How to Care for Your Ceramic Pans

Our advice will help you keep your lightweight, nonstick cookware in its best condition.

Erica is a former editorial assistant for Martha Stewart Living.

Ceramic pots and pans are lightweight, good-looking, and eggs-glide-like-butter nonstick, thanks to a chemical-free coating made from a sand derivative. But without proper maintenance, they can warp or lose their finish. To keep your ceramic pans in tip-top shape, follow this care guide for cooking with and cleaning ceramic cookware from Jordan Nathan, founder and CEO of the Caraway brand, to keep yours as slippery as new.

Cooking

Do not use metal utensils as they can nick or scrape the outer layer of ceramic cookware. Instead, cook with silicone or wooden spoons and spatulas. You'll need to use less oil or butter when cooking in ceramic than you would with other cookware but you should not cook on a dry pan surface. Jordan says to add a small amount of butter or oil, just about a tablespoon should be sufficient, before starting to cook.

Stick to low or medium heat when cooking, which will help keep the oven-cured coating intact—using high heat will wear out the nonstick properties of the coating faster. What's more, the coating conducts and distributes heat so well that you really won't need to use any higher heat. It's also good to note that ceramic pans are oven safe to 500°F.

Cleaning

Always let pans cool completely before rinsing. The shock of cold water on the hot surface can damage the coating or cause the pan to warp over time. Ceramic pans can be put into the dishwasher but, as with other types of cookware that are dishwasher safe, washing by hand is recommended. Handwashing will ensure the coating stays intact for years to come.

Nathan recommends cleaning a ceramic pan with warm, soapy water and a nonabrasive sponge. Then wipe or let air-dry completely before stowing it away.