Totally agree about the uneven heating issue—I've noticed that too. Another thing I've found helpful is using a shallow baking tray lined with parchment paper. It lets you spread the beads out thinly and evenly, ensuring better airflow and more consistent drying. Plus, cleanup's way easier if something spills or sticks. Might be worth a try next time you're recharging them...
Interesting idea with the parchment paper—I can see how that'd help with cleanup. But from my experience, parchment can sometimes restrict airflow a bit, especially if the beads are densely packed or if the tray edges are higher. I've found that using a fine mesh baking rack placed directly on the oven shelf can actually improve airflow even more. It lets heat circulate freely around the beads, drying them more evenly and efficiently. Cleanup isn't too bad either, since the beads don't usually stick to the metal rack. Of course, everyone's setup and oven might behave a bit differently, so your mileage may vary. Just figured I'd toss that out there as another option to consider next time you're recharging.
"I've found that using a fine mesh baking rack placed directly on the oven shelf can actually improve airflow even more."
Definitely agree about using a mesh rack instead of parchment. I tried parchment once and ended up with uneven drying...switched to a metal rack and haven't looked back. Seems to speed things up noticeably for me too.
"Seems to speed things up noticeably for me too."
Does it really speed things up, though, or does it just feel faster because we're not constantly checking and rechecking unevenly dried batches? Either way, mesh racks are a total game changer...parchment paper trauma is real, folks.
Does it really speed things up, though, or does it just feel faster because we're not constantly checking and rechecking unevenly dried batches? Either way, mesh racks are a total game changer......
Haha, "parchment paper trauma"—I felt that one deep in my soul. Honestly though, mesh racks do speed things up a bit, at least from what I've noticed. Maybe it's just the improved airflow or something, but it definitely cuts down on the anxiety of uneven drying. Either way, less checking means more time for coffee breaks...and who doesn't love that?
