Identify actual oven occupancy
Mark a task as an oven task only when it uses oven space. Mixing, chopping, cooling, and serving may have other dependencies but do not take an oven slot in this planner.
Set capacity to the number of dishes that can realistically be in your oven at the same time with their actual pans. Physical fit matters more than the number of shelves.
Schedule the critical dishes
Place the tasks whose finish times matter most near the end of the sequence. The planner works backward, so later tasks are placed closer to dinner. Tasks remain sequential unless you check “May overlap preceding oven task” on a later, consecutive oven task. One oven slot always prevents overlap.
If one dish must cool or rest afterward, include that as a separate task or buffer. The tool cannot infer those requirements.
Use the printed timeline
Read each oven line from start to end and compare it with the directions you are following. Check that any preheating, temperature changes, and pan moves have time assigned in your own plan.
If two tasks can truly share the oven, increase capacity and check the overlap box on the later task only after confirming compatible settings and physical fit. The capacity number is a scheduling assumption, not an appliance recommendation.
Keep a fallback
A crowded oven plan may be easier to solve by choosing a room-temperature dish, preparing a component earlier, or changing the menu. A simpler meal can create more time for guests.
After one run-through, note where the timeline was too tight. Adjust future estimates from what actually happened rather than treating this schedule as a tested recipe.
Have a correction or a suggestion? Tell the studio.