Knowledge Base › Fran Costigan - Your Oven Is Lying to You

Many of us are using counter-top ovens (Breville, Our Place, etc). Anything special you recommend for regulating oven temps, etc? I find mine cooks quicker than my kitchen oven.

Your Oven Is Lying to You

Fran Costigan - Your Oven Is Lying to You

Recorded

This event was on June 2, 2026

When your oven dings to say it’s ready, Chef Fran Costigan, Rouxbe Director of Vegan Pastry has one response: not so fast. That cheerful beep does not signal a fully heated oven. Your cakes, cookies, and pastries will be at a disadvantage before they even go in. Learn the fixes and why oven rack placement matters and the difference between standard bake and convection modes. These are the kinds of insights that transform your baking from guesswork into intention. In this month’s Essential Vegan Desserts Live Event, you’ll learn the what, whys and tips so every bake becomes more consistent.

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Question

Char Nolan

Many of us are using counter-top ovens (Breville, Our Place, etc). Anything special you recommend for regulating oven temps, etc? I find mine cooks quicker than my kitchen oven.

Answer

I only have the possibility in that oven of convection, so I adjust it. I learned, for example, that 330 Fahrenheit is what I need in that oven for 350, so I got to know the oven. And Char says that she's finding hers cooks quicker than my kitchen oven. I think that has to do with the size. If you remember, I said Rose Levy Beranbaum said a larger oven needs more time to reach temperature, so that could be. And if you're using a Breville, Char, then you are baking in convection mode, and that would be quicker. But super handy. If I'm just baking one or two cakes or a smaller tray of cupcakes, I'm really happy to use my smaller oven. One thing I do want to tell you is I don't really like the idea of appliances with what I call bells and whistles, because to me, that's just more stuff to break. But when I got my new oven, there's an app on my phone for this oven, and I was very reluctant to use it, and the installer said, "Well, you have to because we do updates and all kinds of things." You know that I can be at the gym or coming home from Mom's Organic Market and preheat my oven. So I have saved a lot of time, and I really appreciate that.

Fran Costigan

Director of Vegan Pastry

FranCostigan.com

Fran Costigan is internationally renowned as the authority on vegan desserts. Trained at the New York Restaurant School and Natural Gourmet Institute, Fran was a chef in both traditional and vegan pastry kitchens before moving into teaching over 20 years ago. A lifelong chocoholic and long time vegan, Fran’s latest book, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts, (Running Press 2013) is for all who madly, deeply love chocolate desserts, whether or not dietary considerations are an issue. Her previous cookbook, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally (Book Publishing Company 2006) is the basis of the Costigan Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive®. For more information, www.francostigan.com.