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Properly serving food is one of the best things that make food look more tempting! There is a huge variety of cookware and dishware that people use in their house. The materials used are porcelain, silicone, and many more. However, if you want something small to serve the salsas, dips, sauces, and ice cream to avoid over-eating, you should consider getting your hands on some leading ramekins.
You see them widely used in hotels, homes, restaurants, and cafes. These are small cylindrical cups that let you put your sauce, ice cream, or even bake delicious cupcakes as per your need. To make ramekins, manufacturers use various materials depending upon the usage, and you can purchase them in multiple sizes. Mostly, you see them made out of porcelain for regular use. So keep reading to get yourself a couple of the finest ones!
Buying Guide: Ramekins
Everybody loves eating and who doesn’t appreciate delicious food? The food becomes more tempting when it is presented nicely. Ramekins can take your food-serving game up a notch – will really bring out the garnishing artist inside you.
The bowls are usually available in a couple of sizes so you can go for the one that best suits your needs. Most importantly, the ramekins are made with quality porcelain that is safe to use inside the freezer, oven, and microwave, and you clean them in your dishwasher. To help you out make the right decision, we’ve curated this buyer’s guide to lead your way. So let’s get to it!
What Are the Various Uses of Ramekins?
The major difference between your regular bowls/plates and ramekins is that most often, these cute guys are freezer-friendly, dishwasher safe, and oven-safe.
The ramekins have three major functions as below:
- These are used as dishes for baking cakes and bread. The Creme Brulé is one of the good examples of a dish that looks good when prepared in a ramekin.
- These have the perfect size for serving in front of the guests. The ramekins are very handy in serving pates, flavored mayonnaise, tapenade, dips, herb butter, and more.
- You can consider using the ramekins inside your kitchen for preparing dishes with fewer amounts of vital ingredients. They’re very beneficial if you’re a clean-freak, organized cook!
What Are the Different Materials Used for Making Ramekins?
Ceramic/Porcelain
Ceramic is one of the traditional materials that are used for making ramekins. This material can hold the heat much better and lets you use them in the oven.
Food items such as casseroles are better served hot, and your porcelain/ceramic ramekins are excellent for the trick!
Silicone
The ramekins made out of silicone are non-sticky and work excellent for sticky foods! Ideally, you can also use silicone ramekins for light baking activities – muffins, tea cakes, bread, you name it.
Glass
Ramekins made out of glass are thin in contrast to their counterparts. These are ideal for baking items that require consistent temperature. However, be mindful that glass can easily break if the temperature keeps increasing or suddenly increases!
You can use the glass ramekins for serving food fresh out of the oven.
Metal
The common metallic materials used for making ramekins include cast iron, copper, aluminum, and steel. The metallic materials are good conductors of heat, and they are the best choice for cooking.
If you want to bake any dishes that need much heat, the metal ramekins are a good choice for you! Pizza, cakes, paninis, quiche, and more – metal ramekins would be ideal for baking these mouth-watering tea-time snacks!
Things to Consider When Purchasing Ramekins
Function
One of the essential considerations is to look at the purpose for which you want to buy ramekins. The primary use in the majority of the cases is prepping, cooking, baking, holding, and serving the dishes. Once you are 100% sure about your purpose, you should consider the size – the next important thing!
Size
The size of the ramekins does matter as well! Each size is suitable for a separate dish and purpose. Let’s have a look at a few uses of the available sizes:
- 1 to 2 oz: It is the smallest size you can buy. Ideal for holding things like BBQ sauce, ketchup, honey, herbs, and spices.
- 3 to 5 oz: These are also perfect for condiments but also good for serving mini-desserts. You can use them to serve the creme Brulé or pudding.
- 6 oz: These are the most versatile ramekins you can go for! Perfect for serving portions of desserts, Mac, cheese, and more. You may also use them for baking small, delicious delicacies.
- 7 to 9 oz: It is the standard size you get in ramekins. Use it to serve portions of salads, popcorns, chips, choco lava cakes, and more. It is perfect for two-person use.
- 8 to 12 oz: This category has the largest size. You can use them for baking or preparing a different range of entrees or savories. A common example of the meal is preparing French onion soup, lasagna, and more.
Heat-resistant
If you plan to use ceramic ramekins to prepare different foods, you must be careful about their safety inside the oven. The materials used for making ramekins tell you about their ability to withstand heat.
For instance, porcelain is very good in this property. Porcelain/Ceramic ramekins are usually almost always safe for the freezer, dishwasher, and oven.
Safe and non-toxic
The buyer should ideally know about the material ramekins are made out of. The material should be oven and microwave-safe as well. It should not be able to absorb any flavors, odors, or tastes from food.
Moreover, as people are going “Green“, manufacturers are using environment-friendly and recyclable materials. Be sure that you are purchasing 100% non-toxic ramekins to have peace of mind and good health.
Usability
Ramekins should be easy to hold and handle. The edges should not be sharp, making them difficult to hold and uncomfortable to place or remove from the oven.
When buying large ramekins, make sure you’re buying ones with a suitable handle/grip so they’re easy to hold and move.
How Much Do Ramekins Usually Cost?
