Why Not Preheating Your Broiler Is One Of The Worst Mistakes You Can Make

Listen, we're not here to judge. Who among us hasn't cut a few corners in the kitchen? Whether we're rinsing produce rather than thoroughly washing it or adding chilled-from-the-refrigerator ingredients to a cold pan before cooking, skipping a step or two every once in a while seems harmless enough. But when it comes to preheating your oven or broiler, impatience can be a real recipe killer.

No matter how sophisticated your appliances are, ovens take time to thoroughly heat. Even when your oven chirps its preheated readiness, your oven thermometer will likely read out a temperature short of your goal. That means when you're sliding in those precisely stacked layers of lasagna or perfectly chocolate-studded cookies, you've changed at least one important variable in your recipe. Plus, a blast of heat always escapes when you open your oven's door, dropping the temperature down even further. As a result, your final product may take more time, lack a perfectly golden crust, or simply not turn out as expected. So break your bad habit of adding any food to your oven before it's well and truly at temperature by preheating your oven well in advance.

This rule of thumb is particularly important when it comes to your oven's broiler. While your oven provides a slow and steady roast, your broiler is designed to blast your oven (and anything inside) with heat. So adding that strip steak you're hoping to sear or that crème brûlée you're hoping to caramelize and then remembering to turn up the heat is one of the worst broiler mistakes you can make.

Although often neglected, your broiler is your best friend in the kitchen. It adds color and char to your vegetables, a delicious-looking sear to your favorite cuts of meat, a caramelized crust to your richest desserts, and gooey puddles of melted cheese to your homemade pizzas. Most oven broilers are a heating component at the top of your oven, though some are situated separately, often below your primary oven. When it comes to dictating how much heat to give, broilers keep it simple — they're usually on or off, or on high or low. Moderating the heat from a broiler is a matter of moving your oven rack closer to the heat source or further down.

When you're ready to broil, preheat your broiler for five minutes minimum. That way you'll guarantee whatever you're cooking immediately gets the powerful blast of heat that it needs. As your broiler preheats, you might even improve your recipe by preheating your broiling pan. Some thin cuts of meat can use the heat from the top down and the bottom up to quickly cook through. Once you've preheated, broiled, and cooled your oven back down, be sure to wipe down its surfaces with a wet cloth. Leftover spatters and crumbs are a great way to smoke up your kitchen the next time you preheat your broiler.

We get it, cooking with high heat can be intimidating. But if you ventilate your space well, open your oven door a crack, and keep a close eye on your oven's contents, you'll be broiling like the best of them.