# Is leaving the oven on dangerous **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671 "2004-05-23T18:27:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/1 "2004-05-23T18:27:09Z")
Assume you leave it on while you go to work because you forget to turn it off. Is it actually dangerous to do that? does it matter if its gas or electric in regards to danger? It seems like it would just internally regulate its temperature and not pose a threat. What if you leave food in there, then is it dangerous? I dont know if there is a risk of the food catching on fire, but even if it did ovens are steel and (probably) fireproof so i’m sure they would contain and maybe suffocate the fire. So is leaving an oven on dangerous? I dont know which forum to put this in (its too subjective to be a general question) so i’m putting it here. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/2 "2004-05-23T18:55:55Z")
It probably depends on the age and model of the oven. My mother left our oven on overnight. It just meant the kitchen was warm. Leaving the toaster part of an oven on, with toast in it, that’s another thing entirely. I have nearly set our old kitchen on fire, three times. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/3 "2004-05-23T18:57:32Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Leaving the toaster part of an oven on, with toast in it, that’s another thing entirely. I have nearly set our old kitchen on fire, three times. As noted in the Way of Mrs. Cosmopolite: “Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to burn down the kitchen”. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/4 "2004-05-23T19:13:37Z")
The short answer is Yes. No appliance is infinitely infallible. Should the regulating thermostat fail, you have a very serious problem. Regarding ovens being fireproof, that’s a false conception. Ovens and related appliances are involved as the point of ignition in fires to a degree that they have their own listed factor on NFIRS: Careless Cooking. Oh for a picture of the face someone displays at 0315 when they’ve come home from the pub, put some leftovers in the oven to reheat and then fell asleep. An hour or so later, building smoke detectors are howling, and I boot in the apartment door, awakening the errant cooker from the living room couch. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/54ee81/32.png) [@Kneepants\_Erasmus\_the\_Humanist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kneepants_Erasmus_the_Humanist)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/5 "2004-05-24T01:39:17Z")
When the cold comes, and the heater goes, I have been known to leave the oven on with the door open. I suppose that makes a big difference (door being open). Thus far I am still alive with roof over the head and such. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/6 "2004-05-24T01:44:03Z")
Never a good idea to leave the oven on when you’re not home. Especially if something is cooking. This from someone who always checks the cooktop and the oven to make sure everything is off before leaving home even when he **hasn’t even** turned the things on! ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/7 "2004-05-24T13:35:50Z")
One day I arrived home to find my sister (who was then living with me) gone, the oven on, and an extremely crispy piece of what used to be pizza in the oven. She had put it in to heat up and forgot about it when her friends dropped by and took her with them. No harm was done to anything but the pizza, fortunately, but it’s not really something I’d recommend doing. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/8 "2004-05-24T13:44:50Z")
[hijack] I know a girl that reheated a pizza in the oven. Still in the cardboard box. :eek: :smack: [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/9 "2004-05-24T14:00:37Z")
> [@Bruce\_Daddy](#): > > [hijack] > I know a girl that reheated a pizza in the oven. Still in the cardboard box. :eek: :smack: > [/hijack] In theory, that should be OK…I’ve done it, but at temps of 350 degrees or less. You don’t want to surpass the almighty 451F, or all your questionable books will burn. ---
**Author:** ![Rainaverea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@Rainaverea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainaverea)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/10 "2017-11-01T20:42:37Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > In theory, that should be OK…I’ve done it, but at temps of 350 degrees or less. You don’t want to surpass the almighty 451F, or all your questionable books will burn. I registered on this website _just_ to tell you that you’re awesome for knowing that book. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/11 "2017-11-01T20:44:52Z")
**Wesley Clark** , is your oven _still_ on? ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/12 "2017-11-01T20:46:51Z")
If it’s a zombie oven, does it count? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/13 "2017-11-01T22:55:54Z")
I don’t think my oven even has a “Dangerous” setting, but if it did I don’t think I’d leave it unattended. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/14 "2017-11-01T22:58:54Z")
> [@Rainaverea](#): > > I registered on this website _just_ to tell you that you’re awesome for knowing that book. _Everyone_ on this site knows that book… ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/15 "2017-11-01T23:29:07Z")
It’s dangerous to your pocketbook. Given the inefficiency of an oven in heating up the whole house. Especially in the summer, when the OP was. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/16 "2017-11-01T23:47:38Z")
My mental picture of a modern oven is a pretty fireproof place. I can’t imaging anything burning inside the oven spreading flames to any combustible material outside, or of transmitting flashpoint heat to anything outside the oven. In fact, I used to hide money in the drawer beneath the oven, in the belief that it would be one of the last places a general house fire would spread to… ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/17 "2017-11-01T23:48:30Z")
It is reasonable to assume that the oven will perform the same regardless of an audience. The problem arises when Murfey shows up. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/18 "2017-11-02T00:20:09Z")
> [@Rainaverea](#): > > I registered on this website _just_ to tell you that you’re awesome for knowing that book. I think you might consider sticking around, as I’d wager the vast, vast majority of people here know that book, as **beowulff** said (although I’ll account that since we have an international audience, I wouldn’t assume literally everyone knows it. But I’d bet 90%+.) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/19 "2017-11-02T03:56:29Z")
I’ve left the house to run an errand, while something is baking in the oven. A pot roast for example can be left alone while I go to the grocery or go to the bank. Don’t most modern ovens have a clock/timer that can be set to turn it off? A handy feature in case you get delayed returning home. I never worried. The worst that would happen in a burnt roast that needs throwing out. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2017, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671/20 "2017-11-02T08:34:08Z")
Has this thread made anyone else think of Hansel and Gretel? :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaving-the-oven-on-dangerous/246671.md?page=2)