Settle an argument for me. Do you do this...

[PinkBalloon123]

When cooking frozen food, chips or a birds eye breaded chicken etc. I just whack it in the oven for half an hour job done. But...

do you heat the oven up first?

Wait, what? I always pre-heat the oven, didn't realise it was even a thing to not bother. We have a modern oven but it still takes 10 minutes to get to 180/200. I am flabbergasted.

I stick the oven on before going to get stuff out of the freezer so it’s started to warm up before the food goes in. Then add a bit to the cooking time.

Baking I would always preheat. Same for Yorkshires or roast potatoes.

I wouldn’t be so bothered about a casserole that was going to be in for ages though I often start them on the stove top in a cast iron pot that can go in the oven. I would stick the oven on whilst I was browning the meat etc.

I do, might put the food in before the temperature has been reached the right point if I’m in a hurry

Yeah I do but only 5 mins or so

Me too. My oven's gas though, so heats up quickly.

ginfordinner not much but if I do it’s the one time I preheat

Nah might aswell do a bit of cooking whilst the oven warms.

I pre-heat ovens out of habit, because I grew up cooking and baking from scratch.

With a fan oven and/or processed food you don't need to though.

For a stew or casserole I don't, anything that is timed (like pies) I always hear the oven first.

never heat up the oven except for pastry based meals or for baking cakes/bread etc, I see the difference then, everything else just gets chucked in and turned on

I mean with frozen, pre-cooked food, you could regard the first ten minutes as de-frosting. Then cook.

I always preheat for baking but not for frozen food.

Depends on the instructions:

Cook for 30 MInutes at 190oC - no, heat first

Or

Cook for 25 minutes at 190oC yes I'd cook for at least 30 minutes if you put into a cold oven

I always do. DM just adds time onto the cooking time, but I prefer to have the oven at the right temperature before I put the food in so I know it's cooked properly.

No i just add to the cooking time.

I try to. Don't usually get time to faff though but will try for a few minutes warm up if possible.

I always heat the oven but now I got an airfryer instead which is amazing .

I can’t be bothered preheating, it heats up quickly enough anyway.

Generally preheat for about 5 mins....or if not cook for an extra 5-10. We don't seem to have a very hot oven and I can't stand soggy oven chips

Yes, I always pre-heat the oven and wait for the light to go off before putting the food in.

I think it makes a difference to the texture and the overall result.

I do, might put the food in before the temperature has been reached the right point if I’m in a hurry

Same here. DP on the other hand will wait until the oven is up to temperature AND check with an oven thermometer...

No. Never.

I don't even do it for those "rise-y pies" in a tine, where it tells you to pre-heat the oven to Holocaust setting for an hour (AN HOUR!!!!! - I mean, WTF?) before putting the tin in on a searing hot baking sheet.

Don't even give it an extra 5 minutes. Stuff is always ok. No-one has died.

Sometimes hest the oven up, sometimes don't. Depends if I'm in hurry or not.

Baking I would always preheat. Same for Yorkshires or roast potatoes

That's different.

Yorkshires and roasties depend on fat being blistering hot. SO, yes, I do heat oven up for them.

It’s important IF you’re the type of person who sticks religiously to the time on the packet (“well it says 18 minutes here...”). The manufacturers don’t know how long your oven takes to heat so they give the times for a heated oven to make it more consistent.

I never go by times. It’s done when it’s done! With some cooking experience it’s easy to have a rough idea of how long things take to get to the stage you like them (so no flabby fish fingers or anaemia oven chips). When I was younger and read the packets I’d always be disappointed with frozen pizzas still cold in the middle. Now I’m wiser and use my common sense I always end up with everything done perfectly.

Yeah always, or if I haven’t I will add some minutes on the end