To think that old wives tale about ovens on Christmas Day is true

[Newbameforanewdecade]

On Christmas Day my roast potatoes took .... nigh on two hours to roast... on full heat etc.

Everyone just said “oh the powder dips on Christmas Day”. I’ve never heard this before (have cooked for 16 with no issues but have just moved home).

Is it really at thing or an old wives tale? Am starting to believe it

Is this gas or electric ovens?

National Grid says there is more power about as pretty much every business is shut that day.

Yes mine also took ages to cook anything and it’s a brand new cooker

My roast potatoes refused to crisp! They tasted lovely but they just would not crisp up.

@GothMummy electric. I’ve honestly never experienced it before - but moved house this year

You know this is so right. Mine over poked before they crisped. They tasted a bit burnt actually. I'd never heard this before but now you mention it I've always had some cooking issue on Xmas day!

Over cooked *

It’s @PandaCat that was my exact issue... I e cooked roasties in this oven before - though not on this scale.

Have previously cooked on this scale but not where I live currently.

By the end has the oven and whacked up to 250 and they still wouldn’t crisp properly. Never had this issue but everyone sympatheticlu said “oh it’s the dip in power” - maybe they were just being nice

It's more likely to be because you're oven is more full than usual so the air doesn't circulate as efficiently. We all cram loads more in than usual!

I have to be honest and say our smallish chopped roast veg which were microwaved for 7 mins pre-oven came out decidedly undercooked despite roasting at 180 for 50 mins so possibly true...
Turkey did cook perfectly though so now i think about it Im more inclined to think DP ballsed up the timings 😑

It's because you are cramming more into your roasting tin (& oven) than usual. If the potatoes are too crowded they steam instead of roasting & take ages to crisp.

It's too much in the oven imo - I had the same issue.

I burnt my parsnips so can't agree.

It probably was a thing way back when shops were the size of front rooms but now the redistribution from huge malls and supermarkets being shut for Christmas probably gives back more than the extra used.

Now it’s more likely a mix between over stuffing the oven so it can’t get air and the old fashioned “a watched pot never boils”.. like usually making roasts if they didn’t look crispy at 30 minutes you’d pop back in 5 without any second thought, not mentioning that the oven would likely be half as full too, but because it’s Christmas dinner and everyone’s waiting you go into stress mode of it’s not feckin workin is it!

I did my roasties in the top oven and everything else in the bottom one and they came out perfect, crispy AF.

Ours were fine.

Mine took longer than I anticipated (but then they always do!). I finished them under the grill and they were fine. Tip for next year!

If the potatoes are too crowded they steam instead of roasting & take ages to crisp
^This^
My dear old mum has always said this and it’s true!

@MargotMoon now I come to think of it - it’s the first time in years I’ve done the lot in a single Oven

Mine was the same as usual. The oven wasn't overstuffed though.

Erm no thats not true-its the fact youre putting in too much on one go which you wouldnt normally do

Sorry, but anyone without a gas oven is a loser in life’s lottery.

Overcrowded oven; steaming going on, as said above.

The problem is that everyone buys into the goose fat thing and it just doesn't get as hot as some other fats plus you've got other stuff in the oven and you keep checking them letting heat out etc.

Less power is just nonsense.

Should we cook longer or at a higher temperature when the oven has more in it? Asking for a friend, obviously.