preheat
pree-HEET
/ˌpriːˈhiːt/
To heat an oven, grill, or pan to a designated temperature before putting food inside to cook.
A technical preparation step essential for ensuring that chemical reactions (like rising) begin immediately upon cooking.
The story behind the word. The word 'preheat' is a modern compound formed in the late 19th or early 20th century with the rise of temperature-controlled gas and electric ovens. Before this, wood-fired ovens had to be continuously managed, and the concept of a precise 'preheat' temperature did not exist in the same standardized way.
Word relationships
- warm up: 'Warm up' is informal and general (e.g., warming up an engine), while 'preheat' is a precise culinary term for reaching a specific target temperature before cooking.
- cool down: 'Cool down' means to lower the temperature, whereas 'preheat' is raising the temperature in preparation.
Commonly confused with
- reheat: 'Reheat' means to warm up food that has cooled down, while 'preheat' means to heat the cooking appliance before the food is introduced.
Word family
- preheated (adjective): Having been heated beforehand.
- preheating (noun): The act of heating an oven in advance.
Collocations
- preheat the oven
- preheat to 400 degrees
- fail to preheat
- always preheat
Example sentences
- "Remember to preheat your oven to 375°F before you begin mixing the dry ingredients." A standard baking recipe instruction.
- "If you do not preheat the oven, the cookies will spread too much and lose their shape." An explanation of baking science.
Memory hook
PREheat means heating the oven BEFORE (PRE) you put the food in. Pre = Before. Heat = Warm. Heat it before baking!
When not to use
Do not use for heating food that has already been cooked; use 'reheat' instead.
Fun facts
- Baking powder relies on a double-acting chemical reaction: one when it hits liquid, and a second, larger reaction when it hits the heat of a preheated oven.
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