11 oven tips to bake and cook like a pro

Ever have a cake fall or a casserole burn? It may not be that your cooking skills are bad. You may just need to brush up on how to use your oven properly. 

Here are some tips that will help make any food you put in the oven turn out perfectly.  

It's tempting to open the oven door to peek at your cakes or cookies, but resist the urge. 

Opening your oven door can make the temperature of the oven drop dramatically. In fact, the the internal temperature can drop 25 degrees. 

Temperature fluctuations can make cakes fall and make other foods take longer to cook.  

Temperature fluctuations can also dry out chicken and turkeys. So, skip the basting and keep your poultry moist by coating it in oil or butter and leaving the door closed as much as possible.

Instead of opening the door, try peeking through the window. If you're window is too dirty to get a good view, use this tip to get it clean, fast.

Your oven may be roomy, but don't stuff as many dishes as you can into it. You must leave space around pans so that air can circulate around each item to cook it properly. 

Make sure that there are a couple inches between the pans for the best air circulation, and don't let them touch the sides of the oven.    

Want your cupcakes or pies to bake perfectly every time? Place them on the center of the rack so that it bakes evenly. 

If you are cooking more than one thing, put them on different racks -- or even separate ovens if you have a double oven. If you're using one oven, position them so that the one on the bottom rack isn't blocking the heat for the item on the top rack.  

You may have seen a Pinterest tip that suggested lining your oven with foil is a great way to protect your oven from drips. Just don't do it. Not only can the reflected heat make your baked goods cook faster, it can damage your oven. 

There have even been reports of the foil melting, and the heat reflected off of the foil may burn out the oven's heating elements. Instead, use a silicone oven liner that is designed to be put inside an oven.  

If you leave drips and crumbs on the bottom of your oven, you could be sabotaging your baking. Those food bits can catch fire or smoke, which can overheat the oven, or at the very least may make your baked goods taste like soot.

Here's how to get your oven clean, fast using vinegar and baking soda.

The self-cleaning option on your stove is a great way to keep it clean, but beware: it only cleans up to a point. 

After the oven has cooled down, wipe the interior down with a damp cloth to remove any soot, and leave the door open for a few hours to let the oven air out. Skipping this step might make your next batch of cookies taste like a house fire.

Your oven has some areas where it gets hotter and others where it stays cooler. When you know your hotspots, you will know where to place your pans to avoid uneven cooking.     

To find hotspots, cover a baking sheet with shredded coconut and place it in your oven at 350 degrees. The coconut that toasts the quickest is in your oven's hotspots.

Need more space? Cooling racks can be used during baking to double your oven's capacity, without sacrificing even heating. Here's how.