If you have an eye level oven

[minipie]

... where do you put the hot roasting tray if you need to baste the chicken, turn the veg etc?

I currently have a range cooker so if I need to tend something in the oven I pop it up onto the hob and stir or baste there. However we are planning a new kitchen and I keep reading people saying how much they love their eye level oven. I must admit it looks neater and not having to bend is appealing... but how do you deal with the problem above?

Do you have to carry the hot tray over to wherever your hob is (seems a bit risky esp if your hob is a distance away)? Or is there a clever solution I'm missing?

Thanks

I used to have an eye level and yes I had to carry it over to the hob, which wasn't far to be honest. I now have a range and of the two I prefer the range , but not for this reason specifically.

I either carry it to the hob or pull out the tray just enough to do whatever I need to do or I put it on the oven door. It's not something that bothers me.

We're redoing our kitchen and having to make this decision at the moment. I used to want a range but having had an eye level oven I think I'd really miss the convenience of it.

I put it on the oven door or just pull the rack out enough to reach and do it in situ.

I have telescopic shelves. I just pull the shelf out, baste and push the shelf back in...

(They are a brilliant invention and I highly recommend them. I no longer burn myself getting things out of the oven)

Ah thanks, I wasn't sure if the oven door would be strong enough. I quite often use heavy le creuset type pots made of cast iron.

I suppose pulling out the rack would work for some things and it would def be easier at eye level

I will look into telescopic shelves! Again - are they strong enough for a lot of weight? Agree avoiding wrist burns would be nice!!

I have a couple of Ikea trivets on the counter and use them to rest hot trays on

Ikea trivet

Combination of basting in-situ (pulling out the shelves) and just putting on the counter next to the ovens. Just plan carefully - have some counterspace either next to the oven or maybe an island unit directly in front of the oven (obviously with space to walk in between) so you swing round and place it on the island unit if you need to.

Watch out for toddlers or cats at your feet if planning to swing round from oven to put something hot on an island or table behind you.

Dropping boiling hot stew on said toddler or cat is not to be recommended.

Thanks - I would prefer to avoid using countertop if I can as I'd be worried about marking it/it would limit the countertop options I could choose. I could use trivets, will think about that, though requires more organisation than I have to have at the moment (I am not the world's most organised cook...) I'd probably have to have a special trivet storage place near the oven to ensure they were always to hand.

I've looked at telescopic oven rails and they look fab! Would love any more info about how they hold up over time and do they work with heavy (I mean really heavy) pans on?

Oh yes and prefer to avoid using countertop for that reason too ShortLass. Plus someone would inevitably put something down on exactly the bit of countertop I was intending to use.

Our hob is right next to the oven. Just pop it on the hob.

No cats or toddlers here . But similarly, I wouldn't like (from a safety point of view) to be using a range where ovens (and other hot stuff) is within easy reach of toddlers. Its one of the reasons I've always gone for eye level ovens since having children.

I also think bending right down to lift something very hot and very heavy out of the oven is a recipe (no pun intended!) for me personally, I could trip over thin air

meant recipe for disaster!

minipie - My mum has JohnLewis own brand ovens with the telescopic shelves. She's had them for about years. She does a lot of casseroles with cast iron dishes and has never had an issue. They seem to be holding up well. You can also buy them separately if you need to. I decided I wanted some about 6 months after buying my oven and we could get them. So you could replace them if they get damaged

That should say about 5 years. I'm not sure where the number ended up...

I have a large thick wooden board sat on the countertop next to the oven - so take the dish out of the oven and straight onto the board.

I'd be wary about resting anything heavy on the oven door (I think they can usually withstand a decent weight, say 15 kg, but instruction books often warn not to place heavy objects on them), and not an option if you go for something like a Neff slide-and-hide where the door slides into the bottom of the oven?

Telescopic shelves here too.

Thanks mrsmortis that's good to know! Telescopic shelves seem to be the way to go. Ulysses are you happy with yours? Are they strong and solid? Any issues?

Ooh I didn't know about slide and hide oven doors. They sound good too.

Must admit I am a bit wary of clever things like this because of their tendency to go wrong after a few years!

Our oven is about 12" from the floor. There's a deep drawer under it. It's the perfect height and has a door that can slide under the oven when you open it. Fitted microwave is above it.
Also have a fitted steamer oven thing that's never been used in the 8 years we've had it

My hob is about a foot from the oven and I have granite worksurfaces - so I twist and pop the dish down either directly onto the granite or the hob if it's not in use.

Granite is a bugger to keep shiny, costs a lot and breaks things if you're a bit aggressive putting things down on it, but I love the fact that I can put oven-hot dishes down on it directly.