Oven Mistakes You Didn’t Know You Were Making | Techniquely with Lan Lam

[@tom_something]

It never occurred to me that food might be _overcooked_ if the oven hasn't finished preheating but it makes sense now that she's explained it.

[@kurtthewurt]

Same here! I'm totally guilty of not waiting for preheating to finish, but I'd always assumed a few extra minutes would make up for that. Turns out I could potentially end up with burned AND overcooked food.

[@OldSchoolSk8ermatt]

Right? It’s both counter intuitive, but then makes sense?

[@jonsher7682]

Not so much overcooked but instead unevenly cooked compared to what is needed, with her pizza examples especially useful. To cook pizza well, the crust and the toppings must be done at the same time, because if they are not, you end up with undercooked crust or burnt toppings. The style of pizza dictates which rack to use to strike the correct balance. It also dictates how to top a pizza: A Neapolitan pizza uses 00 flour that cooks quickly so it should be topped with a light touch, then cooked in an exceptionally hot oven to develop a char and smokiness. We doin't have 900-degree wood-burning pizza ovens at home so we instead use either stones or steels (especially the latter) to cook the dough quickly, but we have to be careful about which rack to place it on.

[@hrhdmk5845]

Yeah, a bit of a surprise. It’s very important when cooking or baking from raw. I use my [toaster] oven mostly for cooking/browning from frozen (such as appetizers or frozen french fries). It’s less important in that case, because those foods have actually been pre-cooked.

[@billm.8220]

LAN is a true professional. Her instructions are always true & on point. No hype or fluff. Just straight honest facts. You can’t ask for better.

[@GuyL44]

Local Area Network

[@annemiura7767]

Absolutely agree. She’s great .

[@JohnCooper-y7n]

Most importantly, she's nice to look at.@@annemiura7767

[@amwelty]

She’s my fav.

[@jvbo]

Just like her name. Lan Lam. Simple, efficient and effective.

[@Theoryofcatsndogs]

Lan is GREAT. To the point, direct and gentle. She is like an old friend gently reminds you things that you forgot.

[@sanseijedi]

And who can't use that kind of friend?

[@DillonGauthier]

I've learned SO much from her videos specifically. The details of cooking are what I love about it and Lan is all about the details.

[@billbouldin2969]

She is incredible!

[@NavinKadabadotcom]

I've been watching YT cooking videos for nearly 15 years, and I feel like I hear the same tips over and over again these days. Lan is one of the few professionals who brings fresh ideas to the table in anway that's approachable for home cooks, and perfectly balanced betwen technical specificity and high level purpose and function. You are amazing, Lan, thank you! I'd love to see a video on fish - slow roasting, pan searinf, broiling; when, why, how, and for what fish?

[@lupinewoof]

Love it. Please do an episode on best practices for reheating different types of food. When should they go back in the oven, vs stove top (with or without lid), vs microwave etc. Of course it depends on the food and tools available, but laying out some principles and examples would be very valuable (ie which will be soggy vs dry out vs krispy etc). In addition to reheating, a subset would be "keeping warm" when dishes finish at different times but you are trying to serve hot.

[@QueenOfTheNorth65]

Yes. I second this suggestion!

[@JBM425]

Concur!

[@therealJamieJoy]

YES PLEASE

[@laurao3274]

If it's a food that can get soggy, like pizza, I pop it in the microwave for like a minute, then stick it under the broiler. It's way faster than the slow reheat in the oven, but with the same result.

[@eigrontopediax]

Yes to this please!

[@malcolmmcmillian7607]

Such a pleasant video. No yelling, no stitches and informative. Videos like this are far more important than any viral food tiktok

[@amyd4462]

I’m a big Lan fan. She always delivers great, useful information without talking down to us.

[@jjh5374]

Lan Lam is an absolute treasure! Her techniques and the reasons behind them always lead to making myself a better cook. I appreciate you, Lan!

[@gap136]

I appreciate all of the ATK videos and recipes but, frankly, Lan's techniquely series videos are so incredibly helpful and educational. I've used several of her techniques to adjust how I follow other recipes (mushrooms especially) and appreciate all of the education provided. Thank you!

