Baking dishes – for delicious dishes from the oven
Bakes and gratins are hugely popular. With a baking dish, you can whip up delicious meals in no time. Whether savoury or sweet, they're easy to prepare yet versatile – and topped with golden cheese, they're simply irresistible.
Steaming and fragrant, your meal goes straight from the oven to the table. Any leftovers? With a lidded baking dish, you can keep your food in the fridge and enjoy it a second time. For single households and big families, beginner cooks and gourmets alike, a versatile baking dish is essential. Here's what to look for when buying an ovenproof dish.
The right baking dish – what to look for when buying:
1. Variety of materials
2. Size
3. Shape
4. Baking dishes with lids
5. Cleaning properly
6. Features: what should the dish be able to do?
1. Variety of materials – baking dishes made of glass, ceramic or cast iron
Baking dishes are available in a wide range of materials. Whatever you choose, make sure the material can withstand high temperatures.
Glass baking dishes are usually made of borosilicate glass. This heat-resistant glass is also used by the manufacturer Jenaer Glas. The Cucina glass dish with lid is heat-resistant up to 300 °C and suitable for chilling and freezing down to -40 °C. Glass baking dishes can usually be cleaned in the dishwasher and are also scratch- and cut-resistant. With glass baking dishes, you can easily follow the cooking process and check on your food regularly in the oven.
With ceramic baking dishes, you can only judge how the food is doing inside by looking at the surface or piercing it. When it comes to serving, however, porcelain and stoneware dishes have the more attractive design.
A cast iron or cast aluminium dish retains heat extremely well and stops food from cooling down quickly. These dishes often have a non-stick coating, so they're easy to clean.
2. The right size: large or small baking dishes for large or small meals
The question here is how many people you want to feed. For cooking for one or a "light bite", mini baking dishes are ideal – the smallest models start at around 15 x 15 cm. For households of two to three people, the standard size of around 28 x 22 cm is a good choice. For a hungry family, a large baking dish measuring around 36 x 28 cm is best.
3. The right shape – rectangular, round or oval
Rectangular baking dishes are suitable for almost any dish and are considered all-rounders. Lasagne, potato bakes and tiramisu are typical dishes for this shape.
For tarts and quiches, a shallow, round dish with a fluted edge is recommended. A delicate gratin and all dishes made with cheese work best in a shallow dish, where they can be browned over a large surface.
Oval and round baking dishes are easy to clean and are mainly used for gratins and smaller dishes served as a side or intended for just a few people.
4. Accessories: baking dishes with lids or handles
For faster cooking, there are dishes with matching lids. Remove the lid before the end of the cooking time if you want a crispy top. A lidded baking dish is also good for keeping food warm. A lid is also practical if you want to store your food in the fridge or freezer afterwards. If so, check whether your lidded baking dish is freezer-safe.
Hot food in hot dishes is tricky to handle, which is why some models have practical handles. The handles are often on the sides of the dish and made of the same material, such as porcelain or glass. You'll definitely need suitable oven gloves or pot holders to take the dish out of the oven – and when serving, it takes quite a while for the dish to cool down. We offer modern designs – plain or with graphic prints – in our kitchen textiles category. Take a look!
Some dishes come with special accessories such as rubber feet or dedicated serving handles that let you take the dish out of the oven and carry it to the dining table with ease – like the Eva Solo baking dish. Passing the food around the table is then easy too. After letting them cool briefly, you can put dishes with rubber feet straight on the table, as the heat-resistant silicone feet act as a trivet. Otherwise, place a trivet under your ovenproof dish.
5. Cleaning – keep the effort to a minimum
If you like things low-maintenance, choose a dishwasher-safe model. Any tableware marked "dishwasher-safe" in the product details or description on the product page can safely go in the dishwasher.
If you don't wash your ovenproof dish in the dishwasher, soak it in warm water straight after use, which makes it easier to rinse out afterwards.
6. Features: what should baking dishes be able to do?
Above all, a baking dish has to be heat-resistant, as food is cooked in the oven at high temperatures. When buying, make sure your new ovenproof dish is heat-resistant.
Would you like to eat last night's leftovers the next day without transferring them to another container? Then make sure your baking dish is microwave-safe. If you want to freeze your bake, check that your dish is freezer-safe. That way, you can enjoy your food a second time in no time.
Ideally, you'll only need one dish for every step: there's no need to transfer food from a baking dish to a serving bowl and later to a freezer container or special microwave dish. With dishes by Jenaer Glas or Rig-Tig by Stelton, you'll save time and washing-up.
Baking dishes from Connox – your benefits:
- A carefully selected range from top design brands
- High-quality baking dishes by well-known designers
- Simple, direct online shopping
- Personal support from our customer service team
- Fair delivery costs
- Secure payment thanks to SSL encryption
- Delivery in just a few working days
Shopping advice at Connox
Would you like to buy baking dishes online but need some help? Our customer service team is always happy to help. We'll support you with advice while you shop, make recommendations and answer your questions quickly. Then simply sit back and have your new dish delivered straight to your door in just a few working days.
