Storing Baking Pans In The Oven

[hillvalley]

I'm pretty sure I am right on this one but I need help settling a debate with my father. Since we are both always right and I only have basic logic to stand on, I need some backup on this one.

I have limited storage space in my kitchen so I keep most of my baking sheets and pans in the oven. Is it safe to keep them there when the oven is on or could this harm them somehow? He claims this could ruin them or "wear them out" faster. I pointed out that withstanding heat is exactly what they are designed for, but he doesn't believe me. He's off his rocker on this one, right?

[jparrott]

Engh?

Engh?

I wish I had an oven big enough to store pans. And I have a six-burner range!

Methinks Daddy Dearest is off his rocker, unless you have nonstick-coated baking pans, in which case it's probably a push.

[clayrae]

My mom kept her pans in the oven, and I keep mine in the oven as well.

BUT! I don't leave them in there when I am baking...I take them out and put them on the floor

They go back in when I'm finished with the oven.

How do you have enough room to keep the pans in there AND bake in there at the same time?!

[DanielK]

The scientist in me wonders if keeping a stack of sheets and pans in the oven on one rack while you are cooking on another rack could contribute to uneven cooking temperatures in the food you are preparing.

[dcdavidm]

Well, looking at this space-challenging problem logically, I would suspect that if your baking equipment is just plain metal, storing it in the oven would be no problem as long as you compensate for it being there when you use the oven. I don't see what damage can occur to the pans through normal heat cycles; they don't "wear out" from just being heated and cooled, at least in our lifetimes! I've never heard of anyone retiring his or her sheet pans because it cooked too many cookies! (I've still got my Mom's from 40 years ago). If you keep the pans in the oven while in use, however, you'd have to make sure that the pans do not interfere with the circulation of heat, and you may have to preheat a bit longer. On the other hand, to the extent that all that hardware acts as a heat buffer, your oven temps should be more constant with that extra mass in there.

Bottom line: I suspect this has less to do with cooking and more to do with relationships! Calling Dr. Phil!!!!

[Barbara]

I'm pretty sure I am right on this one but I need help settling a debate with my father. Since we are both always right and I only have basic logic to stand on, I need some backup on this one.

I have limited storage space in my kitchen so I keep most of my baking sheets and pans in the oven. Is it safe to keep them there when the oven is on or could this harm them somehow? He claims this could ruin them or "wear them out" faster. I pointed out that withstanding heat is exactly what they are designed for, but he doesn't believe me. He's off his rocker on this one, right?

I have an stove/oven that has space for storage. My late FIL told me that the "storage" area was actually a warming oven, although there is no special heat source for it. So, lacking space, I have just used it for storing the pasta pot and various sheet pans. It doesn't seem to have hurt any of the items in any way. However, pans of any kind which are in the actual oven while you are cooking something are going to be "spattered" with stuff and will get very grimy. No, they won't be "hurt," but you may have to do some serious cleaning of them when you want to use them. Just sayin'.

[legant]

Is it safe to keep them there when the oven is on or could this harm them somehow?

Wouldn't they "warp"? When using muffin tins, I fill the empties with water or beans to prevent the pans from warping. (I dunno; it made sense at the time my mother told me.)