Can You Put Plastic in the Oven? A Safety Concern

Generally speaking, you should never use regular plastic in the oven. At low temperatures, plastic products begin to soften, and at somewhat higher temperatures, they melt and emit smoke. When plastic is heated, it begins to leach chemicals into your food. And if it starts to melt, it could end up catching fire, and cleaning it would be impossible. 

Now, CPET (Crystallized Polyethylene Terephthalate) is an exceptional plastic material that you can put in your oven. CPET can tolerate up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and it meets the regular temperature of an oven. But you must be careful when you put it in your oven as melting plastic can cause a kitchen fire. 

Can You Use Regular Plastic in the Oven

No, you can’t use plastic in your oven. Most plastic materials start melting at as low temperatures as 200 degrees Fahrenheit. There they don’t make plastic as an oven-used tool. So be careful about using plastic food containers in your oven. 

Concerning fact is that plastic can catch fire in your oven. At a minimum temperature, plastic starts melting, and after a moment, it starts smoking. Finally, it catches fire as your oven consistently provides heat. Thus it can cause a tremendous fire incident. So never even think of using regular plastic in your oven. On the other hand, plastic releases harmful chemicals when it starts melting. So it’s also harmful to your health. 

What Kind of Plastic Can You Put in the Oven?

Many heat-resistant plastics have strong melting points than your oven temperature. But we can’t use all of them in the oven because all of them are not food grade and leach particles in your food. In this article, we will name two plastic materials that you can use in your oven at a lower temperature.

1. Crystallized Polyethylene Terephthalate

CPET (short for Crystallized Polyethylene Terephthalate) is made of heat-resistant plastic materials and doesn’t melt at average temperatures. CPET is a form of plastic that has been crystallized to strengthen its heat resistance. CPET can withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

It doesn’t mean that CPET is safe to use in an oven; instead, it can withstand the heat better than regular plastic.

In an oven where the temperature exceeds 400 degrees, plastics may melt and seep into your food, posing a health threat. It is important to check the temperature of CPET ovenable containers so it doesn’t exceed 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You can bake cakes and cookies with this material. 

However, you should be careful about the temperature volume. CPET has some pros and cons that you should consider when choosing it for your oven.

Advantages of using CPET:

There are some authentic uses of crystallized polyethylene terephthalate in our life. Even this plastic material is fine at minus temperature and perfect for keeping food in the refrigerator.  

The advantages of using CPET are as follows:-

1. CPET is recyclable and environment-friendly. 
2. You can use it in both the refrigerator and oven. 
3. It is dishwashable so that you can reuse it.

Disadvantages of using CPET

There are some disadvantages of using CPET. But don’t worry, the disadvantages are not much threatening to you. We just want to let you know about those.

1. It is more expensive than any other plastic used for cookware. 
2. It also has a melting point of 400 degrees Fahrenheit. So it will start melting at this temperature.

So you can easily use CPET in your oven by considering the temperature limit. You must be careful about keeping a lower temperature than the melting point. 

      2. Heat-Resistant Nylon

We use the oven bag to cook something like a chicken roast in the oven since it is made of heat-resistant nylon. 450 degrees Fahrenheit is the maximum temperature this nylon can withstand.

Unlike plane roasts, oven bags provide a different smoky taste that many people enjoy. When using an oven bag, keep the temperature of the oven below 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If your oven temperature reaches the melting point, nylon will begin to leach into your meals.

Frequently Ask Questions

Can Plastic Catch on Fire in the Oven?

Yes, plastic can catch fire in the oven but usually, it doesn’t. We have already told you that plastic starts melting from 160 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. But it has an ignition point from 600 to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a rare chance to catch fire in your oven unless plastic reaches a direct heat source. 

Plastic that has been melting for a long time can also catch fire. In most cases, plastic does not catch fire in an oven, but it will melt. So you should not use plastic in the oven except CPET and oven bag nylon( plastics specially made for oven use). 

Will 170 Degrees Melt Plastic?

Some plastic materials have a very lower melting point than 170 degrees celsius. In contrast, polypropylene has a melting point from 160 to 170 degrees celsius. However, polypropylene is not the only plastic with the lowest melting point; LDPE and HDPE are also among the lowest. Both plastics melt at around 120 degrees Celsius. 

Conclusion

Almost all plastic materials have a lower melting point, but an oven produces extreme heat, around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. For this reason, you cannot cook with plastic. 

In our kitchen, metal tools like pans, spoons, and pots may have plastic handles, and you have to be careful about that. Some plastic materials are perfect in a mild oven temperature. For example, CPET and nylon; we use CPET in a baking pot, oven tray, and nylon in an oven bag. Aluminium, steel, and tempered glass are suitable for use in ovens, so you should use them rather than plastics.