Anyone use their oven for something other than cooking?

ereck44
ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
edited November 14 in Food and Nutrition
As I was cleaning my oven today....(after cooking some bacon wrapped scallops that spilled onto oven floor), I remembered the first time I saw the oven in 2004(it belongs to my husband's mom), and it was spotlessly clean as if it were brand new. I learned that it had been installed in 2000. Later I learned that no one used the stove or oven and had in fact used the oven for storage. Most of what I cook is on the stove or in the oven. Occasionally I use the microwave to reheat left overs (usually when I am short on time). Just curious....who uses their oven and who uses it to store pots/pans or as decoration for the kitchen?
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Replies

  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    My mom (a caregiver) once worked with an elderly lady who used hers for storage. The thought terrifies me.....It seems an accident waiting to happen if the oven accidentally gets turned on.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    My grandma also uses her oven for storage lol.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Lol my hubby's parents use the oven for storage but they are weird as hell.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    When my grandmother retired at 60, she also retired from cooking. She had the gas turned off and would use her oven as storage.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I use my stove and oven for cooking every day. I do not store things in it ever. It is definitely not decorative.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    We use the oven for baking, but they also store pans with oil in them while it's not in use. While I live by myself, the oven is never used for storage.
  • lauamy96
    lauamy96 Posts: 102 Member
    I can't remember the last time I turned on my oven. It's all storage for pots, pans, tupperware, and utensils hahaha
  • LauraHasABabyJack
    LauraHasABabyJack Posts: 629 Member
    At our old house the oven temperature was so unreliable it was useless for its intended purpose so I stored my cast iron pieces in it. Now my husband uses our oven to hot blue gun barrels for his business.
  • LessofAJ
    LessofAJ Posts: 29 Member
    shanae727 wrote: »
    Uhm..maybe I'm the only one that grew up poor but we used it to heat the house..???!..

    Unfortunately we were in that same boat at times growing up!

  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
    My ex's mom uses it for storage but she also likes to cook in it - and I swear it literally takes at half hour to empty it because it is so packed full of stuff (like old jars she saves for some reason - cleaned out of course). I used to have a huge plastic mixing bowl I stored in mine but once I turned it on to reheat the oven and forgot it was in there. Luckily I remembered before it caught fire but it did start to melt a bit so I had to throw it out - and I never stored anything in there again.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,186 Member
    Since it is only my husband and I, I only use the convention toaster oven for cooking (got a new one for Xmas), not the big wall oven. But I do use it to store some oven roasting pans that are too big for the drawers or cupboards.

    My oven is also very clean because if I remember correctly I only used it once a couple of years go to cook a pot roast. One of my sons and his family came over for dinner, so it made sense since we were six people. I don't recall using it again.

    I had a friend that didn't like or trusted the dishwasher so she used it to store all the plastic bags from the supermarket. Not me, my dishwasher works always overtime.
  • courtneylykins5
    courtneylykins5 Posts: 168 Member
    My former mother in law stores all of her pots and pans in the oven and uses it to cook. My ex and I were living there for a while. Once I started preheating the oven after clearing it out but had forgotten a tiny pan in the back. The smell of the handle melting was atrocious. For me I love knowing my oven is clean and empty and ready to go at a moment's notice.
  • CurlyCockney
    CurlyCockney Posts: 1,394 Member
    I've got a double oven so I use one for plate-warming and dish storage, and one for cooking. The smaller oven is also a grill, but I don't use that.
  • ktekc
    ktekc Posts: 879 Member
    my grandmother always stored her muffin tins, cookie sheets and cake pans in hers . . lids for pots went in the drawer underneath. nothing went in there that couldnt handle heat if they were forgotten.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I've used the oven for cooking and storage (pots and pans only). I also use it to heat up the kitchen sometimes. Took me a few years to understand the drawer underneath wasn't for storing pots and pans, but the broiler.
  • successgal1
    successgal1 Posts: 996 Member
    I don't use the oven often as its an energy hog and heats up the kitchen, stressing the A/C. I use my pressure cooker alot now, and stovetop. I have switched to primarily cast iron for cookware now, and do store some of it in the oven when not in use.

