Casserole dishes might be pricey, but the greatest ones will last a lifetime. If you want to splurge, get one that works on both the stovetop and the oven, and one that looks nice enough to serve right away. You'll need to consider what you'll cook or bake, as well as your preferred style. This helpful buying guide will assist you in choosing the finest casserole dishes!
Who Should Buy Casserole Dishes?
A casserole dish is essential for almost every cook since it can be used for everything, from quick weekday dinners to refined veggie gratin. This dish can be your ultimate choice for candied sweet potatoes, pasta, or a Sunday roast with veggies.
Those who don't have the right size
Casserole dishes are available in several styles, including rectangular, spherical, oval, and square, with capacities ranging from 1 to about 6 quarts. It's a good idea to keep a variety of sizes on board because several recipes call for different-sized dishes. However, the most conventional and flexible dish is the typical rectangular 13-by-9-inches dish since the size is ideal for entrées such as quesadillas and baked goods. Although oval and circular dishes are attractive for aesthetic purposes, they are not functional for cooking foods that carry less food than their squared counterparts.
Those who don't have the right type
Consider investing in a ceramic or glass dish if you only have a metal 13-by-9-inch baking pan. To prevent curdling, burning, or drying, choose a pot that transmits heat more slowly while cooking typical casserole ingredients. When it comes to cooking acidic foods, ceramic, crystal, or lacquered cast-iron dishes are non-reactive, unlike aluminum pans.
Those who don't have a boiler-safe dish
Casserole dishes aren't always necessary, as long as you already have a suitable rectangular dish. Nonetheless, if you detest the shape of your dish or consider its grips to be clunky, you should invest in top-quality casserole dishes. Those who don't have broiler-safe dishes should invest in stoneware or cast-iron dishes that you can use to toast the crumbs on top.
What Common Materials Are Used To Make Casserole Dishes?
Glass
You can closely check heating around the casserole's edges and base with a simple, inexpensive glass casserole dish. However, shocking temperature fluctuations, such as those experienced when moving a glass from the refrigerator to the oven, can cause it to snap or even break. Glass, of course, isn't the only material to experience this problem as it happens with ceramic dishes as well.
Ceramic
Stoneware and porcelain are the standard ceramics used to manufacture casserole dishes. Fired between 2,150 and 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit, stoneware is a durable clay product that is usually impermeable. The bottoms of stoneware casseroles can be glazed or unglazed, while the contents are usually glazed. On the other hand, fired at a greater temperature than stoneware, porcelain may reach temperatures as high as 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit. It is nonporous and inherently nonstick. However, it is more prone to breakage.
Cast-iron
Because of its weight, cast-iron is noted for its heat holding and browning capabilities. Other materials, such as stainless steel or glass, cannot withstand direct heat, such as that used in stovetop cooking. However, they aren't very common.
Which Type of Handle Design Should You Prefer?
Tab-style handle
A tab-style handle is one that is a substantial extension of the dish itself; this is the most common type of handle. Some casserole dishes feature short, snappy tab handles, while others have grips that reach virtually the whole width of the dish. However, we discovered that the handle's length did not matter nearly as much as the width. Additionally, tab-style handles that are less than an inch broad are more difficult to grip while using oven mitts.
Looped handle
Casserole dishes with half-moon-shaped handles that are wrapped around the dish are more comfortable to grip than dishes with table-style handles. Although these handles have a 1.25-inch aperture, they stick out and are easy to grip, especially when wearing thick oven mitts.
How To Choose a Casserole Dish?
Weight
A casserole dish's ideal size and shape are determined by the number of people it will serve and the kind of meals you plan to prepare. The 9-by-13-inch casserole plates usually have 3- to 5-quart capacity and are the ideal size for a regular recipe. Casserole dishes may look identical in size, but the actual weight of each dish is significantly different. The largest dish weighs a staggering 11 lbs, making it difficult to move it around the kitchen, put it into or out of the oven, and wash it in the sink. Casserole plates that weigh less than 5 pounds when empty are the best choice.
Depth
Depth also played an important part in deciding how effectively the casserole dish cooked the food and how convenient it was to use. Because most casserole dishes are not too shallow or too deep, they spread the heat evenly to cook the meal perfectly. A dish that is 2.5 to 2.75 inches deep works best since it is both deep enough to keep food from being squashed by the oven mitt yet shallow enough to permit adequate browning.
Lids
Having a cover on a casserole is helpful if you need to keep it warm for a longer period, such as for breakfast or potluck. Lids are a big selling factor because most casserole dishes don't have them. Ceramic casserole dishes with glass or ceramic can keep a freshly baked casserole hot for hours and is excellent for moving the dish from one place to another. When it comes to transporting and storing leftovers, plastic lids can be used, but they are not oven-safe. Having said that, if you're not taking your mac and cheese or baked meatballs on the road, a cover may not be necessary at all.