[@sassytbc7923]

This lady is extremely talented in explaining things in a clear, concise, and easily understood way that not many can.

[@markblack8521]

Chef Lam with another banger. I've made it a point to focus on oven cooking a lot the last few years and preheating, rack adjustment, and watching temps more closely has greatly improved my oven cooking. This chef is a national treasure!

[@ChIGuY-town22_]

Lan is amazing, thank you for your hard work.

[@dkatzism]

These little steps and annoyances are the things that deter a lot of people from cooking, but understanding WHY they need to be done goes a long way. Thanks!

[@sanseijedi]

Agree: the few people I know of who don't like or 'can't' cook are self-proclaimed anti-detail people.

[@wannabetrucker7475]

toaster and microwave ovens are made for THOSE people.😂

[@tbillyjoeroth]

It's a science AND an art.

[@tbillyjoeroth]

​@@sanseijedicooking is quite a job if you want to do it right. It's not cheap, it's not easy to learn how to not make a lot of mistakes and it's time consuming. It's a commitment to excellence. Who has that anymore regarding a meal?

[@sanseijedi]

@@tbillyjoeroth Well, it is a life skill. Both our boys I had doing their own laundry by middle school (jr. high to this Old Guy). I was the household cook 90% of the time. Whenever a son told me something was 'really good' meal wise, I told him he'd better learn how to make it before he moved out. Later, I'd say "before I die". I wrote up various recipes in a folder just to have a record if either of them wanted it. Now, they're grown men and of course fully self-sufficient. Their ideas about excellence are individual and make me proud, and it's not about cooking, exactly. So i guess people have the time for whatever piques interest. The principle is cross-disciplinary. Cheers!

[@CoinSlotKitty]

Lan is my favorite in ATK. Her techniques and recipes are always legit.

[@sanseijedi]

A plus for me is no evidence of ego or performative presence.

[@__________5737]

Lan is the Alton Brown of the day. Much appreciated content.

[@nickszw]

Lan Lam is always a legend!

[@Cheesenpickle]

I just love Lan. I could listen to her 24/7 🥰

[@AwesomizedArmadillo]

The info about how the oven uses top and bottom elements during/after preheating is super useful. Now I know why I prefer to cook bacon in an oven that's still preheating, even though that's a bad idea for most other dishes!

[@ddtex4954]

Oh, nice tip. Can you explain in more detail why and what exactly you do, what temp, how long, use foil, how much bacon, etc? I don't like cooking bacon on stove top so it's oven for me but i am not doing it right.

[@Real_Big_Shrimp]

​@@ddtex4954It gives the bacon fat more time to render out, resulting in a more consistent piece. You can do the same thing in a cold pan on the stove as well if you're not doing an internal oven cook. Another good tip is placing the bacon on a sheet in the oven with a few tablespoons, just barely covering the bottom, of water. No foil needed, so that saves kitchen waste as well! By the time the heat picks up, the moisture will begin to evaporate right as the bacon fat renders. This results in evenly cooked crispy bacon. I generally do this at 350 for 30 minutes, and its consistent every time. The added benefit of all this in my opinion, is the ease of cleanup. No grease nets needed, not extra wipe downs, just delicious bacon rendered with fat ready to strain after eating!

[@michellefitz4287]

The technique for boiling bacon is really catching on. Hadn’t thought to do it in the oven. Will try this! Thanks for the tip.

[@ddtex4954]

@@Real_Big_Shrimp that is very precise and helpful. Bye bye, foil! Thank you.

[@BbGun-lw5vi]

@@Real_Big_ShrimpBut doesn’t the oven get dirty with the bacon grease? So still have to clean the grease up?

[@BruceBoschek]

Thank you for a very useful video. My wife is a pastry artist and she bakes the most incredibly beautiful pies. She has published a very popular book on pie decoration and consequently gets many questions about baking and pie failures. The most common failure is an inadequately baked (soggy) bottom crust. The solution to this problem is two-fold and actually quite simple. Double crust pies can be baked at 375 °F on the LOWEST RACK position until the top is as brown as you like. Then cover with aluminum foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. This is assuming you are using a metal pie pan. For glass or ceramic you will need somewhat longer. Thanks again for a very useful summary. We will recommend folks watch your video when we people ask baking questions.

