Help Center: Oven-Safe Skillet

Read the Oven-Safe Skillet | Quick-Start Guide for helpful tips before your first use.

Preheating steps to prevent sticking

Adding ingredients to a cast iron skillet that is not properly preheated is a major cause for food to stick. Always thoroughly preheat the skillet over medium-high heat before adding ingredients, allowing smoke to rise from the entire surface of the skillet. This will help prevent the ingredients from sticking.

Basic preheating steps

1. Preheat over medium-high heat for about 90 seconds.
2. Add oil and swirl to coat evenly.
3. Allow smoke to rise from the skillet's entire surface. (Adequate preheating is achieved only after smoke has risen from the entire surface. It is important not to rush this step.)
4. Adjust heat level and start cooking.
   

Some ingredients, like eggs or flour, tend to stick more than others. When cooking with these ingredients, an additional step to turn off the heat will further equalize heat across the pan's surface to minimize sticking.

Additional preheating steps

1. Follow steps 1–3 from above.
2. Turn off the heat and let the smoke clear, for about 10–15 seconds.
3. Once the smoke clears, add ingredients while the heat is still off. Wait for 10–30 seconds.
4. Turn the heat back on and cook over low or very low heat.

Read the Mastering Your Vermicular Pan: Part I (Cooking) article to learn more.

Lower heat yield better results

The Oven-Safe Skillet has a superior heat transfer capability compared to traditional cast iron skillets. Combined with the heat retention properties of cast iron, the heat level can potentially be overpowering to delicate ingredients if you use high heat.

If you find that your ingredients are frequently burning or that food is sticking to the skillet's surface, try lowering the heat. In fact, using low heat yields the best results even when stir-frying vegetables and/or searing proteins, because the Oven-Safe Skillet heats and distributes heat evenly and rapidly even at lower temperatures.

Watch the Vermicular Frying Pan | Cooking Guide video for helpful tips.

Designed for superior temperature control

The Oven-Safe Skillet's slim design completely redefines cast iron cooking. Because the skillet is thin—less than half the thinness of traditional cast iron skillets—it has exceptional thermal conductivity and preheats rapidly. While other cast iron skillets may take 4–5 minutes to heat up to cooking temperature, the Oven-Safe Skillet only takes about 90 seconds to preheat.

To yield the best and most delicious results with your skillet, we recommend following our preheating steps to achieve even heat distribution before you start cooking.

Watch the Vermicular Frying Pan | Cooking Guide video for helpful tips.

Cooking techniques

20cm | 26cm | 28cm
Aside from the difference in capacity and cooking surface size, the 20cm, 26cm, and 28cm sizes all have the same shape and are each capable of the cooking techniques listed below.

• Stir-fry:
  The Oven-Safe Skillet sets a new standard for flavor and texture when it comes to stir-frying at home. The skillet efficiently transfers heat to the ingredients, instantly removing excess moisture and intensifying the umami flavor. Try following our recipes to get a sense of the appropriate quantity of ingredients to add in order to avoid crowding the skillet.
• Sear & sauté:
  Due to the skillet’s high heat capacity, excess moisture from ingredients can be removed in an instant, even on low heat. This makes it ideal for pan-searing and sautéing, achieving beautiful caramelization. When cooking dishes that burn easily, remove excess moisture by cooking slowly over low or very low heat to achieve a crispy texture.
• Bake, roast, & broil:
  Seamlessly—and single-handedly—transition from stovetop to oven for an unbelievably flavorful steak that is pan-seared and oven-finished. Or, bake crispy, thin-crust pizzas with bubbling, broiled cheese without a brick oven. Thanks to the non-absorptive enamel coating, the skillet can then expertly take on a delicate and aromatic baked dessert after just a quick rinse.

24cm Deep
In addition to each cooking technique listed above, the deeper walls of this size are perfectly suited for braising, stewing, or even quick deep-frying.

• Braise & stew:
  Use the lid to cover and simmer over low heat to transform meat and fish into succulent and tender dishes. With the Stainless Steel Lid, you can even braise in the oven to make juicy pot roasts or tender short ribs. The 24cm Deep skillet is also recommended for making pasta sauce, as it enhances the full flavor of the ingredients.
• Deep-fry:
  This size has high heat capacity and can maintain the high temperature of frying oil, achieving a crispy texture with amazing flavor. Use a cooking thermometer to accurately measure the oil temperature and always stir before measuring, so the oil temperature is consistent throughout the skillet.
  

