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There is a huge selection of dishes for baking in the oven. You should start from the dishes that you plan to cook and from the expected baking temperature. Many argue about the choice of two materials: glass and metal. What is more suitable for baking?
Characteristics of glass
Glass is a transparent and fragile material. Types of glass in the industry: silicate, borate, and phosphate. This material is quite fragile. The density level of the glass depends on the components that make up the glass.
Glass has low thermal conductivity. However, the material has a high melting point – up to 1200-1500 degrees Celsius. The main disadvantage of this material is low-temperature resistance. With a sharp temperature change, the brittle material can easily crack.
Characteristics of metal
Metal is a whole group of chemical elements. Metal is also used in production, but this is already an artificially obtained alloy. The most well-known characteristics of the material: high thermal and electrical conductivity, increased plasticity. The melting point of the production material is 600-1600 degrees Celsius. Metal tableware and other products are ideal for direct exposure to high temperatures.
Glassware for baking
Glass is one of the most unexpected and significant achievements of mankind in its time. Manufacturers use different types of glass for the production of window panes and tableware. Glassware should be durable and heat-resistant. Window glass cannot boast of these qualities.
Housewives like to use glassware for baking. Such dishes have some visible advantages: pleasant appearance, ease of cleaning, and use. Manufacturers divide all glassware into two types: ordinary glass and heat-resistant glass. If you choose dishes for contact with an open fire, choose heat-resistant glass.
The main advantages of glass:
- due to transparency, it provides full control over the cooking process
- low thermal conductivity does not allow products to cool down for a long time
- glass does not allow products to burn
The main disadvantage of glassware is excessive fragility. Such dishes will not withstand impact on a hard surface. Also, glassware cracks from a sudden temperature change.
Metal cookware for baking
Metal tableware is one of the most popular in the world. Professional chefs appreciate the main property of metals in cooking – high thermal conductivity. Manufacturers use many types of metal to make tableware: nickel, steel, brass, aluminum, and even tin. The range of steel tableware is represented by enameled, painted, and galvanized products. In the same list, we can include stainless steel. The advantage of the material is that it can come into direct contact with open fire.
However, even metal tableware has several disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the low mechanical protection of the coating. It mainly applies to enameled and galvanized metal cookware. The disadvantages of such devices include reduced mechanical protection of the applied coating.
The best metal cookware for baking is stainless steel. This material is durable and has a lower thermal conductivity than other metals. In the baking process, low thermal conductivity will be a significant plus. The product will not burn from the high temperature, but gradually warm up.
Can you bake a cake in a glass dish?
You can easily bake a cake in a glass container. It is important to bake the dish in the oven. Due to the low resistance of the glass to temperature changes, preheat the oven without an iron grill. Place this grate in the oven together with glassware.
If you put the cold glass on hot metal, then the dishes will burst.
There is another significant point in the use of glassware – the absence of a golden crust. Due to the low thermal conductivity, the crust simply cannot form. However, this is hardly a minus.
If you still chose this type of cookware for cooking, then after cooking, let the glass cool down in the oven on its own. Just slightly open the oven and wait for a little.
Do glass pans bake faster than metal?
The cooking time depends on the material of the dishes used. There is an opinion that glass contributes to faster cooking than metal. We can verify it by the example of frying pans:
- Glass is faster. Due to the low thermal conductivity, the glass heats up more gradually and slowly. However, when the temperature needed for cooking is reached, the roasting or baking process goes much faster than in the same metal. Also, this cookware is more stable in temperature retention.
- Metal is slower. This material has a high thermal conductivity. It heats up as much as possible almost instantly but cools down just as quickly.
Few people think that the color of metal tableware also matters. Dark metals bring the cooking process closer to glassware. Another significant factor is brilliance. The dimmer the shine of the dishes, the faster the dishes will be prepared in them.
Is it OK to bake in a glass pan?
Quite a small number of professional chefs choose glass pans for baking. Why is this happening? Glass is a rather fragile metal that requires special care.
In restaurants and cafes, chefs usually do not have time to take care of the safety of dishes. Baking in a glass pan is a good idea.
It is significant to choose the right temperature. Initially set the maximum cooking temperature so that the glass warms up faster. Then lower it by about 35 degrees. Well-warmed glass gives off its heat very quickly.
How high can a glass pan be in the oven?
Dishes for cooking in the oven should tolerate the influence of high temperatures well. If you use glassware, then choose heat-resistant products.
Manufacturers have invented heat-resistant glass for microwaves. However, housewives quickly found a new device for dishes and began to cook dishes in the oven.
Glassware in the oven can withstand temperatures over 300 degrees Celsius. Do not use ordinary glass to be exposed to such high temperatures. Choose a fire-resistant glass with thick walls (from 4-8 mm).
