What you should know about preheating your oven

Most recipes tell you to preheat your oven before cooking. However, you may wonder if this step is always necessary. Here’s the lowdown.

Why should you preheat your oven?
Recipes usually indicate how long a dish will take to cook in a preheated oven. If you forgo this step, you may have to adjust the cooking time to achieve the same result. Preheating the oven also ensures your food cooks at a consistent temperature.

When should you preheat your oven?
Preheating is a very important step in baking. For example, yeast only activates at a certain temperature. Preheating also helps red meat and veggies cook more evenly. However, preheating isn’t required for poultry or baked goods that don’t contain yeast, such as pie.

How long does it take an oven to preheat?
You should aim to preheat your oven for at least 10 minutes. If you don’t wait for your oven to preheat, simply extend the cooking time by 10 to 15 minutes. Modern ovens usually beep to tell you when they reach the designated temperature.

If your oven is malfunctioning, have it repaired by a technician in your area.