Kitchen

[Clmg]

Can I preheat my oven when baking in  Polish Stoneware?   I usually preheat for baking and cooking, but just received stoneware and a card in the box says cold oven.  That would reallly vary the cook/bake time

[froggy]

---

@Clmg wrote:

Can I preheat my oven when baking in  Polish Stoneware?   I usually preheat for baking and cooking, but just received stoneware and a card in the box says cold oven.  That would reallly vary the cook/bake time

---

I'm sure that instruction is so that your stoneware is not subjected to an extreme change in temp from cold to hot, which could cause it to crack - for instance don't take it from the freezer into a got oven.

That being said though, I make a lot of casseroles in my PS and my dishes are usually at room temp and put into a 350 oven. I've never had a problem. If I freeze a casserole I thaw it first before baking.

[kitty60]

I use my ps all the time and I usually take my items out of the fridge while my oven is preheating and never had a problem.  I would never put from the freezer in the oven. 

[loriqvc]

@Clmg - If you put your dish into the oven while it preheats, it allows the stoneware to come up in temperature while the oven does, which helps to avoid any potential cracking or breakage in the stoneware due to extreme temperature variations. There is little, if any, difference in overall baking times because the oven isn't really that hot until it reaches your specified temperature.

[Catch71]

I bake in my polish stoneware all the time.  I always preheat my oven before putting my ps dishes in with no problem.  If what I am baking comes from the refrigerator or freezer I do let the dish come to room temperature first.  Hope that makes sense.  I have never frozen anything in my polish stoneware but often prepare in it, refrigerate it, and let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats.

[depglass]

Maybe this is what is going on with the Temptations?  It can't take quick temperature changes?  Out of sheer laziness I occasionally put something into the oven cold, go do something else and start mentally timing when it hits the prescribed cooking temperature.  I only do this with something like frozen pot pies, not something where timing might be critical. I have to be close enoug to hear the reached temp buzzer go off and paying enough attention to handle the mental timing.