Should I Be Hesitant to Bake Unlike Items in the Same Oven?

[Velda Mae]

I've often read that it's more energy efficient to bake multiple items in the same oven rather than running the oven for an hour for a single purpose. This logic makes sense to me for something like roast chicken and baked potatoes but I'd be afraid to bake cookies and roast chicken at the same time for fear my cookies would absorb the flavor of the chicken. Is my fear legit or am I worrying for nothing?

[buttertart]

I've cooked meat and bread and meat and sweets at the same times and haven't noticed any crossover of flavors. I wouldn't do it with fish or very highly garlicked items, however.

[bushwickgirl]

Interesting question. I have baked pies along with the Thanksgiving turkey, bread with roasting chicken and of course popovers with a rib roast. I don't know if I would bake a genoise with a side of salmon. though. When I bake cookies, I bake just cookies.

[Cherylptw]

Agreed; I bake mostly everything together...sweet & savory unless it's cookies and then only because I need the whole oven & I have to keep check on it, thereby may cause the temp to lower as I'm opening & closing the door.

[danna]

Ditto. I do it, but I wouldn't cook something very delicate w/ something supper strongly flavored. Put whatever item is most likely to drip on the bottom.

[hughes227]

I cooked gingerbread and pumpkin pie in the same oven once. I kept opening the oven to take out the gingerbread (which only need 8 minutes or so), and the pie custard didn't set correctly. Make sure items have similar baking times to avoid such a conundrum!

-http://www.elleats.com

[torontrealais]

Considering chicken splashes oil quite a bit while roasting, I'd stick to baking items that are savoury and sweet separately. It's a wonderful thing to bake muffins at cookies at same time, I've never had a problem with it. Plus you get more done in less time :)