Pro tip: a hot oven doesn't always mean a shorter bake time

I found out last week that my oven runs 25 degrees hotter than it says, so I've been overbaking cookies for months lol. A $6 oven thermometer from Target totally changed my results. Has anyone else had their oven lie to them?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennybailey4d ago

Hold up, I actually have to disagree with this one. I've been baking for over 20 years and my oven has always run a bit cool, but I've never once used a thermometer. I just adjust my recipes by feel and look, and my cookies come out perfect every time. Honestly, relying on a gadget like that just makes you a slave to numbers instead of learning your own appliance. If your oven is off by 25 degrees, you should be able to tell by how fast things brown or how the air feels when you open the door. A $6 thermometer is a crutch, not a solution. You're better off just getting to know your oven the old fashioned way.

paulnguyen4d ago

I used to think the same way but your post actually changed my mind.

smith.lee4d ago

Jenny you make a good point about getting to know your oven, but I see it a little differently. Those 20 years of experience are exactly why a thermometer wouldn't be a crutch for you, it'd be like using a level when you already know how to eyeball a straight line. Even the most seasoned baker can have an off day, and that cheap thermometer takes the guesswork out of whether it's your recipe or your oven acting up. Plus, if you're trying a new recipe from someone else, their "preheat to 350" might not match your hot-running oven at all, and you'd be adjusting blind. It's not about being a slave to numbers, it's about having one more piece of useful info in your baking toolbox.