Why Your Oven Rack Location Matters

I was young, and I was wrong.

Once I began developing recipes, I realized the location of your oven rack — top, middle, bottom — greatly affected how your food gets cooked. It's about where the heat strikes your food. If used incorrectly you could be left with a soggy bottom pizza or a pale gratin.

So let’s break it down. 

When you want lots of browning on top of your food, opt for the top. Your oven heats from the bottom, rises, and reflects off the top, creating a ricochet of bubbly caramel color. Once your oven preheats, it will be consistently hotter at the top. You’ll want this position for any dish that needs a gloriously brown top. Think of a summer vegetable gratin, croque monsieur, or even an asparagus frittata.

Think of your middle position as your go-to safe space. The middle of your oven provides the most even circulation of heat, meaning you’ll get the most even cooking or baking. Use your middle position for things like chocolate chip cookies, hearty lasagna, carrot cake, and weeknight roast chicken.

Remember I said the top position gets browning on the top? The bottom position gets color on the bottom. Use the lower position when you’re looking for that bottom crust. Sheet pan pizza, roasted veggies, and a cast iron brownie all benefit from the lower oven rack position. 

So next time you preheat your oven, check your racks. Take it from me. It’s truly made me a better cook.