How to Cook Food in a Bad Oven?

How to Cook Food in a Bad Oven

Do you have one of those ovens that only seem to cook on one side? The ideal solution is to call Stove Doctor and repair or replace the oven, but that's not always an option. If you have to make do, here are some things that can help.

9 Simple Steps

Preheat the oven every time you bake.

Preheating gives the oven a head start, and it's necessary for most pastries to go into an oven that's already warm. If your oven seems to take longer to get started, give it more time. Turn the oven on before starting to mix things like quick breads and muffins. Ten or fifteen minutes will let even a tired oven get up to speed.

Get an oven thermometer.

If setting the temperature doesn't produce that temperature, you may be able to adjust so that the resulting temperature is correct, or at least closer to where it should be. You can also see exactly how long it takes the oven to preheat, so you can plan accordingly. Do not use a "stick" thermometer, these are made for making contact with meats and other foods directly. You should put the oven thermometer into the oven at the same time you start preheating, and once it is finished preheating wait another 1-2 minutes for a more accurate reading.

Keep the oven door closed while baking, as much as possible.

Make sure that your oven has a chance to do its job. Opening the door of any oven, working or not, drops the temperature dramatically.Some foods are more sensitive to having the door opened than others. Casseroles and roasts will probably be just fine; cookies may take a bit longer if "checked" too often. Things like souffles, popovers, and other such pastries will almost certainly fail from having the door opened at all.

Adjust cooking times.

If things are coming out consistently over- or underdone, try baking them for more or less time. Use a timer and learn how long things take in your oven as compared to what's given in the recipe. You may have to adjust the cooking times and the temperatures concurrently to get things to come out right.

Rotate the food.

If you notice that the top or bottom, front or back of the food is scorched, move it around so as to distribute the heat more evenly. Partway through the baking, switch things from a high shelf to a low shelf and rotate it front to back if it helps.

Move your shelves around.

Most oven shelves will pull out if you lift them past their stops. Ovens generally heat only from the bottom unless they are set to broil, so try to center the food in the oven and keep it up and away from the heating elements.

Bake only one tray or pan at a time.

Having one large tray of cookies on the lower shelf may very well mean that no heat reaches the thing on the top shelf. If you can place two smaller pans side-by-side on one shelf, go ahead, perhaps swapping their locations and turning them mid-way.

Use an air-filled baking sheet or try glass or silicone bakeware.

Different materials conduct heat differently than straight metal, so they may help the bottom not to scorch. For things like roasts, put the roast up on a rack, and wrap it or cover it in foil.

Use a heating stone.

Place an unglazed ceramic tile or clay bricks into the bottom of your oven. Earthenware, once heated, more evenly disperses heat throughout the oven. This will cause the oven to cook more evenly.

Tips

• 

  Clean your oven. A clean oven will work much better than a dirty one.
• Observe the ways that your oven goes wrong. Is one side always a bit hotter than the other? Do things seem generally over- or under-done? Choose your corrective actions accordingly.
• Try different approaches to see what works best for your oven.
• Choose baking projects that are less sensitive to variation.
• Choose cooking methods that don't involve the oven. Could you grill your next chicken, pan-fry it or stew it in a slow cooker?
• Turning the oven knob higher will make the final temperature higher, but it won't make it heat up any faster.
• Oven thermostats work by turning something off or on depending on the temperature.
• If you rent, let your landlord or manager know that the oven isn't working properly. It might get replaced or repaired, but only if the management knows there's a problem.
• If you own the oven and can't afford to replace it, see about getting the oven repaired. You may be able to get just the thermostats, heating elements, or ignition system repaired and end up with a working oven.
• Do a bit of troubleshooting of the oven on your own, before you make a service call.
• Reduce the temperature by about 10 degrees C when baking in glass dishes.

For all repairs & spare parts please call Stove Doctor now on 1300 567 637.

Is My Oven, Stove, Cooktop or Rangehood Worth Repairing?

Is my appliance really worth repairing?

In general, we have found that’s its far more economical and eco-friendly to repair an appliance than to replace it. Not only does throwing away an appliance create non-biodegradable waste, but some of the materials in these appliances can be harmful to the environment.  

If you are seriously considering replacing a broken stove, oven or any other household appliance you must take into account that there will be additional charges for delivery and installation. Some companies are known to use their service departments and service agents as a sales tool and often will try to sell you a new unit regardless of the level of repair needed so doing your own research is a must. If you are unsure of the right course of action, please know that older units tend to last much longer, even after a repair. In the appliance business, they really don't make them like they used to.

The question of whether or not your appliance is worth fixing is ultimately up to you. However, before you decide, ask yourself these questions below.

1. Do I like the performance of my current appliance under normal conditions?

Keep in mind, if your appliance has provided you many years of trouble free service, it may be wise to invest some money into it. Troubled appliances tend to break frequently, so if yours is "bug" free, keep it!

2. How much will it really cost to replace my appliance?

Don't forget, when comparing repair cost vs. replacement cost, be sure to calculate down time, installation fees, delivery fees, and possibly lost time at work. For instance, installation of a new stove could add an additional $200 to your cost of replacement. All of these factors may help you decide to repair your current appliance.

3. Are new appliances made of the same quality as my current appliance?

I think you already know the answer to this question...Major appliance manufacturers such as Westinghouse, Chef, Smeg and many more have for years attempted to keep other brands from entering the Australian market. In order to accomplish this with rising labor costs and a high Australian Dollar the end manufactured product is not the same as what you would get 10 - 20 years ago. Your 10 year old oven is most likely superior in quality to that new oven you have your eye on.

4. Isn't this is a perfect opportunity to get one of those "high-tech" appliances?

This answer may really upset you. High Tech appliances introduced in recent years have produced a lot of work for for the appliance repair industry and at a much higher price tag for you. For example, touch control appliances look great but you commonly get computer board problems, and when they do break, and they will, you will be stuck with a repair bill that is probably not what you signed up for when you purchased that high tech appliance.

For more information on stove, oven or cooktop service and repairs please feel free to visit our website.

Where do i locate my model number on my appliance?

The importance of knowing your appliance model number!

When you need a stove, oven or cooktop repair done or just a spare part for your cooking appliance whether it be a stove, oven or cooktop one of the most important things Stove Doctor Australia needs is the appliance model number. The model number allows us as technicians and suppliers to determine the exact appliance you have.

Although sometimes it may be difficult to find, what you will often see is a name such as Westinghouse Freestyle 558 on the front for example. This is not the actual model number but the type of machine. The correct model number would look like PAJ558. Please see a detailed list of where you appliance model number should be located.