I don’t know about you, but I always feel like baking or roasting in my oven feels like much more of a lottery than stovetop cooking. I can’t see what’s happening; I can’t control the temperature the second I see something’s burning; even checking on the food could ruin it completely.
But it turns out that part of the problem could ― and I rarely say this ― be down to me. That’s because where you place the food in your oven can affect your food massively, and might be the reason why you feel like you can never predict how your food is coming out.
So, we thought we’d share which foods you should cook where ― and why.
It’s all about oven rack placement
Different foods respond differently depending on where you place them in the oven.
That’s because heat isn’t evenly-distributed throughout the cooker ― King Arthur’s Baking Company says that: “Your oven is hottest around its periphery: sides, bottom, and top. The closer you get to those metal walls, the hotter the air. Thus anything baked towards the periphery will bake and brown more quickly than anything baked in the center of the oven.”
So, you’ll want to apply different techniques depending on the cooking method. Cakes and cupcakes, for instance, benefit from being in the centre of your oven, as they need consistent, even heat.
Cookies, on the other hand, will do best at the top of the oven ― the extra heat ensures a crisp top and fluffy middle.
Breads and pastries want opposite treatment, as they benefit from a low and slow rise. Therefore, they’re best baked towards the bottom of the cooker.
Meanwhile, casseroles, lasagnas, meat, and other savoury dishes all do better with the steady heat of the centre of the oven.
Well, that’s me told...