"The Vancouver, Wash.,-based trade association pointed out that besides being fabricated from the most recycled material in the world, aluminum foil containers are consumer friendly and 'tri-ovenable' — they can be placed in conventional, microwave or toaster ovens for heating without melting, charring or compromising the food's flavor."
—"Container makers enhance Web site," American Metal Market, April 12, 2001
The distinction between the heat generated by a conventional oven and that generated by a toaster oven is lost on me, so the prefix
tri- used in today's word carries a whiff of hyperbole. This is reinforced by the relative popularity of the word
dual-ovenable, "Able to withstand the heat of conventional or microwave ovens," which is also much older:
"Just as the television commercials claim, dual-ovenable products (for microwave or conventional ovens) provide a convenience today's consumer desires--terrific results with no preparation or mess."
—Jacqueline Benner, "Convenience breeds success for frozen food packagers," Quick Frozen Foods, July, 1984
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Wondering about the adjective ovenable, "Able to withstand the heat of a conventional oven"? I thought so. I managed to trace it back to 1977:
"It uses the 'ovenable' paperboard as an outer package and instructs the consumer to put the whole thing directly in the oven."
—"A paperboard container that's oven-resistant," Business Week, November 21, 1977
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