[@richardolson1920]

You said 375° C. That's equivalent to 707° F. Are you sure it's not 375° F?

[@Astavyastataa]

@@richardolson1920 Nah he's trying to keep his wife's success a secret :P

[@BruceBoschek]

@@richardolson1920 Thanks kindly! Corrected. 👌

[@danbev8542]

Another thing I learned from Rose Levy Berenbaum’s ‘Pie Bible’…before filling, paint the crust with a thin layer of egg white, or chocolate -depending on the flavor of your pie. I use ceramic pie plates. Nothing worse than a soggy bottom!

[@accesstradingorders884]

Bravo!!! Another amazing Techniquely gem!!! Lan's techniquely series videos are so unbelievably helpful it's mind boggling! I've used several of her techniques to literally "WOW" my guests and girlfriend with simple food that is just simply better. Thanks again Lan. You are the best!

[@theouthousepoet]

Man, Lan is the absolute queen. Superb information and excellent delivery. Thanks Lan (and ATK)!

[@markw208]

Lan’s presentations are always 🎯.

[@billmcdonald4335]

I love my broiler. Any time I have to brown ground beef, I break out my sheet pan and turn on the broiler. Spread the beef thin on the sheet, set the rack about 8 inches below, and broil for about 12 to 14 minutes. Lots of Maillard brown on the top, and bunch of time and effort saved.

[@papeetechild]

My husband has noxacusis and can't tolerate the sound of sizzling. We live in a studio. You have saved me.

[@nicholasmarkette8884]

Chef Lam and her team do a great job of making sense of these concepts in a pleasant non-sensationalized manner. I see that zucchini recipe finding its way onto a pizza!

[@debracisneroshhp2827]

Sounds fabulous, yet, how would you modify the yogurt part? 😛

[@glfarwell]

In our recent kitchen makeover, we installed a pricy Wolfe oven that has all the bells and whistles. Now after a coupe of years, I'm having second thoughts of our purchase. I watch a lot of cooking channels here on KZbin, and never received info as to oven basics. Thank You Lan Lam for touching on these basics.

[@screamtoasigh9984]

I have this oven. Their support is top notch. But they have a great manual. Open it up! This is all there. (Breville toaster actually has the name of what goes on which rack setting. It literally says, pizza, bagels, etc.). Read your wolf recipe booklet and giant manual. (Only thing i don't like is dehydrator sheets, they're giant and don't fit in dishwasher).

[@blahdblah0007]

“When a recipe tells you to adjust the oven rack….”. < slinks away > She is the best. ❤

[@snowyminnesota6028]

Aww. It's okay... now you know why!

[@jamesallen01]

I'm so glad they are showcasing Lan's expertise and personality on KZbin. I love seeing her on America's Test Kitchen, but it's usually just short segments every once in awhile. As usual, she has great and helpful tips!

[@SeattleSandro]

Lan Lam is a national treasure! I've learned so much from this series.

[@Onthewayover]

I always wait for the preheat but never adjust the racks. Excellent videos!

[@ChristopherKemsley]

I just want to say a huge THANK YOU for talking about oven rack positions. I've only recently started baking and actually just got a pizza stone for the first time. It's weird that there's so much advice on the internet saying to put it at the /bottom/ of the oven, but putting it at the top has been fantastic every time; I've always had to wait until the cheese browned then dealt with burnt crust, but now the cheese looks fantastic at the exact time the crust is done! Now I look at pictures in reviews on Amazon of pizza stones and... it's clear they're putting their stone in the middle or bottom - their crust is /brown/ and their cheese is white.

[@attorneyrobert]

I love the graphic in the video that says "OVEN MISAKES". Very meta.

[@mpaulduffy]

I wondered if anyone noticed that, haha

[@Free_Spirit7]

I always enjoy Lan’s knowledge and how she presents it and I am guilty of not waiting for the oven to completely reheat.

