Features of using a gas or electric oven

The oven is one of the successful inventions of mankind; it has long taken root in everyday life. The first solid fuel oven was proposed by inventor William Flavel in 1830.

Almost all types of hobs in the kitchen have an oven.

Then solid fuel was replaced by kerosene, and then gas replaced it. And for many generations of people, they have been preparing various culinary delights in such a device and delighting their families with delicious dishes. Dishes cooked in the oven are much tastier and healthier than dishes cooked on the stove or in a modern microwave oven.

All the functions of modern ovens allow you to cook delicious and healthy food.

When cooking in the oven, large quantities of oil are not used and magnetic waves are not used - the food turns out environmentally friendly. At the same time, the dishes come out with a fragrant crust and an appetizing flavor. But how to use the oven has its own secrets and nuances.

Cooking in the oven will give you healthier food than frying in oil.

Instructions: how to use an electric stove

Due to its small dimensions, the oven will not take up much space in the kitchen. The models have intuitive controls that are understandable even to inexperienced cooks.

To start using an electric stove:

1. Turn on the device and select the desired temperature mode.
2. Wait 15 minutes for the inside of the oven to heat evenly.
3. Place the dish inside and turn on the timer.
4. Wait for the beep, check the food is ready and turn off the oven.

Electric models are safe to use, but place a large load on the electrical network. The service life of the devices is limited to 3-5 years, because heating elements quickly fail.

Electric stoves

Electric ovens are multifunctional and allow you to cook at high temperatures. Many models are equipped with a grill, convection mode and steam.

Using an electric oven is often more convenient. It is safer than a gas appliance, but it is not cheap

Let's look at how to use an electric stove oven:

• make sure that there is nothing unnecessary in the oven;
• set the grate to the desired level;
• warm up the oven before cooking: select a heating mode, set the temperature and start the timer with a margin of 10 minutes so that the oven has time to heat up;
• place the dish on the wire rack and close the door;
• try to open the door as little as possible during cooking;
• Do not place dishes on the bottom of the oven - this will damage the bottom heater. Cookware can only be placed on a wire rack.

Manufacturers of high-quality electric ovens in the mid-price segment include: Bosch, Electrolux, Gorenje, Fornelli, Whirlpool, Siemens, Samsung, Hotpoint, Hansa (Hansa), Candy (Candy).

Main functions of an electric furnace

Use an electric oven to cook and heat food: meat, baked goods, desserts. For convenience, the models are equipped with additional functions:

• Timer. Allows you to set the exact operating time. When it is finished, the oven will beep or turn off automatically.
• Convection. This function is necessary for uniform baking of dishes. Depending on the model, it can be dry or wet.
• Built-in grill. Additional heating elements are installed in the upper part of the oven. They help create a crispy crust on meats and baked goods.

You can use an electric oven to defrost food, dehydrate vegetables and fruits, and sterilize dishes.

Oven temperature

Before starting cooking, the oven must be preheated to the temperature required to prepare a particular dish. Most often it is 180-200 degrees.

Try not to use a high temperature, as a dish placed in an oven that is too hot will burn or stick to the baking sheet or baking pan faster.

It is better to keep the dish in the oven longer at the optimal temperature, controlling the process of baking or stewing the dish, than to overbake and then correct the consequences.

Selecting a mode for an electric oven

The maximum temperature of most electric ovens is 290 °C. Choose the operating mode based on the size and type of dish.

Top and bottom heating

This is the classic operating mode of an electric furnace. The upper and lower heating elements turn on simultaneously. The heat they generate creates a convection effect. The lower heating element is usually more powerful than the upper one. Hot air rises and cold air sinks. In this mode the following is prepared:

• savory baked goods;
• lasagna;
• fish;
• lean beef and poultry;
• stuffed vegetables.

The process occurs slowly, so the dish has time to bake evenly.

If you need to fry a dish from below, turn on only the lower heating element.

Top and bottom heating with convection

In this mode, heating elements work together with a convection fan located on the rear wall of the electric furnace. When it rotates, hot air is distributed faster inside the oven. Heat is applied to the dish more evenly, which allows it to bake better.

When cooking food using convection mode, reduce the indicated temperature by 30%. To maintain their juiciness, reduce the baking time. Use a fan for large dishes: cakes, casseroles, meat and fish rolls.

The right utensils for baking or roasting are the oven’s best friend.

Read more about selecting cookware for the oven here . Let's add a few words about the features of working with a gas oven.

Because the heat coming from the main bottom burner is so intense, the bottom of the dish may start to burn long before the middle or top is done. We recommend not using dark-colored metal baking pans. They absorb more heat and speed up the cooking process. Light metal, glass and silicone are the best choices for gas ovens.

