use Mr. Metal and the soft side of a sponge since the harsh side scratches them, but sometimes it's so hard to get the food off inside since I can't scrub them. Any suggestions?

I forgot to say that there is no teflon coating, and the handles are also stainless steel. Thanks for reminding me of that Theyuks.

Answer 1

Sure, you can put stainless cookware in the oven (I'm going to assume it's all stainless, and isn't actually Teflon coated and didn't come with a wooden or plastic handle or anything, right?) Just be careful when pulling it out... the obvious stuff. You'd be amazed at how many people are surprised how hot a pan can get when it sits in a 350F oven for a half hour or so...

As for cleaning, be aware than any cleaning product will scratch the surface slightly, no matter how careful you are. Obviously, you don't want to put big gouges into the metal, but every time you scrub it, you're leaving little scratches in the surface. Every time I cook, I make sure the pan is quite warm before adding oil -- the heat causes the metal to expand, allowing more oil to get into all the cracks and interstices in the surface of the metal and preventing most sticking. Then, even if I didn't make a sauce in the pan, I deglaze with water and scrape at the bottom with a wooden spoon to break up what may have stuck during cooking; the rest should come off with soapy water and a good sponge. I sometimes have to use steel wool or an SOS pad if I let something burn on, because then it's bonded to the metal and there's nothing else you can do.

Answer 2

You can put stainless steel into the oven as long as the handles are solid steel as well. No plastic, rubber, wood, etc. Some pans have non-stick coatings on them that will be good up to 450 degrees but you want to stay away from that if you can. Plus, when you stick something in the oven from the stove, your usually trying to brown the top which doesn't take very long. But it makes a mess to clean and since your the one who has to clean it, make it easy on yourself and don't stick your pans in the oven in the first place. That is what corning ware is for.

For cleaning... first off, don't burn your food but if you do... soak them in regular dish detergent for a really long time if it's stuck on. But just do what I do. Keep the food from standing in there too long and clean the pan while hot right under the faucet. Normally I don't need any detergent at all. Follow up with a paper towel. Also you can use butter, always cook with a sauce or spray 'Pam' onto the surface before cooking. Be picky about what kinds of food you cook with which instrument. Some cook better on a grill or other device.

Answer 3

It is advisable not to use stainless utensils in oven as the stainless steel become harmful for human consumption. If you have seen the stainless brand Tramontina , it is another thing but I sincerely advise you that you should not put the stainless in oven. As regards cleaning I have little knowledge of it. I do not know much as my wife does all cleaning and she uses some chemicals to scrap the burned food in the utensils.

Answer 4

stainless steel is tough ...part steel and part aluminum...they should come clean with soaking and some scrubbing.
You can scrub them ..stainless steel is through and through there is nothing to wear off.
A few scratches is just being silly ...you might as well not cook in them at all and just display them.
You would have to eat four complete meals a day out of the same pan to ever get any bad effects from stainless steel...the harmful effects are negligible.

Answer 5

Yep....can put them right in the oven, no harmful effects at all.

For cleaning I like to use Bon-Ami or Bar Keepers Friend. They are powder like Comet or Ajax, but finer grit so they won't scratch. You can get it at Wal-mart, Target etc or the grocery store.

Answer 6

stainless is good in the oven
clean with sponge then use oven cleaner on them

Answer 7

vinegar does the trick.........quite well actually


soak the pans before cleaning........vinegar takes all the rest away, spots, etc...

You can cook that stainless till it melts......go for it.