Tool
Oven-safe temperature checker
A pan is only as oven-safe as its weakest part. Pick what is on yours and the checker names the part that sets the limit.
Short answer
The lowest-rated part in the oven sets the limit for the whole piece. Bare metal bodies take more heat than a home oven makes; knobs, coated handles, glass lids and nonstick coatings are what limit most pans. Where a maker figure is not confirmed here, check the maker's care page.
Check your pan
Oven limit for the whole piece
390°F
Set by the black phenolic knob (classic, older pots).
- Enameled cast iron bodyno practical limit in a home oven
- Black phenolic knob (Classic, older pots)390°F
Sources: Le Creuset care and use page: 200°C / 390°F.
Why the weakest part decides
Cast iron, carbon steel and stainless steel bodies take more heat than a home oven makes. What fails first is everything attached to them: a phenolic or composite knob, an epoxy or silicone handle, a tempered glass lid, or a nonstick coating. So the oven limit of a pan is the limit of its lowest-rated part, and swapping a knob can raise it.
When a figure is missing
The checker shows only figures confirmed on the makers' own pages. Where we could not confirm one, it shows the rule instead of a guess: the lowest-rated part sets the limit, and the maker's care page or the label on the pan has the number for your exact model. Broilers are a separate case: several makers rule out nonstick under the broiler even when the oven figure is high.
Planning bread in a Dutch oven? Many recipes call for 450°F or more, so check the knob first. Sizes are covered in the Dutch oven size picker.