Thought you knew all you needed to know about oven and baking trays? Think again! Here are some details about ovenable trays that might test your knowledge.
Design
Oven trays are designed with deep sides. Often used when roasting foods like meats and vegetables, the high sides ensure that cooking liquids do not spill and make a mess in the oven, whilst also allowing the juices and drippings to be poured into another vessel for disposal or to make a gravy or sauce, for instance. Some can be placed directly on a hob to save transferring.
Baking trays are flatter as these are most commonly used for dry bakes such as biscuits or oven chips that don’t leave much, if any, residue. Their low sides also help with circulation, meaning that food cooks evenly and browns or crispens up during cooking.
Heat conduction
All types of ovenable trays have heat-conducting properties to prevent food cooking too fast at the highest point. The material composition of these trays means that heat is distributed across the entire surface of the tray, working with the ambient temperature in the oven to cook food.
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Strength
Roasting trays are usually designed to be sturdy, able to hold the weight of a big cut of meat or roasting joint. On top of this, they are made to be durable and withstand regularly high temperatures. To ensure longevity of roasting trays, these should be soaked in warm, soapy water after each use and any excess food residue scrubbed off with a non-scratch scouring pad.
Non-stick properties
All ovenable trays are coated in a non-stick material, which helps to reduce the amount of food that gets stuck on the tray during cooking. Alternatively, the items may be made entirely of silicone or ceramic to prevent sticking. If at any point, this layer of non-stick coating is damaged, items should ideally be replaced.