All Oven Related Questions Answered
Everything You Can Possibly Want to Know About Ovens
The Internet is where all the possible information about something is. However, recently i had problems with my oven and the information which i found online wasn’t systematised neither full. That motivated me to create a full and detailed article about everything which is oven related.
How ovens work?
The heat inside the oven should be the same in every corner. That guarantees equal baking and better taste of the meal. However, that’s easier said than done. Our modern ovens are made out of metal which means much of the heat is lost trough the walls of the oven. No wonder manufacturers put better and better isolation on their products recently. The ultimate goal is for all the heat produced inside of the machine, to stay there and to cook. Reflecting properly the heat waves is a challenge for all appliance producers. The materials and the shape of cookers are one part of the design. The initial fan which almost all modern ovens have is another. Thanks to it, heat is distributed properly and reaches deeper into the food. It balances the cooking and delivers better results after all.
Tip: cooking isn’t a race. If you want to be a good chef, timing should be a significant attention grabber for you. Read the recepie and take your time to cook it properly. There are meals which need 4-5 hours of slow and steady cooking. Don’t cut corners if you want to achieve the same results as professional chefs. It’s not possible.
Maintenance
Owning the cooker and using it properly is one thing, applying befitting maintenance in city such as London is another. A few tips on the “how to clean the oven” topic are never superfluous.
#1 Which cleaning products are the best?
— Natural ingredients like herbs, soda and vinegar are all you need to restore the initial look of your stove. A simple solution of vinegar and oranges, cleans and smells good. It’s also cheaper. That’s not a bad thing, isn’t it?
— Martha Steward recommends baking soda paste for the inside of the oven. It has to stay overnight and cleaned well with enough water .
— Some people recommend aluminium foil on the bottom of the cooker which can be easily replaced when sauce or food drop on it.
Tip: be careful with the aluminium foil which you purchase. There is low quality folio in the markets which melts inside the oven. Try to avoid that.
— Abrasive cleaner made from egg shells
You’ll need two dozens of egg shells dried on a cookie sheet or low oven. Dry and grind the shells in mortar and mix them with baking soda and vinegar.
How to clean glass oven door?
You cannot scratch the surface of the glass by cleaning it with any commercial or self made product. It would take years for you to damage the glass by cleaning it. Even wired brushes and abrasive cleaners can hardly make any difference here. However, grease can!
After proper cleaning of an oven. The results are pretty amazing!
How the professional London oven cleaners does it?
You need:
— rubber gloves; paper towels; plastic bags; screwdriver; sponge; cleaning solutions; basin full of warm water
How it should be done?
#1 Cover the floor in front of the oven with plastic bags and fix them with tape.
#2 Put cleaning solution in the basin to create foam.
#3 Remove the door with the screwdriver and put it aside.
#4 Clean the inside of the oven with the sponge and the brush (always have your rubber gloves on, even when you don’t use synthetic cleaning solutions)
#5 Put the door of the oven in the basin and leave it submerged in the water for several hours. The dirt and the grease should loose.
#6 Clean the door with the wired brush and rinse well with water. Do the same for the inside.
Tip: don’t wash the fan or the heaters. If you try to clean them, most probably you’ll damage them.
#7 Put the shelves back, screw the door and turn on the oven for 15 minutes. All remains of cleaning detergents will burn which means safety for the family.
Well made ovens distribute heat regularly and evenly inside. You know your oven was made properly if the fire from the woods slides on the walls at first and and calms down later, heating the entire internal.
You should not put all your massive pieces of wood at once. That “chokes” the fire or makes it too strong for a short period of time which will reflect in burned surfaces and uncooked internal.
Be careful when cooking meat as oil and grease may drop on the bottom of the oven and it will smell bad and will become even harder to clean.
Clean the oven not less than two hours after the fire is down. Woodfire ovens can be very dangerous sometimes and incidents are not rare.
When baking pizza, use a lot of flour and place the bread or the pizza inside with shaking movements. That will prevent it from spreading all of the ingredients around.
This is how to use an oven and how different cookers work and what maintenance they need.
