Oven Shelves - Does it matter?

Of course it matters where in the oven you place your pan full of batter. However, it all depends on what your baking. For the most part, you probably will never need to use a shelf above the middle of your oven. The middle shelf however is where you would place most of your baked goods (cakes, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, quickbreads, pan breads). A shelf down from the middle is where you would place your pies and the lowest shelf is reserved for pizzas and artisan breads.

Here is another quick note: Ever notice how most recipes ask that you preheat the oven in step 1? They do so for good reason - it usually takes 20 minutes for any oven to reach the desired baking temperature.