5 things I never do as a built-in oven expert

The Which? cooking appliances expert explains how to get the very best out of your oven by making a few simple changes

Best Buy ovens are pretty much foolproof. They heat quickly and evenly, roast scrummy food, and some even select their own cooking programmes.

But there are still some jobs you need to do to keep an excellent oven working perfectly.

Here are my top five mistakes to avoid if you really want to get the most from your oven.

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1. I never let my oven get too dirty 

This has nothing to do with vanity. Well, not much, anyway. 

There’s no need to panic and start eating raw food though. Instead, make sure you clean your oven regularly to reduce burnt food residue, crack open a window when cooking, or use a cooker hood or extractor fan to help clear the air.

We’re not saying you should avoid the pyrolytic mode on your expensive built-in oven. But do wipe out as much residue as possible before setting it to self-clean. You should also open the windows or switch on the cooker hood, and close the kitchen door.

I’ve found that steam cleaning my oven every month or so reduces the build-up of burnt bits. You can do this even if your oven doesn’t have a steam clean mode: just heat a roasting tin of water inside for half an hour, and most of the bits should wipe away easily.

My partner thinks everything I cook smells like rotten fish. I’m not sure if this is her problem or mine, but I try to keep the house fug-free by keeping the oven clean.

2. I never trust the temperature settings

Overheating or underheating something sensitive like a sponge cake can make a huge difference to how edible it is.

Our nine worst-rated ovens all scored poorly when it came to supplying heat, and all failed our cake baking tests, producing 'disastrous' or 'terrible' sponges.

I’ve figured out that my oven runs about 5°C too hot, so I can adjust the cooking temperature accordingly.

3. I never routinely preheat my oven

Here’s a great big caveat for starters: you really do need to preheat your oven for some dishes, including cakes, souffles, cookies and anything else that needs to rise first and then set.

But with multiple heating elements and fans, the best modern ovens heat so quickly (under five minutes to 180°C), that it’s not always necessary. 

For example, some brands such as Miele advise you not to preheat for most dishes, and adjust their suggested cooking times accordingly.

It’s not likely to save a great deal of energy, but I do appreciate not having to go back to the oven a second time to put the food in.

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4. I never use the middle shelf exclusively

Recipe books often tell you to use the middle shelf, but in truth it depends what you’re cooking.

If it’s pizza, for example, you want the bottom shelf, ideally with heat from below but assisted by the fan. That should give you a nice, crispy base without scorching the toppings. Roasts, meanwhile, should go slap bang in the middle to ensure they get good heat all round.

We test batches of shortbread our lab, and the results show clear differences between the top and bottom levels in almost all ovens.

5. I never rest anything on the oven door

Oven doors are made of tempered glass, which is specially treated to resist heat and impact. It’s still glass though, and if it does fail it tends to shatter into small, albeit blunt, pieces.

Some of the main causes are a previous physical impact, aggressive cleaning or sudden temperature change, which you can trigger by resting a hot pan on the oven door.

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source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/5-things-i-never-do-as-a-built-in-oven-expert-aXL1c9o1gU8A