9 Ways To Get the Most Out of Your Oven

We all know the basics when it comes to cooking food in an oven. But, how do you get the most out of this kitchen appliance? To help, we have compiled a list of things that you may not know about your oven. 

9 things you need to know about your oven

Can give inaccurate temperature readings

No matter how fancy or new the oven is, from time to time ovens can give inaccurate temperature readings. While this is frustrating, the good news is that most ovens can be calibrated to fix this problem. To fix this problem, you can purchase an oven thermometer – then, you can take a read of the oven’s instruction manual and install it yourself to ensure the most accurate readings.

It’s the OG (original) slow cooker

You can use your oven in much the same way as a slow cooker. Slow cookers were designed to provide a mostly hands-off cooking experience. By converting traditional stovetop recipes into oven recipes, you can achieve the slow cooking experience quite easily. From slow roasting tomatoes for a sauce to vegetables in a soup, or even caramelising onions!

Unsurprisingly, heat rises and the top part is the hottest

This may not come as a surprise as we are all aware that heat rises, but the hottest part of an oven is the top. If you’re cooking multiple things at once, it is important to rotate them from top to bottom.

The oven knobs get really dirty

When we’re busy preparing a meal in the kitchen, it can be easy to make a mess and worry about clearing up the spills later. One area that is over neglected is the oven knobs. Cleaning the oven dials is often an afterthought, but they are an easy and important task. 

You can use your oven to clean cookware

Finding it difficult to clean your cast-iron skillet or perhaps a baking tray is covered in a sticky mess? Not to worry, it’s time to give it a heat bath. That sticky residue stuck to your pan, tray or skillet is built-up oil. The best and most effective way to clear it up is to steam clean with water-filled inside as this helps loosen dirt and grease.

Your rack position matters

Although the top of the oven is the hottest, the bottom also packs a good amount of heat. If you’re looking for crispiness, the bottom rack of the oven will be your best bet to achieve this. For that sweet spot, the middle rack is where it’s at.

Pay attention to your gasket

The gasket is the part of the oven that helps seal the door and retain heat inside. If you have a fault gasket, this can materialise itself in the form of the oven door collecting moisture, the oven leaking heat or it is unable to properly maintain its temperature. For optimum performance, it is necessary to maintain your oven properly. 

All ovens have a hot spot

There is a section inside all ovens that is a little hotter than the rest. While you cannot get rid of it, you can identify it with one easy ‘toast trick’. Place bread in a grid pattern on the oven rack and toast, wherever the bread toasts the fastest, that is your hottest spot.

The broiler does more than you think

The broiler is an oven feature that is often underrated. For one, it is great for melting cheese, but there is so much more that you can do with it. For example, you can cook thin cuts of meat, quickly roast vegetables and even reheat takeaway food such as pizza.

Contact Us

Here at Cooker Solutions, we are well-versed in fixing cooker faults and carrying out repairs. We operate across the South London area, covering places such as Wimbledon and Clapham – we would be delighted to take a look at and fix your cooker if you live in this region. We offer flexible call-out times at no extra cost, meaning that you can schedule us in whenever is best for you! Give us a call today on 0203 478 0883 or fill out our contact form.