Give preference to glass for several reasons:
- neutral reaction to alkali
- no impact on the quality of products
- you can follow the cooking process
Baking in foil pan VS glass
You can use an aluminum foil frying pan to bake dishes in the oven. In terms of their thermal conductivity and properties, such dishes are similar to glassware.
The only difference is that the foil pan is much thinner, so set a low baking temperature. Before you put it in the oven, be sure to put a foil frying pan on a baking sheet.
Adjusting baking temperature for glass pans
Heat-resistant glassware can tolerate fairly high temperatures (about 300 degrees Celsius). It is only significant to remember that the glass warms up for a long time. Initially, set the maximum allowable temperature in the oven, and then lower it.
Baking time in ceramic VS metal
A ceramic hike is similar in many ways to a glass one. It is just as fragile and also warms up for a long time. The disadvantage of low-quality ceramic dishes is that the product may cook unevenly.
Chefs recommend choosing ceramic dishes for baking cupcakes, cakes, and pastries. However, the baking temperature should be low.
For cooking at high temperatures, use metal utensils. Here it wins in comparison with ceramic. The metal tolerates sudden temperature changes and heats up instantly. If you drop such dishes on the floor, then it won’t break.
Baked potatoes in a glass
The simplest and most economical dish for cooking in a glass form is potatoes. You can bake potatoes in the oven with mayonnaise and garlic. You will need the following ingredients:
- Potato
- Garlic
- Mayonnaise
- Chicken egg
- Fine salt
- Ground black pepper
- Greens
Step-by-step cooking instructions:
- Wash the potatoes, peel them, and cut them into medium pieces.
- Add the following ingredients to the potatoes: mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and grated garlic.
- Prepare heat-resistant glassware. Put the potatoes in there.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Put the potatoes there in a glass container for 40 minutes. Some minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the egg there.
How to make a cake in a glass container
If you are in doubt whether it is possible to bake a cake in a glass container, then just try it yourself. The ideal option is a sponge cake. Prepare the following ingredients:
- Eggs – 4 pcs.
- Flour – 120 g
- Sugar – 120 g + sugar for cream
- Vanilla sugar – 1 tsp.
- Baking powder – 1 tsp.
- Cocoa powder – 1.5 tbsp. l
- Large bananas – 3 pcs.
- Sour cream (fat) – 1 large jar
Step-by-step cooking instructions:
- Prepare the biscuit dough. Take a plate, break the eggs there, and beat them with a mixer or whisk.
- Add sugar to the mixture and whisk again.
- Add flour and baking powder to the mixture. Mix everything with a spoon, do not use a mixer.
- Add cocoa to the mixture. Stir the dough until it becomes thick, like sour cream.
- Take a baking sheet. Put parchment or baking paper on the bottom of the glassware. It will help to avoid the biscuit sticking to the walls.
- Put the glassware in the oven. Preheat it to 200 degrees Celsius. 25 minutes will be enough. Pierce the sponge cake with a fork to check the readiness. The biscuit should not stick to the walls of the fork.
- Start making the cake cream. Take a plate, add sour cream and sugar there. Mix with a mixer.
- Proceed to the main stage of preparing the cake. Cut the sponge cake into 4 cakes.
- Take one cake, smear it with a mixture of sour cream and sugar.
- Cut the banana into circles and put it on top of the cream. Brush with cream again and put the next sponge cake on top.
- Repeat all the steps until you collect the whole cake.
Curd casserole in metal form
The metal mold is perfect for baking cottage cheese casserole. Prepare the following ingredients:
- Cottage cheese – 300 g
- Egg – 1 pc.
- Milk – 60 ml
- Semolina – 1 tablespoon
- Sugar – 1.5 tablespoons
- Salt – 1 pinch
- Butter – 1 teaspoon
Step-by-step cooking instructions:
- Take a bowl. Put flour and milk in there.
- Mix the semolina with the milk. Leave it for a while. The semolina should increase in size.
- Grind the cottage cheese into a metal sieve. Rubbing will help make the cottage cheese airy and tender.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Mix semolina and cottage cheese. You should get a homogeneous thick mass.
- Take a metal mold. Brush it with butter. Put the curd mass there.
- Bake the dish for about 40 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.
Baking in glass VS metal: Verdict
Choosing a baking dish is a complex and important process. When choosing between glass and metal, take into account the chemical and physical characteristics of the materials.
Glass is brittle, has low thermal conductivity. This material heats up slowly and cools down quickly. However, when heated to the desired temperature, the glass perfectly and quickly copes with the baking process.
Metal is a rougher and more durable material. It has high thermal conductivity and heats up very quickly. The baking time in both types of dishes is about the same.
Another interesting material of tableware is ceramics. According to its properties, this material is very similar to glass. Ceramics are also fragile and slow-heating.
However, due to the thickness of the walls, cooking can be much faster. But you will have to carefully control the temperature in the oven. Choose dishes that are convenient for you and carefully study the properties of materials!