[@elisaangel9789]

The broiler info is super helpful for me. Thanks. I tend not to use it, but I'll test it out to see what happens.

[@justjohnmusicchannel8327]

Love you Lan! So smart! Thank you for all your advice!

[@duaneking2081]

I love you, Your speech pattern is very good and I can understand not only what you are saying but giving a slight pause for me to think about it before you continue. I wish you could teach me so much more about pan/skillet temp. prior to putting in the oven,,, As it is I learn from my mistakes.

[@mgfroyo]

After 9 years with a convection oven I've found a few things. I don't use it for baked goods, cookies can be fickle between coming out soft vs crunchy so I just go normal bake with the recipe's time/temp. Anything you're cooking that's normally fried (tater tots, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, clam strips) it works well with the time/temp on the recipe and gives you a little better crispiness. Basically anything frozen with a a breading. Also this video has inspired me to put my tater tots in while the oven preheats because I feel like they rarely get crispy enough for my preference and I've found the top element being on gets that done for me lol

[@myspace04]

Her video on microwave oven was a game changer for me. Now, a video on oven. Thank you, master!

[@sharonh988]

Thank you. I have always been confused as to oven rack placement.

[@lorrieshigley3625]

I really enjoy this chef! She is so easy to understand, very pleasant natured and FABULOUS ideas!!👏👏👏

[@danielleeaby-lomas2491]

I got a new oven recently and I am still exploring the new settings and this was wonderfully helpful! Thank you!

[@robertknight4672]

I volunteer at a place and make cakes and cookies and muffins that has a commercial conventional oven that only has two rack positions so end up having to make my best guess since there is no exact middle. In that particular oven I find my chocolate muffin recipe actually does better on the top. When I made those muffins in my household oven because it's an old 1970s model I only have four choices of rack position I found it worked perfectly fine on the third rack up.

[@steveherje4025]

I remember how tentative and nervous lan was in her early appearances on ATK. She's come into her own, smooth and charismatic. You go girl!

[@LukePohlman]

I absolutely love this series. Please keep them coming!

[@JoonGP39]

Lan is such a queen i luv her

[@cdawg_sf]

Another gem from Lan. ❤

[@Acadian_Proud]

I like how she EXPLAINS (and shows) what happens when don’t follow instructions correct. Thank you!

[@kwosilait2855]

That demo with the almonds and pre-heating the oven was soooo enlightening! I love Lan's videos.

[@SquirrelInTheWild]

61 years old I’ve had enough bad baking outcomes to preheat ( and use timers!!!!) I have never seen the non bolster technique Love learning every day Thank you!!

[@TeresaTeresaTeresa-t5o]

Super helpful! Thank you, Lan!

[@Twin6878]

I love Lan’s content. Keep it coming!

[@AnnMarieA-m6j]

Thanks Lan, very informative. Enjoy watching your videos.

[@ordinary_average_guy]

Love LL...whenever she pops up in my feed I watch her!

[@barcham]

Coming from a family of cooks and a chef, I always allow my oven to come to temp and leave it at least 15 minutes before putting my food in. Always preheat a pizza stone at least one hour when making pizza. A laser thermometer is well worth buying to check pizza stone temps. I also always follow the rack position instructions when provided. A remote thermometer or an oven with a temperature probe, is a must if you do a lot of roasting in the oven, as opening and closing the oven door to check temps will really mess up your timing. When it comes to convection ovens, there are different types of such ovens. A true convection oven has a heating element around the fan in the back, as well as in the top and bottom of the oven. Those tend to do a much better job than those with only a convection fan in the back. There are also some with a fan in the top of the oven, usually large combination microwave/convection ovens, they should be avoided for most things, but do a great job on oven baked buffalo wings. One last tip... NEVER use a silicon baking mat when baking cookies. Use parchment paper instead if you want easier cleanup at the end. Silicon mats will just make your cookies spread out and possibly burn.

[@danieltuckercatholic]

"Techniquely" is one of my favorite KZbin series, and Lan is brilliant! Keep up the great work, ATK!

