Using your oven efficiently.

[Kake Lover]

Mr K ( who is more aware of the electricity bills than me, but who also benefits from my use of the electrical appliances and gadgets) has complained that I had the oven on for 2 hours to cook rice pudding without having something else in at the same time. (He woudn't have complained if it was for a fruit cake or a stew!)
The trouble is I coudn't think of anything else that would need the same temperature ( 150°)

Sometimes I can make better use of the oven by:
cook 2 pies at once,
jacket potatoes with a stew
a baked dessert in, near the end of cooking a casserole
roast potatoes or Yorkshire Pudding put in near the end of cooking a roast


Do you try to use your oven efficiently?
What tips do you have to make the best use of your oven?

 

[GadgetGuy]

Can't do too much, since the stove's oven is small

 

[Yorky]

My gas oven breathed it's last about 18 months ago and I bought an electric halogen oven (https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/houseworth-halogen-convection-oven-hw-cog12.9328/). I have the impression that although the unit is said to be cheaper to run than an electric oven, it is more expensive than the gas (bottled gas is now only used for stove top cooking and costs us around $10.00 for 9 months). The halogen has only one "shelf" and a small diameter therefore you are restricted in what you may cook together. However, it's very quick at cooking most foods so if you have a "keep warm" facility it's adequate (it also re-heats cooked food very quickly).

In respect of using it efficiently, if I have sufficient potatoes, I will bake four or five together (they keep in the fridge for at least a week) and use the microwave to reheat them as required. Also a good idea for me is to use up any spare space in the oven with baked potatoes (you may gather that I love potatoes).

 

[ElizabethB]

@Kake Lover
Interesting. I have never consciencly considered efficient use. I will add a veggie to the oven near the end of cooking a meat. Last Friday I roasted a stuffed chicken in the oven and added a sheet pan of sweet potato fries towards the end of the cooking time. They did require the same temperature. Temperature requirement could be a deal killer.

 

[Herbie]

I put in potatoes (or sweet potatoes) as @Yorky does.