---
title: "Cookware and containers symbols explained"
description: "Every cookware and containers symbol and what it means — 10 of them, with what each looks like and what happens if you ignore it."
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Cookware and containers symbols

10 cookware and containers symbols, each with what it looks like and what it actually requires.

| Symbol | Looks like | Means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microwave safe | A microwave oven outline with wavy lines inside it, or two or three stacked wavy lines on their own, sometimes over a dish. | The maker states the material is suitable for heating food in a microwave. |
| Do not microwave | The microwave or wavy-lines symbol with a cross through it. | Do not heat this container in a microwave. |
| Dishwasher safe | A square box with plates or glasses inside and water droplets or diagonal spray lines falling on them. A variant shows the items on the top shelf only. | The item survives a normal dishwasher cycle. Some versions specify the top rack only. |
| Not dishwasher safe — hand wash only | The dishwasher symbol crossed out, or a hand over a bowl of water. | Wash this by hand. |
| Oven safe | A simple oven outline, often with a temperature figure such as 220 °C, or two horizontal lines representing the oven's elements. | The item can go in a conventional oven, up to the stated temperature if one is given. |
| Not oven safe | The oven outline with a cross through it. | Do not put this in a conventional oven. |
| Freezer safe | A snowflake, sometimes inside a square or above a temperature such as −18 °C. | The container can be used in a freezer without cracking or failing. |
| Induction compatible | Four or five horizontal loops stacked like a flattened coil, sometimes drawn as a zigzag spiral, on the base of the pan. | The pan has a ferromagnetic base and will work on an induction hob. |
| BPA free | The letters BPA inside a crossed-out circle, or the words "BPA free" in a badge. There is no standard artwork. | The item contains no bisphenol A. It is a marketing claim, not a certification. |
| Do not use metal utensils | A fork or spatula with a cross through it, moulded into the base or printed on the handle of a non-stick pan. | Use wood, silicone or nylon tools with this surface. |

- [Microwave safe](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-microwave-safe/) — The maker states the material is suitable for heating food in a microwave.
- [Do not microwave](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-do-not-microwave/) — Do not heat this container in a microwave.
- [Dishwasher safe](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-dishwasher-safe/) — The item survives a normal dishwasher cycle. Some versions specify the top rack only.
- [Not dishwasher safe — hand wash only](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-not-dishwasher-safe/) — Wash this by hand.
- [Oven safe](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-oven-safe/) — The item can go in a conventional oven, up to the stated temperature if one is given.
- [Not oven safe](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-do-not-oven/) — Do not put this in a conventional oven.
- [Freezer safe](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-freezer-safe/) — The container can be used in a freezer without cracking or failing.
- [Induction compatible](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-induction/) — The pan has a ferromagnetic base and will work on an induction hob.
- [BPA free](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-bpa-free/) — The item contains no bisphenol A. It is a marketing claim, not a certification.
- [Do not use metal utensils](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/cookware-no-metal-utensils/) — Use wood, silicone or nylon tools with this surface.