[@frenchustube]

I love Lan. I’m a professional chef for 45 years unless I’m looking at something very specific I prefer to watch videos on this kind of topic these days. And she’s always right on point . for instance when I make a quiche, I never precook the crust. Instead, I put the whole thing on the lowest rack in the oven first to make sure that the crust is cooking. There’s nothing worse than a quiche with uncooked dough. Then towards the end, I put the rack on the upper part of the oven to finish the browning. The few times that I have put food in the cold oven is for instance, if I make a beef stew or pot roast for the next day. The first day I brown the meat ,add the liquid ,aromatics , and bring the whole thing to a boil. I let it cool off, then put it in the fridge The next day I just put the pot in the oven at 300 .

[@Walcingham509]

Zucchini dish looks amazing! Great video!

[@charliew9515]

Another Great Video. I do adjust the oven rack, center dishes and use convection most of the time. I do think it would not be too complex to introduce the difference between infrared heating and conductive heating - you touch on this in a non-technical way, but the difference is important in understanding how food cooks. I will say the flashlight was nice touch... but I think most people could go deeper understanding the science.

[@michellefitz4287]

Always enjoy Lan cooking videos. That zucchini recipe looked insanely delicious!

[@jenn976]

Lan is so great! I wish they would make more videos with her.

[@GiovanniNaufal]

I used to not pre-heat until I started baking bread, and saw what difference doing it makes to the final product. So now I always pre-heat unless the food or recipe specifies otherwise, and have improved a lot my baking skills!

[@robertknight4672]

I've always preheated oven unless I was making one of those cold oven pound cakes which is the exception to the rule. My oven is so old it will only preheat from the bottom element as nature intended. I recently read that people have had those cold oven pound cakes ruined by modern ovens turn on the broiler during preheat.

[@dodgeball28]

I know I've been praising her every single video, but each time after watching Techniquely, I just can't not comment how amazing she is. 🤭

[@barbarahenn-pander5872]

Truly original way to cut/bash the zucchini! Rustico, delicious looking!! Thank you!!

[@nordwand]

I love your videos. I rarely find anything I question. But that is NOT a thin-crust pizza.

[@MaruskaStarshaya]

I use gas oven and it has some temperature inconsistency - it depends on gas pressure and kitchen temperature too. I always preheat it and wait additional 5-10 mins to make sure temperature is stable and not rising further. And I put stuff in there quickly, so the heat does not "leak away" and have a 15-mins rule - never open the oven in first 15 mins of coocking especially if you bake something.

[@beckybeus225]

Thank you so much. I've been cooking for a hundred years, but you always teach me more.

[@eddiepena]

Always put food in over while still getting hot. Lesson learned. Thank you!

[@sjbock]

Great video. Very interesting and informative. I learned a lot.

[@v2gbob]

Always like seeing Lan's tips! I'm glad she didn't suggest that once an oven reaches temperature that you need to let it continue to preheat for x minutes. I've always felt that is a inexcusable waste of energy when you see a recipes that say to preheat the oven to x temperature and then wait an extra 10-15 minutes.

[@Mark_Nadams]

More great tips from Lan. Thanks ATK One other thing with the pizza. When removing the pizza from the oven never place it directly on the cutting board or the outer crunch of the crust will be steamed soft from the moisture still coming out of the crust. Instead put it on a rack for at least three to as many as five minutes to allow most of that initial steam to escape then place the pizza on a cutting board to cut into slices.

[@claudiakao5998]

Love your technique videos, Ms Lam.

[@rainerinedinburgh5807]

I love the deliberate mistake at 0:18 -- at least I hope it's deliberate -- where there is a mistake in the word "mistake".

[@ninjacouch9351]

Professional home cook here. Chefs kiss* Cheers Lan!

[@richardpedersen9189]

Thanks, LAN! I think I knew most of those tips, but reminders are always useful 👍

[@shanaproctor100]

Thank you for this video. Now I know that not waiting on the oven to preheat is a problem, and now I know why. Very helpful information!

