On Sun 06 Mar 2005 04:41:18p, Richard M. Kennedy wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> I just bought a cast iron skillet because of its suitability for
> recipes in which the covered skillet goes directly from the stove top
> into the oven.
>
> Has anyone used both iron and glass lids for such recipes and actually
> seen a substantial difference in cooking performance? I imagine a
> foods surface contact with the bottom of a skillet is important, but
> might, for instance, the iron lid radiate more heat than glass, thus
> promoting significantly greater browning of the top of the food? Or
> in maintaining moisture, might how close the lid fits to the skillet
> might be more important than what the lid is made out of?

Heavy glass lids should perform as well as a cast iron lid in most
situations. Thick glass radiates a substantial amount of heat. Some cast
iron skillets come with a Pyrex lid instead of cast iron. Unless you are
planning mashing the contents of the skillet down with the lid, you should
have equal results.

A tight fit is important regardless of material. Many recipes want the
moisture retained in the skillet. A poorly fitting lid won't do that.

> The reason I ask is that lids are an awkward item to store and I have
> found round glass lids on casseroles, crockpots, and the like to be
> pretty much interchangeable for stove top use if the fit is pretty
> close. Also, I wouldn't mind avoiding the additional weight of the
> iron when maneuvering an already heavy skillet out of a hot oven.

An added bonus is seeing the food inside the skillet without removing the
lid. If you can get a good fit with a lid from another container, no
reason not to share lids.

> What range of oven temperatures do most covered-skillet oven recipes
> fall in? What is highest oven temperature likely to be called for in
> a recipe with the lid on?

For closed lid cooking, probably not over 375 or 400 degrees F. and usually
less. Heavy glass like Pyrex can easily withstand oven heat up to 425,
although it should not be put under a broiler.

> I notice utensils are turning up in stores now with silicon handles
> and knobs that are claimed to be oven-safe. But the manufacturers'
> present varying claims about how high a temperature the silicon can
> handle. Is that because various types of silicon vary in heat
> tolerance, or are they pretty much alike and its a matter of some
> manufacturers want to make a claim of high performance and others
> want make a lesser claim, fearing they will be blamed if users turn
> their ovens too high?

Dunno, I've never seen them. I have cookware that has some time of
composite material molded around the SS handles and it is certified for
temps, including oven use, to 425.

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974