The Oven Preheating Trick That Ensures Your Food Cooks At The Right Temperature

Preheating an oven can be the bane of baking and cooking some of your favorite foods. It is the fundamental cooking step that kicks off just about every recipe, yet it is so easy to forget. How many times have you popped that baked good or sheet pan dinner in the oven before this appliance has hit the proper cooking temperature? We've all done it. But being impatient can mean the taste and texture of your food will suffer. Preheating can make the difference between a perfectly baked pie crust and a soggy, underwhelming disappointment. While there are plenty of hacks to help reduce the amount of time it takes to preheat your oven, our favorite hack accounts for heat escaping when you open and close the oven door. 

Yes, each time you open that oven door — including the very first time — you are causing the temperature to fluctuate. It doesn't affect the taste of all dishes, but it can extend your cooking time or make it difficult for cakes and breads to rise and meet those fluffy, lofty heights. By setting your oven 25 to 50 degrees (Fahrenheit) higher than the recipe calls for, you can sidestep this hazard and ensure your meals and baked goods are cooking and baking at the right temperature. 

How does this hack work without burning or overcooking whatever you are making? If your chocolate chip cookie recipe calls for baking at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll want to preheat your oven between 350 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit to make up for the heat lost when you open the door. However, once you place the food into the preheated oven and close the door, reset the heat to the temperature the recipe calls for. Pretty simple, right?

It doesn't really matter how long you preheat your oven. Different oven brands and models heat up at different rates, but your oven should reach 350 degrees Fahrenheit in about 15 minutes. That said, the higher the temperature the longer it will take to reach. Note: If you are using a Dutch oven or a pizza stone, it will take twice the amount of time for these cooking elements and your oven to reach your cooking temperature.

Sometimes temperature fluctuations have less to do with your oven door etiquette and are more about your oven. If you've tried every hack and your properly, preheated oven doesn't feel hot enough and it's taking longer than it should to cook or bake something, invest in an oven thermometer and periodically check your oven's temperature.