    I guess I was well trained as a child because its ingrained in me to check the oven before turning it on and make sure the stovetop is clear before turning on any burner. It just comes naturally.

    Safety first.
  • RestlessinNYC
    RestlessinNYC Posts: 7 Member
    I live in New York, the oven is my largest storage closet.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Thanks for the replies. I have been amused by some of the answers, esp. discovering that someone used a dishwasher as storage.Too funny!
    In the past, I have gotten burned because my husband continued to use the oven as storage, and I forgot to check when preheating the oven only to discover pots and pans heated to 375 degrees. Getting them out was tricky, and a few times I burned my hand. My husband and I had a few discussions about it , and we found a compromise for storage.
    I still bake in the oven and use the stove burners every day. I use the broiler for pork chops and barbeque chicken.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    ereck44 wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies. I have been amused by some of the answers, esp. discovering that someone used a dishwasher as storage.Too funny!
    In the past, I have gotten burned because my husband continued to use the oven as storage, and I forgot to check when preheating the oven only to discover pots and pans heated to 375 degrees. Getting them out was tricky, and a few times I burned my hand. My husband and I had a few discussions about it , and we found a compromise for storage.
    I still bake in the oven and use the stove burners every day. I use the broiler for pork chops and barbeque chicken.

    My ILs love to leave pans in the oven, usually with half a roast in it or maybe a leftover pizza. I learned fast to always check to see if the oven is empty before turning it on.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I've used the oven for cooking and storage (pots and pans only). I also use it to heat up the kitchen sometimes. Took me a few years to understand the drawer underneath wasn't for storing pots and pans, but the broiler.

    While touring apartments a leasing agent had several stories of her residents lighting kitchen towels and things on fire in their broiler drawers. I don't think ranges are built that way anymore. I thought the broiler was broken on my range when I moved into my current house. I put some garlic bread in the bottom drawer, set to broil and the bread only got slightly warm. My husband who had only had electric ranges looked at me like a crazy person, moved the bread to the oven, and had toasted garlic bread ten minutes later. He never believed me when I told him gas ranges typically have the broiler under the oven.

    I have never heard of storing things in an oven before. That sounds like a terrible idea. I get annoyed enough when I discover I forgot to take out the baking stone last time I used it. I use my oven almost daily. I can't imagine having to clear my pot and pan collection first. Besides, where do you put all that stuff while you are cooking?
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    My grandma, born in 1907, would dry her hair in the oven. That was a startling sight to behold for the first time. :o
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    I live in New York, the oven is my largest storage closet.

    Carrie Bradshaw kept sweaters in her oven
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
    As a kid, I used to take out the racks and create my own dream theatre.

  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
    zyxst wrote: »
    I've used the oven for cooking and storage (pots and pans only). I also use it to heat up the kitchen sometimes. Took me a few years to understand the drawer underneath wasn't for storing pots and pans, but the broiler.

    While touring apartments a leasing agent had several stories of her residents lighting kitchen towels and things on fire in their broiler drawers. I don't think ranges are built that way anymore. I thought the broiler was broken on my range when I moved into my current house. I put some garlic bread in the bottom drawer, set to broil and the bread only got slightly warm. My husband who had only had electric ranges looked at me like a crazy person, moved the bread to the oven, and had toasted garlic bread ten minutes later. He never believed me when I told him gas ranges typically have the broiler under the oven.

    I have never heard of storing things in an oven before. That sounds like a terrible idea. I get annoyed enough when I discover I forgot to take out the baking stone last time I used it. I use my oven almost daily. I can't imagine having to clear my pot and pan collection first. Besides, where do you put all that stuff while you are cooking?

    Oh I am the same way with the broiler - until the oven I have now the broiler has always been the bottom drawer. And honestly I am still paranoid I am wrong (even though I have broiled before in the oven itself) so I only store the broiler pan in there.
  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
    I once read that experienced home inspectors check the oven prior to turning it on.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    We used to store baking pans and stuff in the oven. I pretty much stopped because taking everything out anytime I wanted to use the oven is a PITA
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