Only 1 oven

[Buddy15]

I was used to a kitchen with 2 ovens but have moved into a place with only one.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to adapt my cooking.  Make dishes that can be served at room temp? Try to adapt the cooking temps when recipes call for different temps? I'm thinking of getting an air fryer but I'm not sure if I would use it to cook or can I use it to keep things warm.

 

[mike carey]

This can be a challenge. Anyone who cooks will adapt how they do it to the equipment they have available. If the equipment you have changes for any reason, not just moving house, you have to adapt to the change. At present, my usual kitchen has one oven, four hotplates, a microwave (not one with a convection capability although I have had one of those in the past) and most recently an air fryer. (The air fryer has been a revelation, cooking some things, refreshing things like pastries, bread rolls and croissants, but it sort of counts as an oven for some things. It's not essential but I like it. From my observation, it wouldn't work for keeping things warm but, noting that it's smaller, you could use it to cook and the oven to keep things warm.) At various times I've had other appliances - rice cookers and electric skillets - that could replace or supplement what I have now.

Having two ovens could make you careless about how you rely on them. What needs to be served straight from the oven, and what can be cooked in advance and kept warm then put back in the oven before serving to bring up to the right temperature? Do you need to plan more carefully, can you cook some things in a microwave or on a stove top rather than an oven? Can you plan your meal so as not to need two ovens?

Professional kitchens have a large array of cooking methods, but they also need to cook multiple meals simultaneously, using diverse cooking methods. Some things can be in large pots on a stove top, some need to be served immediately on cooking, some can use prepared sauces while others need to have sauces made in the same pan as the dish was cooked. It all comes down to understanding the equipment you have available, what you want to cook, and how (and whether) it's possible with what you have.

[Mark_fl]

Many people think the drawer under the oven is for storage, when it's really a warming area to keep cooked foods warm. Maybe that can help.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

On 3/13/2026 at 5:34 AM, mike carey said:

Having two ovens could make you careless about how you rely on them. What needs to be served straight from the oven, and what can be cooked in advance and kept warm then put back in the oven before serving to bring up to the right temperature? Do you need to plan more carefully, can you cook some things in a microwave or on a stove top rather than an oven? Can you plan your meal so as not to need two ovens?

I Agree 💯 

I learned to cook meals in the Boy Scouts, while camping and cooking for a group and usually only using a small 2-burner camp stove, charcoal, or a wood-burning flame 🔥 

Through trial and error, I learned the importance of planning meals that could be cooked in only 1 or 2 pots/pans, and timing everything to be ready and served hot at the same time.  It also helped to use as few pots/pans as possible when it came to washing dishes outdoors.

Having made lasagna in a Dutch oven over charcoal, I would be spoiled making that same dish in an oven in an indoor kitchen today! I probably would never turn on a 2nd oven if I had one.

[theplayerking]

I love sous vide cooking. I can make dinner for 60 in my small Manhattan kitchen using sous vide, one oven and sometimes a multi cooker.  

[+ poolboy48220]

I have just one real oven, but my toaster oven is on the larger side and has a lot of settings. I've become a real fan of the "Keep Warm" setting for just gently warming something up without worrying I'll leave it in too long.

[+ Charlie]

My late spouse was the cook in our relationship,; since his death our oven hasn't been used at all. However, the microwave oven has been used frequently--how would I survive without it?! (My doctor rolled his eyes when I told him that I have a frozen TV dinner as my meal almost every night.)

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

1 hour ago, Charlie said:

My late spouse was the cook in our relationship,; since his death our oven hasn't been used at all. However, the microwave oven has been used frequently--how would I survive without it?! (My doctor rolled his eyes when I told him that I have a frozen TV dinner as my meal almost every night.)

At least you're heating the frozen TV dinner!  It's better than a turkey and mashed potatoes Popsicle 😉 

[+ purplekow]

I usually start cooking the item which will take the longest in the oven and then add other dishes as appropriate based on cooking time.  If the temperature for cooking is significantly different. I start with the one which needs the highest temperature and once that one is cooking I add the items which need a lower temperature short of the time needed to completely cook it and adjust the cooking time to allow that first dish to be brought to the proper temperature and put out to rest or to be kept warm.  I then lower the temperature of the oven, sometimes by keeping the door ajar, and bring the lower temp dish to finish closer to the desired temperature.   Timing is key, but once you have figured it out for your favorite combinations, it is really not very difficult.  

[samhexum]

2 hours ago, Charlie said:

(My doctor rolled his eyes when I told him that I have a frozen TV dinner as my meal almost every night.)

Just a few hours ago I watched a clip of George Burns on the tonight show when he was 93.  He was smoking his "10th or 11th" cigar of the day.

Carson asked how many he smoked a day.  "fifteen to twenty."  Carson asked what his doctor says when he tells him that.  "My doctor's dead."

 

 

[+ APPLE1]

A few years back my microwave died, and I upgraded to the 4 in 1. Microwave, air fryer, convection oven, and broiler all in one box on the counter. I love it! Counter footprint is small, and there is no bringing out small appliances or shifting them around. 

Edited April 25 by APPLE1
Punctuation

[+ JEC]

On 3/13/2026 at 7:54 AM, Buddy15 said:

I was used to a kitchen with 2 ovens but have moved into a place with only one.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to adapt my cooking.  Make dishes that can be served at room temp? Try to adapt the cooking temps when recipes call for different temps? I'm thinking of getting an air fryer but I'm not sure if I would use it to cook or can I use it to keep things warm.

 

Buy a large stand-alone oven (like a large toaster oven).  You can cook most things in it.  We have the Breville Smart Oven.  An air fryer isn't really meant to keep things warm, it's meant to cook.

[jeezifonly]

The day of, or even day before the meal, roast or grill vegetables seasoned in whatever way you like. I use olive oil and S/P. They look impressive on a platter at room temperature, especially garnished with some fresh herbs, and make very usable leftovers. Oven can be saved for meat or starch dishes requiring baking close to serving. If you frequently serve crowds, offer up a big pot of homemade soup, some crusty bread and a green salad. So many ways to make great meals using only one oven. The key is planning. 

 

Edited April 26 by jeezifonly

[Buddy15]

17 hours ago, JEC said:

Buy a large stand-alone oven (like a large toaster oven).  You can cook most things in it.  We have the Breville Smart Oven.  An air fryer isn't really meant to keep things warm, it's meant to cook.

That's what I ended up doing.  Still learning the ins and outs of the Breville Smart Oven but it's the perfect solution.