Oven 101: All the settings and modes to maximise your oven game

August 21, 2022 By admin 0

Have you ever wondered what certain oven modes and features do? Unsure how to use your oven to its full potential? Well don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

So many people don’t know how to use their ovens correctly. That’s why in this article, we’ll go over the basic oven modes and features so that you can impress your guests with the next meal you make!

Getting the temperature right

Let’s start with an oven mode and feature we all have some experience with – the temperature gauge. Did you know that most ovens are slightly off when it comes to temperature?

This is why it’s so perplexing when you follow a recipe to the tee, set the correct temperature for cooking, only to find that your food comes out burnt or under-cooked.

To rectify this issue, get yourself an oven thermometer. They’re cheap to buy, and give you a true indication of exactly how hot your oven is.

What’s the difference between convention and convection?

The easiest way to remember the difference between convention and convection is one uses the fan and one does not.

Conventional cooking is an oven mode and feature that does not require the use of the fan. This mode is best to use when baking breads or heavy cakes, as well as meatier meals such as casseroles.

You’ll recognise the symbol of this mode because it doesn’t have a fan on it. Rather there will be a line at the top and bottom (indicating both heating elements are on) or there will be a line just at the top, or only on the bottom.

Convectional heating is otherwise known as fan-forced. This is an oven mode and feature that utilises a fan to circulate the hot air around the oven. Fan-forced is great when cooking a roast dinner or when cooking a variety of food on multiple racks at the same time.

Oven grill

Another popular oven mode and feature is the oven grill setting. This is the icon with the zig zag line at the top. There will either be one zig zag line, or two. The double line means that the heat is spread over the whole portion of the oven, which is great when you’re cooking sausages and bacon, or a big batch of toast.

The single line means that only the center of the grill is on, this is best to use if you’re just cooking a small amount of food. Don;t forget to consult your oven manual to find out whether you should be keeping your oven door ajar while grilling or if it’s safe to stay closed.

Defrost

Ever wondered what that snowflake icon is for? This is one of those oven modes and features that is highly under-utlised. But the defrost mode on your oven can be great for defrosting your food in time for dinner.

Basically what it does is distribute air throughout your oven without any heat. This is a great function to use if you need to defrost delicate desserts like scones or an iced cake, but you can also use it for defrosting meat like fish and poultry.