I know it sounds silly that I write an entire post on this but check these stats out:
- Since I started blogging, I have received 134 emails in total, with questions, comments, suggestions, etc
- 88 of them are baking-related questions
- 32 of them asked oven-related questions
- 18 of them are about pre-heating an oven
So, how do we pre-heat an oven. Its really very simple, in fact too simple, which is probably why many people have questions about it.
2 Steps to Pre-Heat your Oven
Step 1: Remove everything from the oven except the oven racks. Position them in the middle (where I leave them by default unless the recipe specifies otherwise). Turn on the oven and set the temperature to what the recipe specifies. Don't worry, nothing will explode! (Been there, feared that)
For eg: if it says "bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C / 350F" then that means you should turn your oven on to 180C / 350F. If your oven uses Gas, then there will be gas marks on the oven, just go online to get a conversion from centigrade or fahrenheit to gas mark.
Step 2: In most ovens, there will be a light or a "ping" indicator that changes colour or makes a ping noise when the oven has reached the desired temperature. This should take roughly 10-15 mins depending on temperature so turn on the oven mid-way through the preparation steps.
Most recipes call that as the first step but I usually find that too early so I do it mid-way through the preparation of the dough or batter or whatever.
That's it! Once your oven is pre-heated, place your item in and bake till done!
But wait, I hear some of you saying that your oven doesn't have a temperature knob. My mom has been using one of those for over 30 years. There's only an on-off button and absolutely nothing else, not even a light that goes green or orange. Its still okay, you can bake beautifully in this oven too. Just make sure you turn on the oven for a good 10 mins before placing the batter/dough in it to bake. Keep an eye on the time (as mentioned in recipe) and also the appearance of the baked item. For a cake, make sure you check if its rising, you can also try inserting a skewer to see if its coming out clean. If you need to, stop the oven for a bit, check and then re-start if its not done. Just make sure you are quick about it.
If you have any further questions, leave a comment and I will do an FAQ post 🙂
Katherine
hi...
do I have to turn the timeright on for preheating process.
Coz I find that mine dun get heated up when I just set the temperature..
nags
yes you don't really need the timer but you can turn it on if you want to, say, pre-heat for 15 mins or so.
Naz
There are different functions on the oven. Like the symbols which dictates the convection. Which one do i use for baking?
nags
you'll have to check your manual or call the retailer. hard to explain when i have no idea what your oven is or how it looks like.
Komala
Hai, I bought an otg Morphy Richards 24ltrs RSS. I have a doubt, in otg there is a power light, wen ever I fix the time for my recipie that light gets on n off for every few seconds automatically. It is normal or else otg problem.
nags
hmm i am not sure, why don't you check with the store you purchased from?
Priyanka
I have a bajaj majesty otg 1603 T SS.Please let me know what are the default settings of selector.I am unable to preheat the otg.I have lost its manual.
Arleine
I have a oven which does not have the degrees marked on it. So if I want to bake a cake at 160 or 180 or 120 degrees how do I setit - is there a gadget to buy so that at can set it and place it inside the oven. Please help, quite desperate.
If I buy a oven thermometer can I set it for 160 degrees.
Please be good enough to send me your reply to my email address: [email protected]
Thank you
Arleine
nags
hello, sorry i can't commit to emailing replies individually. i get too many comments on a daily basis to do that. yes, you can use an oven thermometer, you can't use it to control the oven but you can place it inside the oven and read the temperature through it.
saritha
Hi
recently I purchased IFB 38 SRC1 Convection oven ,we want to cook cookies every cooking blogs saying like Pre- heat oven 325 F ,but we are not getting confusing how to preheat in this oven ,Could you plz explain me,
what ever people showed videos we followed but nothing got fruits.
nags
keep the oven turned on at the preferred temperature for 15 mins before placing the baking items inside.
CY
May I know if we should select the top and bottom heating element when baking cakes? thanks
nags
yes that's better
pooja
Hi this is pooja and i m using baja 1701 mt oven .ut has two dials one is for time and other is for temprature but that s not in numbers.ita in minumym maximum ect how will i preheat to 170-180 or any temprature.kindly reply i m just confused.
nags
since you don't have a temperature setting, you may need to buy an oven thermometer to measure the heat levels
Namita
Nice info. I need one help, again in the preheating part of microwave. I have old Panasonic microwave with only grill option and no temperature setting knob. My question
. how do I preheat it.
. which mode microwave or grill mode?
. in case I can preheat, can I run the microwave dry without any food in it or do I have to place a bowl of water while preheating.
Pls help
Namita
nags
Hello Namita, sorry it's hard for me to know the details of all brands of microwave. Can you check the manual that came with the microwave? A Google search or searching the manufacturer's website may also help
Maria Trisha Mendoza
what oven would you recommend for beginners like me?
nags
Hello Maria, really depends on your budget and how often you plan to bake. Maybe you can try a small countertop convection oven