How Long Does it Take to Preheat an Oven?

Preheating the oven is often the first instruction in many recipes. Don’t take it for granted – preheating is an important step!

Always make sure that the oven is heated to the correct temperature before you put the food inside to cook or bake.

The time it takes to preheat the oven depends on your appliance, the goal temperature, and other factors. It can take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes for most ovens to heat up.

To preheat the oven, turn it on and wait for it to reach the temperature you need. Make sure the oven doesn’t have any tins, pots, utensils, and food inside before you turn it on.

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Preheating Oven Times

The amount of time it takes to preheat an oven varies. Different ovens can take different lengths of time to preheat.

Older ovens and those with larger interiors will usually take longer to heat up.

Some ovens will automatically enter a preheat mode when you turn them on. They may have a digital display, showing that the oven is preheating.

If your oven shows the current temperature as it heats up, you will be able to see when the oven has preheated to its target setting.

Some ovens will beep when they are done preheating. Others may have a light display indicating they’re in preheating mode.

This will let you know when the oven is ready for you to put in the food to cook.

If your oven doesn’t display the temperature, you can use an oven thermometer to see when it’s reached the right temperature. The thermometers are inexpensive and useful to have.

Hang the thermometer inside the oven from the rack. Look through the glass door to see when it has reached the target temperature, when it’s preheated, put in the food to cook or bake.

Below are the average preheating times for most ovens to reach 350°.

Electric Ovens

Electric ovens and countertop convection ovens can take 15 to 20 minutes to preheat to 350° F.

It will take longer to preheat to higher temperatures. 400° may take an extra two minutes.

Your oven brand and type will determine if it’s in the faster or slower range. Some newer models have a quick preheat option.

These can preheat in as quickly as 6 to 7 minutes.

Gas Ovens

Gas ovens preheat quickly, often in under ten minutes.

Some gas ovens can heat up to 350° in as little as six minutes.

Preheating Considerations

Several factors can affect your oven’s preheating time. If the oven takes longer than expected to preheat, consider the following possibilities.

The room temperature can affect how long it takes to preheat. If the oven is in a cold room, it may take longer to heat up.

The target temperature you set may affect the time. The higher the temperature you set for the oven, the longer it will take to preheat. It can take up to a minute longer for every 25 degrees above 350.

The starting temperature of the oven plays a significant role. If the oven is already on 225°, it can preheat to 350° in just a few minutes. It will take longer if the oven had been off.

If there are empty racks in the oven, it can take longer to preheat. It may take 30 seconds longer for each additional rack.

Opening the door while the oven is preheating will lower the temperature and take longer to preheat. Wait until the oven reaches the target temperature before opening the door and putting in the food.

Use a kitchen thermometer to test your oven’s temperature. It’s possible that it’s preheating to a higher temperature and is therefore taking longer.

Your oven may be malfunctioning if it takes too long to preheat. Ovens get a lot of wear and tear over time, and it’s not unusual for them to need repairs or replacement parts.

Oven doors not sealing well, malfunctioning sensors, or heating elements can affect the heating time.

If your oven takes longer than 20 minutes to preheat, it may be time to call the repairman.

Also read: Difference Between Oven and Broiler

The Importance of Preheating the Oven

Many recipes call for the oven to be preheated. This allows the oven to reach the correct temperature to cook or bake the food.

Putting food into the oven before it’s heated to the right temperature can affect the outcome of the recipe.

The food’s taste, appearance, and texture can be dependent on the right temperature.

Uneven Cooking

Heat the oven to the optimal temperature when you start baking, or it can affect the taste, appearance, texture, and quality of the food.

When you put food into a cold oven, it won’t immediately start cooking. As the oven heats up and the temperature rises, the food will cook at varying degrees and unevenly.

Uneven cooking can affect the way the food comes out. The food may be burnt on the bottom but raw on top.

Or the outside may be overcooked and the inside undercooked.

Baked goods such as cakes and cookies are particularly affected by the change in temperature. Bread won’t rise in the oven properly, and the consistency won’t be the same.

Some foods require a chemical reaction between the ingredients, which occurs at specific temperatures.

When you don’t preheat the oven, the ingredients may not interact as needed.

For example, the sugar caramelizes at higher temperatures. If you put a tray of cookies in an oven at a lower temperature, the sugar may not caramelize before they’re done baking.

The taste, color, and texture of the cookies won’t be the same.

Foods made with baking soda, baking powder, and yeast are affected by the temperature.

They won’t rise or bake properly if the temperature is not consistently correct.

Preheating the oven also eliminates cold spots. It allows for all parts of the oven – including the door and racks – time to reach the optimal temperature.

Wet or saucy foods such as casserole may be fine if the oven isn’t preheated. For best results in general, however, it’s best to preheat the oven.

Bake Time

Food will take longer to cook in an oven that’s not preheated. Cook and bake time in recipes are usually for preheated ovens.

If a recipe states the cooking time as 45 minutes at 350°, it will take longer if the oven had been cold.

Some foods, such as poultry and meat, need to reach a minimum temperature to be safe to eat. Preheating the oven ensures the dish is all cooked for the same amount of time.

You may think the raw food had enough time to cook and be safe to eat. However, if the oven wasn’t preheated, the food wasn’t cooking for as long as it should have.

For poultry and meat, it’s best to use a thermometer to make sure they are thoroughly cooked and reach the right temperature to be safe to eat.

Also read: Do Ovens Use a Lot of Electricity?

Tips for Preheating the Oven

It can feel inconvenient to preheat the oven. You prepared the food, it’s ready to be cooked, but the oven isn’t heated.

Make a habit of turning on the oven before starting your meal preparation. This will avoid the delay of waiting for it to preheat.

Use the following tips to make the best of the preheating time.

Prepare your food while the oven is preheating. Turn on the oven and then prepare the cake batter. Shape the cookies while the oven’s preheating. Or prepare the courses of the meal that don’t need the oven. Chop the salad or cook the pasta while waiting for the oven to be ready for the chicken.
Adjust your oven racks before you turn on the oven. Removing extra racks will allow the oven to heat up quicker. It’s also wise to set the rack heights while the oven is cool. Once you preheat the oven, you don’t want to start adjusting and moving the hot racks. Some foods cook better in specific positions in the oven. Foods that need a crispy bottom or crust do better on the bottom rack. Many baking recipes specify using the middle rack as they will bake more evenly. Foods that you want to brown on the top can go on the upper rack.
Some ovens have a fast preheat option to preheat the oven quicker. This setting will turn on all of the internal heating elements to reach the target temperature quickly. You can also quickly preheat the oven by turning on the broiler. The broiler will heat the oven quickly. Then adjust the oven setting to bake at the desired temperature.
If you’re preheating cooking stones, do not use a rapid preheat option. Cooking stones need to heat up slowly, or they will crack.

Final Words

Most recipes and foods cook better when you preheat the oven. Depending on your oven, it can take anywhere from six to twenty minutes to preheat to 350°.

Some factors will affect how long it takes your oven to preheat. The type of oven, starting temperature, and target temperature all play a role.

Follow your oven’s instructions and the recipe to ensure that your oven will cook your food to perfection.

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