A set of 6 standard ramekins can cost around $12 to $22. The difference in the price is due to the brand you pick, the quantity of the pieces, and the size of the ramekins.
Mostly, you see a pack of 6 pieces. In some cases, the number can go up to 10 and 12 as well. As the number of pieces increases, the price increases, but this offers you more value for money. If you buy a pack with more pieces, you can use them for serving, baking, and holding various things in small portions.
The prices may also go higher, depending upon the brand and where you’re buying the ramekins from.
Compare Our Favorite Ramekin
Dowan Oven Safe Ramekins
– Best Overall
These ramekins are perfect for making desserts to spend some fun time with your little ones who are just starting with cooking. You get a pack of six, which provide a good value for your money, and you can use them for various purposes.
These are oven-safe, dishwasher-safe, and freezer-safe as the manufacturer has used high-fired porcelain to make them. More importantly, they are lead-free, which makes them perfect for your daily use for health-conscious people.
Pros
- You can get it in different sizes; 4, 6, and 8oz as per your need
- Has a classic round shape with vertical lines
- Doesn’t absorb odors or moisture
- Sturdy, anti-scratch, and made with high-temperature calcination
Cons
- The grip is not very good
Sweese Porcelain Souffle Dishes
– Runner Up
These ramekins are versatile in designs and you can use them for your blueberry crumble, olives, drawn butter, ice cream, and various other food items! It is available in a perfect size that gives you the appropriate quantity to avoid over-eating.
Moreover, these ramekin dishes feature conventional forms and a diverse color palette that provides a distinctive accent. Sweese sleek ramekins will ensure that your guests have an unforgettable meal experience.
Pros
- Available in various industry favorite colors that give it a stylish look
- Made with high-quality porcelain, which makes them freezer, dishwasher, and oven safe
- It is also lead-free, chip-resistant, and more durable than other stonewares
Cons
- They’re not ideally stackable
DeeCoo Souffle Dish Ramekins
– Fine Quality
They come with spoons ideal for souffle dishes, molten lava cake, muffins, dips, ice creams, etc. The ramekins are made with high-quality white porcelain, making them non-toxic and safe to use in the oven, freezer, and dishwasher.
Whether placed in the deepest section of your freezer or baked at the highest temperature setting on your oven, these will never warp, shatter, or crumble. In addition, they do not occupy much space in your kitchen, and you can conveniently clean them using hot water and detergent.
Pros
- Cast in above 2000 degrees temperature to make them thick and durable
- Freezer, dishwasher, and oven-safe
- Ideal single serving size; best for desserts, jams, dipping sauce, and more
Cons
- The 8-ounce ramekins do not stack up conveniently
Bellemain Porcelain Ramekins
– Best Buy
These ramekins have the perfect size for a single serving. You can use them for sauces, dips, dressing, and side dishes. The ramekins are thick, sturdy, and made of glazed porcelain, making them easy to use in the oven, microwave, and freezer.
Want to know what’s more enticing? These are also easy to clean and need less space for storage. The glazed porcelain is versatile and eco-friendly, so you don’t have to worry about the harmful toxins leaching inside your food. Furthermore, the classic white color of the ramekin looks great in all settings.
Pros
- Don’t worry about chips, cracks, nicks, scratches, and breakage
- Made with products that have 0% VOCs and harmful chemicals
- Ideal to use inside an oven, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher for cleaning
Cons
- They don’t stack
- Wobble on the stable because of the oval-shaped design
Conf White Ramekins
– Contender
These white ramekins made of quality porcelain are ideal for serving salsas, dressings, dips, sauce, appetizers, and more. You can use these to serve food and don’t worry about any crack, chip, or scratch as they are super durable!
The glazed porcelain is eco-friendly, versatile, and elegant in comparison to plastic. More importantly, you don’t have to worry about the toxins leaching inside your food as they are safe for use.
Pros
- Endure extreme temperatures due to their porcelain construction
- Perfect for baking or serving items like dips, sauces, salsas, and more
- Food-safe, 100% non-toxic, and also non-slippery
Cons
- Get wobbly when stacked more than two
- They have a shallow build
People Also Asked
Q: Can you use ramekins for baking?
A: Yes, you can use ramekins for baking. These are ideal for making desserts like mousses, custards, and mini cheesecakes. In addition, they are perfect for baking fruit desserts.
Q: Can you place ramekins inside an air fryer or instant pot?
A: If your ramekins are oven-safe, then you can place them inside your air fryer or instant pot. Make sure that you aren’t exceeding the ramekin manufacturer’s instructions when setting the temperature limits for your recipe.
Q: Which ramekin size is versatile?
A: You can purchase ramekin in various sizes, and the size is measured in ounces. These small bowls can hold a minimum of twelve ounces. Also, the most versatile and appropriate size is six ounces. You can use it for serving and baking a couple of dishes!
Q: What is the difference between ramekins and bowls?
A: The primary difference between a ramekin and a bowl is that the former has straight sides, similar to a cup. On the contrary, the bowls have curved sides. Moreover, the ramekins are always oven-friendly. The bowls, on the other hand, may or may not be safe for the oven.
