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Richard Kaszeta
 
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Default Bakelite -- oven safe?

"jacqui{JB}" > writes:

> I'm making braised short ribs for one of our holiday dinners. I'd like to
> cook them in a vintage pot which appears to have Bakelite handles. The
> pot's easily 40 years old; the dish is long-cooking at around 325F.
>
> Can anyone tell me if the handles are oven-safe?


If it's old Bakelite it probably is reasonable oven safe at 325, but
you aren't doing the Bakelite any favors; the more you use it at high
temperatures the more brittle it becomes.

Note that Bakelite doesn't melt, it just becomes brittle and gives off
nasty phenol vapors. But if it's old Bakelite, much of the phenol has
probably been baked out already.

--
Richard W Kaszeta

http://www.kaszeta.org/rich