Hammershøi Ovenproof Dish 32x24 or 39x29.5 cm: Which Size to Choose

Kähler makes the Hammershøi ovenproof dish in two sizes, 32 x 24 cm and 39 x 29.5 cm, and the gap between them is bigger than the numbers suggest. This guide compares the two on footprint, depth, weight and the way each one fits an oven and a table, so you can choose the dish that matches how many people you cook for.

The grooves, and where they come from

Hammershøi is named after Svend Hammershøi, the Danish artist (and brother of the painter Vilhelm Hammershøi) who worked at Kähler's workshop in Næstved in the early 1900s. The pottery itself goes back to 1839. Designer Hans-Christian Bauer took the fine vertical grooves from Svend Hammershøi's pieces and turned them into a modern range for everyday use, from vases and jugs to plates, bowls and the two dishes in this comparison.

On an oven dish the grooves do more than decorate. They run around the outer wall, so the part you see on the table is the part that carries the pattern, while the inside stays smooth for cooking and serving. Both dishes are made in white porcelain, which keeps the relief crisp and lets the food provide the colour. If you want the longer story of the series, our piece on how the Hammershøi grooves became a table range covers it in detail.

32x24 or 39x29.5 cm: the comparison

Here are the two ovenproof dishes side by side, with the oval serving dishes from the same series added for reference, since they are often confused with them in the range.

Multiply out the outer measurements and the larger dish covers roughly half as much surface again as the smaller one (about 1,150 against 768 square centimetres). It is also a centimetre taller, so the extra volume is greater than the footprint alone suggests. That is the real difference: not a slightly bigger version, but a dish for a different kind of meal.

Portions and household size

The Hammershøi Ovenproof dish 32x24 cm white is the one most people will use several times a week. It holds a gratin, a tray of roasted vegetables or a fish fillet with its sauce for a household of two to four, and it works well as the second dish when a larger one is already in the oven. At 6.5 cm high it suits recipes that sit in a single, fairly even layer.

The Hammershøi Ovenproof dish 39x29.5 cm white is the dish for lasagne, a whole chicken surrounded by potatoes, or a crumble meant to feed a table of guests. The extra height of 7.5 cm gives room for layered bakes and for juices that would otherwise run close to the rim. If you regularly cook for more than four, or like to have leftovers for the next day, this is the size that saves you from cooking in two batches.

A practical way to decide: look at the recipe you make most often and the dish you currently bake it in. If that dish is usually full to the edge, move up to the larger Hammershøi. If it is often half empty, the smaller one will cook more evenly and look more generous on the table.

Oven width, weight and handling

Before choosing the larger dish, measure the inside of your oven and the oven shelf, not just the door opening. The 39 cm width needs to sit on the shelf with space around it for hot air to circulate and for your hands in oven gloves. Compact and combination ovens can be tight at this size, and in that case the 32 x 24 cm dish is the sensible choice, even for a bigger household, with a second dish alongside it if needed.

Weight matters too. The larger dish weighs 2.2 kg empty, close to twice the 1.2 kg of the smaller one, and a full lasagne adds a good deal more. Lifting it out of a low oven with one hand is not realistic, so think about where you will set it down. A trivet or a board ready on the worktop or the table makes the move from oven to table much calmer. The smaller dish is easy to carry with one hand in each glove and to pass around the table.

Both dishes go in the dishwasher and the microwave, so reheating leftovers in the same dish is straightforward. As with any porcelain, avoid moving a hot dish straight onto a cold, wet surface.

From oven to table, and the oval serving dishes

The reason to choose Hammershøi over a plain oven dish is that it can go straight to the table. The white porcelain and grooved walls sit comfortably beside Hammershøi plates and bowls, so a dinner can be served from the dish it was cooked in, without moving food into a separate platter.

The oval serving dishes in the range look similar but are a different tool. The Hammershøi Oval serving dish 40x22.5 cm white and the Hammershøi Oval serving dish 28.5x22.5 cm white are only 3 cm high and are made for serving only, not for the oven. They are ideal for carved meat, grilled fish, salads or cheese, and they pair well with an ovenproof dish: cook the main in the oven dish and set the sides out on an oval platter.

Which one to choose

• Choose the 32 x 24 cm dish if you cook for one to four people, have a compact oven, or want an everyday dish that is light enough to handle without fuss.
• Choose the 39 x 29.5 cm dish if you often cook for guests or a larger family, make layered bakes, and have the oven width and a trivet ready for a heavier dish.
• Choose both if you host regularly: the larger for the main course, the smaller for a side or a dessert, matching on the table.
• Add an oval serving dish for food that does not need the oven, and keep the ovenproof dishes for cooking.

To see the rest of the series alongside the vases, jugs and glazed pieces, browse the full Kähler collection.