Okay, so I’ve lived in this apartment for years and I still can't get a decent roast on vegetables in my 24-inch gas oven. I use a standard half sheet pan, but it leaves maybe an inch around the sides, and the back corners burn while the middle steams. Last night I made broccoli and it came out limp and gray-ish. I know the oven runs hot in the back, but is the pan just too big? Do I need quarter sheet pans so the air can move? Or am I crowding stuff? What size pan are people actually using in these tiny ovens? Also if you have a toaster oven/convection thing, does that do a better job for one or two people?

Your pan is probably fine but it's the air flow—or lack of it—that’s killing the browning. In a 24-inch oven, a half sheet takes up almost the whole rack, so the hot air can’t circulate around the food. That means moisture gets trapped around the vegetables and they steam. Quarter sheet pans give you a few inches of clearance on all sides, which matters more in a small cavity than on a full-size range. I only use quarter sheets in my apartment oven for roasting unless I’m doing something thin like pizza. Also, don’t line the whole pan with parchment—use a little oil directly on the pan or a small piece of parchment under the food, not covering the hot metal around it. Preheat at least 15 minutes, and if your oven has a bottom drawer, don't store pans in it because that can block vents. For one or two people, I actually prefer a decent countertop convection toaster oven for a small tray of carrots or a half-head of cauliflower. It preheats faster and browns better because the fan moves the air. But if you're using the big oven, two quarter sheets on separate racks with a swap top-to-bottom halfway through works better than one stuffed half sheet.

Wait, I’m new to this and I thought half sheet was just the normal size? I got one from my parents and it definitely scrapes the walls in my UES kitchen. I didn't realize they made quarter sheets. Do they fit two across in a 24-inch oven? Also when you say don't cover the hot metal around the food with parchment, does that mean the food steams because the paper traps moisture? I tried roasting potatoes last week and they stuck to the parchment so maybe that's my problem. Thanks!

DykerNewbie, yeah half sheet is normal for a normal oven, but these apartment ovens are toys. I’ve seen quarter sheets at the restaurant supply place on the Bowery but never bought them because I figured smaller pan = more batches. Might grab two this weekend. Astoria_arch, the drawer thing is probably my issue too—I keep my cast iron down there. Gonna pull it out and see if the back stops scorching. What about rack position? I usually shove it in middle and hope.

Okay this thread is making me feel better because I thought my oven was broken. I have a gas oven that’s maybe older than me and my roasted carrots always come out with one black end and one raw end. I don't have a toaster oven but I keep seeing them in tiny kitchen videos. Is it worth the counter space if I already have a microwave? I only cook for myself. Also can you use quarter sheets for a small roast chicken or is that too small? Sorry if that's dumb.

To answer a few things at once: No, two quarter sheets usually do not fit side-by-side in a 24-inch oven unless your racks are very wide and the pans are exactly 9 inches, but even then the rims often touch the walls. You can fit them front-to-back on one rack if your oven is deep enough, but then the back one gets the blast from the burner and the front one lags. I prefer one quarter sheet at a time on the middle rack, or two quarter sheets on separate racks with a rotation halfway if you’re doing a big batch. For a single person, one quarter sheet is plenty for a protein and a vegetable. A small roast chicken fits on a quarter sheet if you truss it and use a rack or a bed of onions, but you have to be careful that the chicken doesn't touch the top element. In a 24-inch oven, rack position matters a lot: middle rack for most roasting, one notch down if you're using cast iron, and no higher than middle for anything with sugar or oil that can spatter. Convection toaster oven is probably the single best countertop appliance for a one-person kitchen, but it's not a must if you have a good cast iron skillet and learn your oven's hot spots. If you can, do the bread test: cover a rack with slices of cheap white bread, bake at 350 for 10 minutes, and see which ones burn—that tells you where to rotate. Also clean the bottom of the oven; built-up crumbs and grease reduce air flow and create hot spots.

The bread test is so smart. I’m going to try that this weekend. One more newbie question: if I use a quarter sheet for broccoli, do I still need to spread it out in a single layer or can I pile it? I know that's probably asking a lot from a small pan. Also rah about the oven drawer—mine is full of old baking sheets. I feel attacked.

Okay I just got a quarter sheet from the hardware store on 3rd Ave and roasted carrots last night. Game changer for the front/back issue but they still didn’t get as crispy as I wanted. I did middle rack and preheated for maybe 10 minutes while I chopped. Is that not enough? Astoria_arch said 15 but my gas oven gets hot fast? Or maybe I'm using too much olive oil? I swear I used 'a drizzle' but maybe that's not a real measurement. Also does the parchment thing apply to carrots? I used parchment because I hate scrubbing.

manhattan_midge, 10 minutes probably isn't enough for these old gas ovens, especially if the igniter is slow. Mine needs a solid 20 to stop cycling wildly. Too much oil will 100% steam your carrots—use a tablespoon-ish for a quarter sheet and toss them dry-ish before they go in. I did broccoli last night with two quarter sheets on two racks, swapped halfway. Not perfect but way better. Next I’m trying the bread test because I still have one corner that just refuses to brown.

Good catch on the oil, central_park_cam. A heavy coating of oil will fry/steam more than roast, especially on carrots and broccoli. You want the vegetables glistening, not sitting in a puddle. One tablespoon for a quarter sheet is a good starting point; if you're doing potatoes, maybe a little more but still toss them in a bowl first and then spread out. Don't put parchment under things you want to brown—it works for cookies and some pastries, but for roasted vegetables it insulates the bottom and traps steam. If you hate scrubbing, use a thin layer of oil on bare metal or invest in a good uncoated aluminum pan and let it get ugly. It gets better with age. Parchment also can burn at high roasting temps. Also remember to flip or shake the pan at the halfway mark; that's more important than rack position. And if you have a gas oven with a broiler drawer at the bottom, that's where a lot of people store pans—it blocks the oven's air intake. Keep that area empty while you're roasting. For the person who asked about a small chicken: quarter sheet works, but I'd spatchcock it instead of trussing. A spatchcocked chicken lies flatter, cooks more evenly, and in a small oven that means the thighs and breast finish closer to the same time. Place it on a bed of thick onion slices or carrots to keep it off the pan, and pour off the juices halfway if they start to pool.

Thanks for the oil measurement. I definitely used like three-ish tablespoons for a pan of carrots because I thought more oil = crispier. I see the error now. I'm going to try no parchment and a bare pan next time, maybe with potatoes. Does the bread test work if my oven doesn't have a window? I have to open the door to check and I guess that lets heat out. Sorry if that's another dumb question.

I did the bread test! It was honestly fun but also humbling. The back left slice was almost black and the front center was still white. No wonder my food was weird. I also went to the restaurant supply store and got two quarter sheets for like a few bucks. They feel thin but they fit. I roasted cauliflower with maybe a little too much oil again but it still browned. Tomorrow I'm doing chicken thighs with carrots and I'm going to try that spatchcock thing? Wait no, astoria_arch said spatchcock for a whole chicken, chicken thighs are already flat so maybe I'm fine. Thanks everyone.

DykerNewbie, chicken thighs on a quarter sheet with carrots is the move. Just pat the thighs dry and start them skin side down in a hot pan? No, that's stovetop. For the oven, don't crowd the pan and put the carrots under the thighs so they get the drippings. I'm sold on quarter sheets now—also way easier to fit in the sink. I'll report back if the bread test fixes my back-corner curse.