7 Helpful Tricks To Making The Most Of Your Oven
How to Repair Common Oven Parts
The oven is a kitchen appliance that is used to cook food items. The heat produced by the oven sterilizes food and kills most of the micro-organisms present in them.
An accurate oven thermometer is an essential for bakers of all kinds. Knowing how your oven works will help improve your baking cooking, roasting and cooking abilities. It can also help you avoid the annoying hot spots that can ruin cakes, cookies and baked items.
Thermostat
The thermostat is an important part of your oven. It assists in ensuring that the temperature of food matches the temperature you set on the control panel. However, just like any other electro mechanical switch or sensor it can sometimes have problems that cause the oven to over or under heat, or just not be able to keep the temperature at what you've set.
The oven thermostat is basically a small strip made of two different metals connected. When exposed to heat, the various metals expand and contract at different rates, creating or breaking an electrical circuit. When the metal in your thermostat reaches the temperature that you have set on your control panel it will shut off heating element's power. As the oven cools down the bimetallic strip expands in a way, reestablishing the circuit and activating the heating element. This cycle continues for a long time to ensure that the oven remains at a constant temperature.
To identify Best ovens UK with the thermostat, you'll need to disconnect the oven and make sure that all of the screws that hold it in place have been removed. If you have a multimeter (which is a device that detects electrical current), set it to the ohms setting, and then test the thermostat. If the multimeter reads zero or close to it the thermostat is functioning properly and doesn't require to be replaced.
If the multimeter isn't reading anything, it's likely that the thermostat is not working properly and needs to be replaced. Cooker Spare Parts recommends that you replace the thermostat with a brand new one of the same kind as your old one. The thermostats are sold at a reasonable price online or in a kitchen goods shop.
Bake Element
Ovens aren't complete without the bake element which is the element that heats up to help your oven cook food. It's a simple component that transforms electricity into high temperatures for baking, roasting, and broiling. Heating elements are commonly found in electric ranges and ovens and are either covered or concealed under the floor of the oven.
In general oven heating elements are made up of high-resistance metals like nickel-chromium. They work by converting electrical energy into heat using resistance. The heat then radiates through the oven's interior to attain the temperature required to cook different kinds of food.
When you switch on the oven the heating elements begin to generate heat by the high-voltage electric current flowing across the metal surface. The element is a ribbon or coil (straight or corrugated) of wire, and when the electric current flows through it, it begins to increase in temperature. When the element reaches its temperature it starts to glow red hot.
The baked element is the primary source of heat used in most oven functions. It's usually located at the in the bottom of the oven. Many automatic oven models also have it for self-cleaning. You may observe that the oven does not get hot as fast, or that your food isn't cooked completely.
To check for a working oven baking element, plug your multimeter into its red and black ports, and then place the probes made of metal against each other on one end of your device. Set the other end of the probe against one of its terminals, and put your hand on it to feel whether the element is warm to the contact. If not, remove it and try again.
Broil Element
The broil element is typically situated in the top of your oven and can provide the same high temperature as grills to brown or char food items. The broil setting in your oven is a great choice for quickly searing meat and vegetables, crisping up vegetables, warming lasagna, or caramelizing the top of a casserole.
The broiler heating element has a similarity to the bake element in that it converts electrical energy through resistance into heat. It is composed of an inner core made up of wires made of metal, encased in an insulating and expanded product known as perlite. The inside of the element is covered with an outer layer of stainless steel to protect the wires against direct contact with the oven. The three-layer design can help reduce the temperature of the broil element, making it safer than older styles.
While you may use any heating element in your oven, make sure to choose one that is in line with the wattage rating of your oven. A different wattage could damage your oven, or cause it to overheat. The voltage and current ratings of the new heating elements can be located on the control panel of your oven. This allows you to determine the wattage and rating of your oven.
Check the resistance of the old element, and then compare it to the wattage ratings of the new one. The greater the resistance, the greater the power that an oven element draws from.
Replace your broiler element immediately if it is not functioning or if it's acting up. It is essential for your oven to function correctly to be able to cook your most loved food items. If your oven isn't functioning in any way or only intermittently, the issue may lie with another part of your oven.
Light Bulb and Assembly
The oven light helps you keep an eye on the food as it cooks, without opening the door and let the heat escape. The light will also inform you when the casserole is finished. It's not uncommon for the bulb to die. This can be frustrating but it's an simple fix that you can do yourself. Before you begin, make sure that the breaker hasn't tripped and that the three-prong connector is intact.
First, remove the old light bulb and find the new one. It is possible to search online for a replacement bulb that is compatible with the wattage and model of your oven. Some use standard 40-watt appliance bulbs and others require a halogen bulb up to 50 watts. Be aware that the oil from your hands could damage a halogen bulb, so consider using cotton gloves when handling it.
Remove the glass casing from the bulb before you replace it. You should do this slowly so that you don't break it. Then, you'll have to evacuate the air inside the bulb and fill it up with a mixture of gases. This will extend the filament life.
If your bulb keeps going out, there could be a wider electrical problem that needs to be dealt with by an expert. Double check that you are using the correct oven bulb and look over your Use and Care Guide to find more help in troubleshooting. And remember that it's always recommended to unplug your oven and disconnect the power from the outlet before you start any repair. This will help prevent getting an electric shock.
Vent Tube
The vent tube is a vital oven component that allows for a tiny airflow inside the cavity. This allows the bake element to circulate heat throughout the oven, ensuring that the temperature is evenly distributed.
It also allows the vapors that are released from the oven to escape, and allows smoke to be drained away from the cooking surface. It is crucial for the proper operation of any electric or gas oven.
Oven vent tubes may become clogged by many factors. Accidental spills and splatters during cooking can leave sticky residues on oven vents, which could attract dust and other debris which can lead to clogs or blockages in the course of time. Grease and oil particles may become airborne and settle around the vents, as well. Other environmental factors, such as kitchen renovations and construction work can introduce dust or other contaminants into the vents, which can cause obstructions or clogs.
Depending on the model of the oven the vent tube could include a spreader 46 and an fill tip 12 and an a bottle guide 20 that are incorporated into the pipe 32. For instance the bottle guide 20 might have a tapered exterior surface that is complemented by the tapered inside of the spreader 46, allowing the vent tube to be easily inserted into different sizes and designs of bottle necks.
A blocked vent tube could cause a reduction in pressure inside the enclosure, which could cause an exhaust downdraft, which pulls the exhaust backwards and then down the vent, causing damage to the oven components. If you think that your vent tube is clogged or blocked, call a professional for help. They will identify the problem and make recommendations on how to remove or clean the vent.