[@angelg.s.1053]

Lan, you're so smart and I love the way you explain things. New fan of yours!

[@billbouldin2969]

Thank you Lan!

[@Smellslikegelfling]

When a Lan Lam technique video comes out I get ready to learn. Always interesting!

[@BobRooney290]

this is a technique i never would have thought about. thank you for teaching me something new. i bet it also works on asparagus, not just zucchini.

[@gchomuk]

I'm a well-behaved wannabe chef. I follow instructions for the first time thru. I really appreciate the convection oven advice.

[@ETBrenner]

Chef, I would *love* for you to do a whole video of convection oven tips. The place I just moved into has this high-tech oven with a variety of convection settings - I'm pretty tech-friendly myself and pretty bold about experimenting but could definitely use all the help I can get! 😀 Also, as a fan of zucchini, I totally thank you for that smashed-zucchini technique.

[@ETBrenner]

Oh yeah: I do pay attention to rack placement instructions in recipes, but am routinely guilty of skimping on pre-heating. Will not be doing that anymore. 😀

[@lindawinn2568]

Thank you. This has just made me realise why the nut roast that I always bake in my fan oven, didn’t cook properly the other day when I used the same temp and timings but cooked it in the conventional one.

[@andrewposner6703]

I love these videos! I would love to see one talking about when to use convection, bake or convection roast, and how to adjust recipes for convection. I know that you have an article on your app about it, but sometimes these videos are so helpful, and I would love a little bit more information than that.

[@donnahamill6819]

Lan your information is fantastic! I send info to our granddaughters so they are in the “know”. Thank you🎉

[@sueannnichols7101]

Great info. I cook at 9K above sea level - if I didn’t use convection nothing would cook! Interesting, I actually keep a diary of temp and time as you discussed. Great info! Thank you.

[@christinebravomom5711]

I recently tried putting my familiar pizza in before the preheat buzzer went off. It made a noticeable (and unpleasant) difference. I am happy to have learned what preheat actually means! :)

[@sandrafisher5831]

So much useful information that no one usually talks about.

[@hollandsemum1]

Your opening statement was interesting. I wait for full preheat when I make laminated pastry, and other scratch baking and cooking.. I'm not so precise if I'm reheating something, or heating frozen fries for my kids.

[@toin9898]

I feel so validated on my oven techniques. I've been able to make some kickass home oven pizzas with my very basic (non-convection) oven by sticking the steel at the top of the oven so the pizza gets the heat reflected back down onto it. The inverse square law is your friend.

[@rickr2837]

I knew this would be good when the first screen stated "Oven Misakes" (at 20 sec). Great sense of humor. I want to avoid Misakes as much as the Mistakes.

[@DoubleZ-zz]

Hello Lan, I greatly appreciate your videos. The cold-searing technique for steak was a revelation! No more gray band! This video is also helpful but I have a question on the broiler, What temperature should the oven be set when using the broiler function? No recipe ever says broiler temp, and both my ovens have two dials, one for temperature and one for type of cooking (baking, broiler, convect and actually also clean). What should my temp setting be when using the broil feature? Many thanks!

[@georgereiss998]

I love these segments. I learn so much and Chef Lan is great.

[@bcal5962]

Always love seeing a new video from Lan!

[@mattdomalewski6636]

Lan Lam is the best!!

[@kevinhullinger8743]

Lan is a excellent teacher 👌🏻

[@joedesando4440]

Very Smart, Thanks for ALL your tips !

[@knotes76]

My mom always was a stickler for preheating. I've always followed that example and tend to have very few oven cooking issues. Why is my food good, well, I followed the directions

[@ropro9817]

Love Lan's videos ❤

[@lynneann9166]

Love her videos. Learn so much.

[@gardenhappy4]

Thank you for covering this topic!

[@tommylo7339]

Love your work Lan! Can we have a video on convect bake vs convect boil vs convect roast please!

[@robertknight4672]

I know newer electric ovens might turn the broiler on during preheat but older ones did not. There have also been many reports of the pound cake recipes that were written to start in the cold oven being ruined by the feature the broiler coming on to preheat in the bake mode.