This Is How to Tell If Your Cookware Is Oven-Safe

We’ve all had those days when the thought of dirtying a dozen dishes makes us want to order take-out instead. Luckily, we can always rely on one-pan dinner recipes. Recipes that can go from the stovetop to the oven are essential for fuss-free meals! But before you go making that skillet lasagna or Dutch-oven braise, look for oven-safe symbols printed or stamped on the bottom your cookware.

What are oven-safe symbols?

Oven-safe symbols are marks on cookware, bakeware and packaging that indicate if these items are suitable to be used in the oven.

What does the oven-safe symbol look like?

There isn’t one standard for symbols that indicate if an item is oven-safe. However, there is an oven-safe symbol that’s most frequently used: a simple drawing of an oven, sometimes with a few horizontal wavy lines.

The oven-safe symbol for Pyrex, a favorite for oven-to-table cooking, is an outline of an oven and text reading that the product is safe for preheated ovens (and not for stovetop or broiler use).

Other cookware and bakeware will simply have “oven-safe” printed on the underside, often with a maximum temperature listed since not all materials are suitable for high temperatures or broiling. The popular Le Creuset Dutch ovens even have different knob colors that indicate oven temperature limits.

What are other symbols on cookware?

The oven-safe symbol on cookware is just the start! You’ll find a whole host of other markers on food storage containers, mixing bowls and more—not unlike the laundry symbols you find on the tags of your linens and clothes.

• Dishwasher-safe symbols: There are a few versions of the dishwasher-safe symbol out there. Look for an icon with a wine glass and a water droplet, a plate icon with a water droplet or a plate icon with diagonal lines. Be mindful of any labels that indicate an item should only go on the top rack. Some items should never go in the dishwasher.
• Freezer-safe symbol: A snowflake on your plastic or glass storage container means it can withstand the cold temperatures of your freezer without compromising the integrity of the product after thawing.
• Hand wash only: Some items must be washed by hand, including nonstick cookware and fragile heirlooms. Modern hand wash items will often be marked with a symbol of a wine glass and a hand.
• Induction-compatible: Not all cookware is suitable to use on an induction cooktop. Look for a coil-like symbol to determine if a piece of cookware is compatible with induction.
• Microwave-safe symbol: You’ll see a variety of symbols to indicate whether or not cookware is OK to use in the microwave; most, though, contain a series of horizontal wavy lines. You may see lines only, or waves enclosed in a drawing of a microwave.
• Food contact-safe: This marker looks like a fork and a cup combined. It’s found on plastic kitchen items, and it means that the item is OK to use in your kitchen for prep, storage, serving and eating.

And, of course, if you see any of the above symbols with an X or slash through them, it means that those items are not oven-, freezer- or microwave- safe.