Preheating the oven can seem like a drag to wait around for. It’s a lot to handle prepping and assembling food as it is, let alone remembering to preheat—or, if you have a quick meal out of the freezer, who really wants to wait?
Many times, it’s safe to say, most of us don’t wait and toss our food in with the ‘just turned on’ cold oven. Though, there is an importance to wait for the correct temperature…plus, patience is a virtue!
Recipes call for preheating temperatures because not all ovens are made the same. From different heating elements, sizes, ages, and components, ovens all heat up at different times. By having a consistent temperature across the board from the get go, your recipe will come out as it should (we hope).
Though, there are some foods like a simple casserole that doesn’t necessarily need to be preheated to come out well—you know your oven the best. Preheating is especially important when it comes to baking and roasting. A good rule of thumb is to preheat your oven for about 10 minutes or so; it’s recommended to have an oven thermometer in so you can make sure you’re at the right cooking temperatures.
By ensuring you have a hot oven at the temp you need, you lessen the risks of cracked cake tops or soggy pie fillings.
Photo by: ginnerobot
