Before the Holiday season unveils shortly, now would be a good time to determine the hot spots (and even cold spots) in your oven. No matter the cost or careful calibration, your oven has a mind of its own—of course, we’re referring to the mysteries of uneven baking here. Well, we're just in time to show your oven who's boss before the feasting and cooking begins. Bring it.

Dori Greenspan accidentally found a nifty and cheap way to find the hot and cold spots in her oven by toasting coconut shreds. It's a matter of spreading some shreds out on a baking sheet and popping it in the oven for literally a couple of minutes. I bet a preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven will do just the trick. This method makes it super easy to determine the uneven heating areas since the shreds change color rather quickly.

You'll notice different parts of your coconut shreds are either toasted brown which give away the hot spots; or, during that period of two minutes, some of the shreds will still be pale and white--giving away the cold spots in your oven. By knowing your oven’s hot and cold spots, you can adjust where you place your goods in the oven for optimal results. In general, it's always a good cooking habit to rotate your baking sheet at least once in the oven for even heating anyhow.

Plus at the end of the day, you’ll have delicious toasted coconut shreds for a mouth-watering pie or topping of some sort.  Go ahead, toast some coconut, and get to know your oven a little bit better without the annoyances.

Find Hot Spots in Your Oven by Toasting Coconut Shreds