Can I leave my oven on while out?

Discuss-good idea, bad idea? I have a roast to make later and need to go out for a bit-should be gone for an hour. I could wait and start the roast when I get back-but that would make dinner extremely late. Darn, wish i had a slow cooker.

So, what think all of you?

Eh, I'd do it. But I dont know if its the safest idea...but how could anything fall into the oven? As long as your pan doesn't combust or anything i think you're ok.

Subject: I do it all the time....

what temp will it be on? Make sure it has been on a little while before you leave the house, that way you know all is well, and then leave for the hour.

what temp? I'd say 350 for an hour with no drapes or other flammables near the oven is okay, but I'm no fire marshal. I kinda might do this all the time for like 15 minutes with something on the stove. don't tell anyone.

I would never leave something on top of the stove-but, i am thinking-eh, in the stove-what could it hurt, right? thanks!

it makes getting your rice done while you need to run out for milk a lot faster (the stove-top thing). but yeah, probably not the best idea in the universe. good luck with the oven.

I hate to say it, but life being what it is, you never know what is going to happen that will prevent you from getting home in the time you planned.

I sometimes partially cook, then restart when I return. Including running out to the store for just a minute. I'm not just talking about getting hit by a bus or something - what if you get a call about an emergency, or run into your long lost whoever and talk on the corner for a half hour? What if your train is the new Taking Of Pelham 123?
It's stunning the number of fires in this city . . .
http://www.gothamist.com/labs/map

pitu wrote: I hate to say it, but life being what it is, you never know what is going to happen that will prevent you from getting home in the time you planned.

I sometimes partially cook, then restart when I return. Including running out to the store for just a minute. I'm not just talking about getting hit by a bus or something - what if you get a call about an emergency, or run into your long lost whoever and talk on the corner for a half hour? What if your train is the new Taking Of Pelham 123?
It's stunning the number of fires in this city . . .
http://www.gothamist.com/labs/map

that last part made me laugh-but, you make a good point. I hadn't thought of starting and stopping-i think I am going to do that. thanks for setting me straight Pitu

if you use the roast method of putting it in a very hot oven, then immediately turning the temp down, you may be able to get away with a short trip with the oven off but the roast still cooking.

not sure exactly how fast your oven cools, but when i heat mine up, it doesn't get cool for quite a while after i turn it off.

i don't think the heat would last for a whole hour, but if you leave the roast in the oven while you're gone (but with the heat off), be sure to cut down on the cooking time after you get home.

LongTimeSloper wrote: [quote=pitu]I hate to say it, but life being what it is, you never know what is going to happen that will prevent you from getting home in the time you planned.

I sometimes partially cook, then restart when I return. Including running out to the store for just a minute. I'm not just talking about getting hit by a bus or something - what if you get a call about an emergency, or run into your long lost whoever and talk on the corner for a half hour? What if your train is the new Taking Of Pelham 123?
It's stunning the number of fires in this city . . .
http://www.gothamist.com/labs/map

that last part made me laugh-but, you make a good point. I hadn't thought of starting and stopping-i think I am going to do that. thanks for setting me straight Pitu

You're welcome. It's the kind of thing I want to do too, since I cook alot. I decided to take a hard line and keep my house unburnt.

Depending on what you're doing, there could be some food safety temperature issues involved, but I'd do that with a roast without worry.

It's a boneless leg of lamb (from Trader Joe's of course!)-never made it before, but, it cooks like a roast. Should be ok stopping and starting, no?

sweet tea wrote: if you use the roast method of putting it in a very hot oven, then immediately turning the temp down, you may be able to get away with a short trip with the oven off but the roast still cooking.

not sure exactly how fast your oven cools, but when i heat mine up, it doesn't get cool for quite a while after i turn it off.

i don't think the heat would last for a whole hour, but if you leave the roast in the oven while you're gone (but with the heat off), be sure to cut down on the cooking time after you get home.

good point
while you're out, you can get a meat thermometer if you don't already have one
I follow chef's temps, not food safety temps....

LongTimeSloper wrote: It's a boneless leg of lamb (from Trader Joe's of course!)-never made it before, but, it cooks like a roast. Should be ok stopping and starting, no?

yes, and yum
(I did one last week, marinated in coconut milk, ginger, cilantro, etc. The recipe is in Bittman's How To Cook Everything)
Let meat sit outside the fridge for at least a half hour so it's not going cold into the oven. You can also salt (or marinade) it while you go out for the hour, then use a high oven. Lamb is nice rare with a crust.

Thanks for the tips!

As someone who lived through a fire caused by an unwatched oven (something was cooking inside the oven), I would never leave the oven on while not awake at home.