pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

If I am making something quick in the oven, like a frozen pizza, I don't sit there and wait for the oven to "pre-heat." I put it on the advisable temp, and throw the sucker in.

My DH, on the other hand, insists to warm up the oven prior to putting anything inside.

Maybe I just have no patience, but I see no point........I can see if I were making something elaborate and while I was mixing ingredients that I would pre-heat the oven, but for quick things, what's the point?



What do you do?

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

For stuff like that I ususally let it pre-heat for 5 min and then I throw it in.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I put the broiler on high for a couple minutes. Then I set the temp I need. My oven beeps when it's heated and ready and I find that using the broiler is quicker. Regardless, I always preheat. Most of the time I find that I have to leave the food in longer if I didn't preheat so it balances out.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

Stuff like that I throw it in...if I am baking a cake or something nice I dont wanna screw up i'll wait!!

But I also put my mac and cheese noodles in before it boils for the kiddies and my DH just at me...

SO I guess I dont have the patience for either! HAHA!

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

Posted by jlk51496

Stuff like that I throw it in...if I am baking a cake or something nice I dont wanna screw up i'll wait!!

But I also put my mac and cheese noodles in before it boils for the kiddies and my DH just at me...

SO I guess I dont have the patience for either! HAHA!

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I turn it on and then go and grab whatever I am about to cook/bake.

I have an electric stove so it heats really quick anyway.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I always wait for the oven to beep to tell me its at the right temp then i put it in

I always wait for the water to boil before i put pasta in the water

I have a lot of patience when it comes to cooking/baking

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I always pre heat but I def see youjr point. Not sure why I do it

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I find that some 'quick' things - for example, totino's pizza rolls, do not cook properly if the oven is not preheated. the outside cooks too fast and they wind up exploding all over the place. at least that's how it goes in my oven. if i preheat, they're perfectly toasty bites of goodness.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

the only thing I throw is in stuff like that - frozen pizza and baked potatoes

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

Usually, no. I find that when I have put things in while the oven is preheating, they get screwed up. However, if your stuff is coming out fine, I see no problem with it!

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I read this aloud to DH! He just lets me do it now!

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

for baking, it matters. if its a frozen pizza, throw that sucker in immediately!

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

i usually preheat (but not when i lived at my parents) i set my temps digitally on my oven and it beeps when it reaches the desired temp, then i pop in whatever im making.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

you only have to let it heat up completely when you're going to bake.

it is fine to put the food in while it's preheating if you're cooking, but never when you're baking.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

We always pre-heat.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I dont wait! I just throw it in!

My DH is like yours he will wait. He gets annoyed too because I dont always time stuff like that unless I am doing something else and afraid I will forget. Otherwise I just throw it in and check it when I think it will be ready!

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I'm with you. DH and I always have this debate because he insists on waiting even if its just heating chicken nuggets for the kids lunch

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I always pre-heat

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I throw things in the oven as I'm turning the oven on----no pre-heating for me. BUT, I'm not a very good cook at all, so I'm not sure my way is the best.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

I pre-heat at least 5-7 mins for baking.

only like 2 mins for anything else.. my oven is so old that it doesn't beep.. so it's a guess anyway.

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

nope, i'm a pre-heater

i figure it will throw off the recommended cooking time if i start it at a lower temperature and end up taking longer to get cooked properly. I'd have to wind up checking it more at the end to see if it was done right as well

And for boiling water.. same thing. if you throw the pasta in before it boils, then it'll just take longer to reach the boiling point, therefore adding more time to the total time it takes to cook..

yeah, im a stickler

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

Re: pre-heating the oven - settle a debate

i preheat... though i have a big toaster oven so i try to use that for any single serve items!