What does the word preheat the Oven mean?

What does the word preheat the Oven mean?
Preheat means to bring up to the required temperature before using, so for an oven, turn it on and allow time for it to come up to the required temperature before putting in the food. Most ovens hav

e an indicator light on the front panel that will switch off when the oven has reached the set temperature.
Preheating is bringing the cooking environment up to the required temperature, before you place your raw food into it. This ensures that the required cooking temperature is being applied to the food during the entire cooking process, and that the cooking duration mentioned on the recipe.
Oven To preheat an oven, you simply turn it on and set it at the desired temperature.

The amount of time it takes for the inside to reach that temperature is the "preheating" phase.
How long does it take to preheat an oven?
According to Encyclopedia Brown #15 1/2, it takes at least 20 minutes to preheat an oven.
The average time to preheat an oven to 350° is about 15 minutes,
and if you’re preheating to 450°, add another five minutes to the time.
How long it takes your oven to preheat is by testing it with an oven thermometer. Place the thermometer in the center of a rack set in the middle of the oven, then turn the oven to 350°.

Set an oven timer, then check the temperature on the thermometer at 10 minutes, then again at

15 minutes.
Read more: What Does Preheat Mean in Cooking? | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/info_8600625_preheat-mean-cooking.html#ixzz28EMi9o9Z
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