Oven Temp Question

[Shel_B]

Is the upper rack hotter than the lower rack? Thanks!

[Lisa Shock]

Even though heat rises, heat is also lost in an oven, so, generally the lowest rack is hottest because it's closest to the heating element -in a traditional stove. Think of it as the source of waves that ripple outwards, the closer an item is to the origin of the wave, the better chance there is of the wave passing through it.

Convection ovens cook more quickly at lower temps because they create a more even environment.

[inductioncook]

Convection ovens also cook faster because the wind allows greater heat transfer. Ovens vary a lot in the way they distribute heat and where the elements are, and what parts of the oven have thermal mass that retain heat after preheating, so the best thing is to measure the temperature in both spots, or do something like cook cookies on two small sheets on different racks and observe.