Turning off the oven mid cooking

daisiegg

Is it ok to do this?

I have to pick OH up from the station every evening and I am not comfortable leaving the oven on when I go out - not least because often his train is v late so I have no way of knowing whether the dinner will be ashes when I get home!

However, we like to eat as soon as he gets in so if I waited to cook things until after I'd got back we'd be eating so late.

Recently I have been having something in the oven, switching it off to go pick him up then putting it back on to finish cooking when I return....is there any obvious reason I am missing why this is a bad idea or is it ok?

Thanks!

Ms_Chocaholic

My oven has a timer (not that I've ever used it though) to switch it on and off; could you do this.

If not, I can't see a problem switching it off and then back on again.

Dunroamin

Could he phone you from the train to let you know when it's late?

Bennifred

I would worry about organism growth, depending on what you are cooking, how long the "off" period is, and how low the food temperature drops to. Some things would be fine, others not so.

daisiegg

Ms_Chocaholic wrote: »

My oven has a timer (not that I've ever used it though) to switch it on and off; could you do this.

If not, I can't see a problem switching it off and then back on again.

Thanks

I bet the oven does have such a facility, but it came with the house and is so old all the markings on the buttons have rubbed off and we don't have a manual for it so I cannot for the life of me figure out how to work things like timers!

lindseykim13

Why not fully cook it before you pick him up and turn it off as you walk out the door, it should stay warm until you get back depending on how long you take but i'd imagine an hour max it would still be warm. Failing that start cooking it when you walk out the door and if you get back quickly you'll just have to hang on until it's done but if your late back it won't be ashes.

I leave my oven on when i go out- many times i've put jacket pots in before heading down the allotment or to the shops.

daisiegg

Dunroamin wrote: »

Could he phone you from the train to let you know when it's late?

Not really - he lets me know if it left late but that is about it. It is a 30 minute train journey that has no other stops except our town (so it is hard to actually tell if it is running late anyway as there are no other stops to notice) and if it gets delayed it is usually that it is held for ages just a few minutes away from our station so if that happens, it's too late as I have already left to pick him up and am waiting at the station already.

Well, I did it tonight with meatloaf and potato wedges and the oven was off for 20 minutes so hopefully it will be ok!

This_Year

Do you have a popty-ping? If so just make dinner early and plate it up, when you get home just heat it through.

Le_Foot

I think a slow cooker is the way to go for you..there is a good 2 hours lee-way when your dinner won't spoil, even though cooked., and on some days, grilled meat or fish takes no longer to cook than the veges that I presume you cook fresh to serve with dinner, and therefore have to wait for anyway.

Jackie

meritaten

i would precook it and warm it up in the ding! honestly - I really wouldnt turn it off halfway through cooking .