How can you confirm an oven is at the correct temperature when following a recipe?

• A. Rely on the oven's built-in thermostat without checking.
• B. Use an oven thermometer to check the actual oven temperature.
• C. Trust the recipe's written time alone.
• D. Check the outside of the oven.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is to confirm the actual oven temperature with an independent device placed inside, because the heat that cooks foods needs to match what the recipe calls for. An oven thermometer shows the true temperature, and preheating with it helps you start from a stable reading. Ovens can run hotter or cooler than the dial indicates, especially as they age, so relying on the built-in thermostat alone isn’t always trustworthy. If the thermometer shows a different temperature, you can adjust the oven setting or the cooking time to get accurate results. Simply trusting the dial or the recipe’s time won’t account for variations between ovens, cookware, and rack placement, and checking the outside of the oven doesn’t tell you the interior air temperature.