Do you pre-heat the oven?

Only when I'm putting a bun in.

Yes of course. I'm not going in cold.

I had an elderly electric oven in a place I rented years ago. It took ages to get up to heat. I wouldn't have dared cook anything in it without pre-heating it because I had no idea what temperature it was at. The oven in my current place is up to heat in a few minutes, so it doesn't really matter for roasting. Baking, as others have said, is another matter: cooking is an art, but baking is a science.

Of course. If you want to ensure your food is cooked through it has robe cooked at the right temperature for the right amount if time. Unless you want food poisoning....

Older, non-fan ovens especially take ages to heat, youd be mad to just throw a frozen pizza into that from cold.

Yep. Takes about 15 minutes to get it to 200. As said above, you are risking food poisoning otherwise

RebelButtMunch wrote: »

Yes, if you stuck to the timing instructions.
No, if you had a look and made sure it was cooked.

You're not going to tell from just looking, though. It's far easier to turn a knob, wait for a light to go out and throw your food in for a set period of time than it is to stick it in for an indefinite period constantly taking it in and out to check the temperature.

It depends. I have a big oven that I'll usually pre-heat because what's going in there usually does need the oven to be pre-heated, in only because of the quantity; but that one had a fan option, so ten minutes would usually be enough. For my daily needs, though, I have a small oven and never pre-heat that for "oven ready" things like pizza, part-baked baguettes, shepherd's pie, crumble, etc. I do pre-heat it, though, for making brown soda bread, as that just doesn't turn out right if I don't. Scones are fine though.

Oh, and for my roast potatoes, but that's because I'm heating the oil in the roasting tin, rather than the oven.

Only when I’m using it.

Of course, she will only give out if I try to put my meat in to soon.

spook_cook wrote: »

I've never seen you do it.

You were probably blinded by my big white arse.

Quite a few things need to go in to an already hot oven or they won't cook as required, crispness or rising of certain bakes.

Not sure why that's a dilemma for people, just do it.

Depends on what I'm making. I have one of my favourite (albeit terribly unhealthy) meals down to an art form without needing the pre-heat. I know that it takes 5 minutes longer without the pre-heat and comes out perfect every time. Once, the mother was using the oven and I used it straight away afterwards. I burned the thing by about 5 minutes because i'm now trained to include that on the time...

I would for baking though, but I don't bake because I don't want to be badly overweight again!

Baking - yes, it’s a science

Pizza - yes, you want her screaming hot

A roast, I do but does it really matter? The quality of the meat, the ageing, the fat and the bone are going to make up 99.9% of the end result

Frozen Chips - who cares

I used not, but now I do since being stuck in all day & having time on my side (lockdown & that).

Pre-heated for readymeal (!) today and left it 5 minutes longer - the tupperware had begun to melt !! First world problems!