Visit our Recipes page for more ideas.

Oven heating guide

Use the temperature ranges below as a reference when baking, roasting, and broiling with the Oven-Safe Skillet.*

Low: 300–360ºF
Used when slow-roasting thick cuts of meat, cooking light egg dishes, or baking moist cakes, cookies, and pies.

Medium: 360–460ºF
Used when baking with moderate heat to achieve a lightly golden-brown finish, or roasting vegetables until sweet, tender, and caramelized.

High: 460ºF and above
Used when crisping and browning at higher temperatures for shorter durations, such as fish and lean cuts of meat, or making homemade pizzas.

Broil
Used when requiring intense overhead heat radiation on meat dishes or for the final browning of crusts and cheeses.

*Temperatures are approximate. Different ovens have varying heat settings, temperature ranges, and preheating efficiencies

Compatible cooking utensils

Enamel is made of a glass compound and can be scratched or damaged with metal utensils. Be sure to always use silicone or wooden cooking utensils to extend the life of your skillet.

Washing the skillet

To protect the enamel coating from damage, never use abrasive cleaning agents and scrubbing pads (metal brushes, scouring pads, etc.) when cleaning the skillet. Always clean with mild dish soap and a soft sponge.

Soaking the handle for extended periods may damage the skillet or cause water to seep in between the joint and handle. Wipe wet spots with a dry cloth immediately after washing.

Dishwasher use

The Oven-Safe Skillet will last a long time if properly and gently cared for. The enamel coating is easy to clean with mild soap and a soft sponge, but if you do plan to use a dishwasher/dryer, please note the following points:

• Be sure the skillet is not in contact with other kitchenware to avoid damage upon potential impact.
• Be sure your detergent does not contain abrasives and bleaches.
  

Cleaning tips

• Removing stuck-on food
  If excessively high temperatures are used to cook, or there is not enough moisture in the skillet, food may burn and leave a residue. To remove stuck-on food, we recommend using baking soda to clean.
  
  See here for step-by-step instructions.

• Removing stubborn burnt food
  Cooking without having cleaned previous food residue or using excessively high temperatures can cause food to burn and stick.
  
  To clean the skillet of burnt food, see here for step-by-step instructions.

• Removing oil stains
  Although oil stains do not impair performance in any way, they may build up over time.
  
  To remove them, see here for step-by-step instructions.

• Removing white spots
  The Oven-Safe Skillet can sometimes develop white spots, which are stains caused by cooking with starchy ingredients, like beans, or mineral deposits from water.
  
  To clean your skillet of any white spots, see here for step-by-step instructions.

Preventing the handle from loosening on the Glass Lid and Stainless Steel Lid

When drying the lid after washing, do not wipe the lid while holding the cast iron handle, as this may cause it to loosen and spin. Instead, gently dry the lid while holding the glass with a firm grip.

If your handle does loosen on its own over time, please note that this is considered normal wear and tear, and will not affect the lid’s performance. Do not tighten the handle, as this will only cause it to scrape the glass, resulting in further loosening.

Proper storage

Make sure to store the skillet in a well-ventilated area. If stacking multiple sizes, we recommend placing paper towels or felt plate dividers between the skillets to minimize friction.

Using a chipped skillet

If your skillet chips, please refrain from further use and reach out to support@vermicular.us to determine whether it is safe to continue cooking with it.

Repair service

We currently only offer a product repair/recoating service in Japan; it is not available for the US market.

We hold all of our cookware to the highest standards for safety and quality, and stand behind our promise to excellence in craftsmanship. Therefore, we do not set a warranty period for any of our enameled cast iron cookware. We will replace any item found to be defective in material or workmanship when put to normal household use and cared for according to the instructions provided.

Vermicular cookware is warranted to you by Vermicular USA to be free from defects in material and workmanship at the time of its purchase.

• You must follow the use and care instructions provided with the cookware. Damage from any use not in accordance with the provided instructions is not covered.
• This warranty covers normal household use only. Damage from commercial use or other non-consumer use is not covered.
• This warranty does not cover any damage due to normal wear and tear, damage due to misuse or abuse, improper cleaning or negligence, or any damage resulting from use other than the intended purpose of the item.
• Over time, oil stains may appear. This is considered normal wear and tear and will not affect the performance of the cookware.

To make a warranty claim, please contact VERMICULAR USA at support@vermicular.us.