If your heat-resistant casserole or baking dishes are all metal and dark in color, try moving the rack with the dishes one level higher than you originally wanted, increasing the distance between it and the heating element. You can also reduce the oven temperature by 5-7° C, especially some time after the start of cooking.

How to use the grill

The grill is a tubular element that is placed on the top panel of the electric oven. It generates heat using infrared radiation. The grill does not heat the air, but the surface of the food. Use it at the final stage when you need to brown the crust of dishes.

Place food directly under the grill. Warm it up before starting work.

“Start” button or how to “start” a gas unit

When an unfamiliar household appliance appears in your house, you:

• either study the instructions thoroughly and then act;
• either turn on the “fifth sense”, set up an “oracle” or use the “scientific poking method”.

And, you see, the outcome of the situation in scenario No. 2 is obvious. The equipment is delivered to you. Install. Setting it up. They are leaving. And you are left alone with her. This is where the fun begins.

The subsequent actions are comparable only to the dances of African shamans. During them, they also puff strangely, buzz, moo and twist. So, in order to protect you and your nerves from an unsuccessful acquaintance with this type of equipment like an oven, we... We will reveal a terrible secret - the secret of turning it on.

A gas stove consists of two parts - a hob and an oven. She can be dependent and independent. A dependent stove has one control for the oven and hob, while an independent stove has separate controls.

To turn on the oven, open it. If necessary, turn on the lighting (there is a special button on the control). Find the hole (usually located above the door joint). Light a match and bring it to the source of fire.

Now click the appropriate button and wait. If everything is in order with the gas supply, there will be no problems turning on the oven. In terms of switching on, it’s easier with an electric oven, but a gas oven is just as good, although it takes some getting used to.

Important:

Memo from the hostess. The control of a gas stove is most often expressed by recessed handles (mechanical). Therefore, in order to turn on the stove (oven), you need to lightly press the handle inward and turn it clockwise. And to turn it off, turn it against it without pressing.

See also:

• 6 best VEKO ovens of 2022
• 7 best Korting ovens according to customer reviews
• 8 best Hansa ovens of 2022
• 8 best Hotpoint-Ariston ovens
• 8 best Gorenje ovens

Safety requirements

Using an electric oven is not difficult, but it is important not to neglect safety.

Observe the following rules:

• do not use the oven without grounding;
• do not leave operating equipment unattended;
• do not cook in containers that are not intended for high temperatures;
• do not keep flammable objects and liquids nearby;
• Only process and wash the oven when it is de-energized.

Check the oven's power cord periodically. If there are wiring problems or malfunctions, do not use the device until the problem is resolved.

How to choose a level

Professional chefs indicate in their recipes the level at which they need to cook: the juiciness of the finished dish, the uniformity of baking and the presence of a crust depend on it.

If the cooking recipe does not indicate a level, cook the dish at a medium level.

Lower level. Suitable for simmering at low temperatures, as well as for dishes that need to be well baked on the bottom, but not too dry on top.

Pizza and open pies are cooked on the lower stage

Average level. This level is considered universal: products are baked evenly and remain juicy. Used for dishes with moderate cooking temperatures.

Top level. Used for quick cooking, crusting and high temperature cooking.

Baking in a sleeve or foil allows you to achieve juiciness and softness of the dish.

Clean your oven regularly: dried grease and food residues will burn during cooking and produce an unpleasant odor.

To ensure everything is baked: useful tips

You can use an electric oven in the standard way - bake the dish at the recommended temperature. To keep food juicy, use a baking sleeve, baking paper or foil.

For casseroles, souffles and puddings, build a water bath. To do this, place the dish in a larger diameter container, then pour some liquid into it.

If you are baking, do not open the device unnecessarily throughout the entire process. Baste meat and poultry periodically with the juice that is released during cooking. Then the dish will have an appetizing fried crust.

When preparing flour baked goods, turn off the oven 15 minutes before they are ready and leave the dish to “rest.” To ensure the meat is juicy, follow the temperature specified in the recipe. The timer will help you remember to turn off the oven and take out the dishes with food on time.

When using an electric oven, remember that safety comes first - and then there will always be delicious homemade food on the table without the threat of fire.

General rules for operating a gas oven

Despite the variety of gas ovens, there are several general standards that must be followed so that using the device does not lead to its breakdown:

1. Beginning of work . Immediately before loading the dish, you need to carefully inspect the interior of the device and remove everything unnecessary from there. Perhaps frying pans, baking sheets and other kitchen utensils are stored there? Inside there should only be a grid-stand for the dish.
2. Determining the cooking level . This is an important step in the instructions “how to use a gas oven.” The equipment, as a rule, has grooves in the walls into which the grille can be installed, and they are located on three levels. The lower level is intended for intensive baking, the middle one is universal for all culinary delicacies, the upper one will help create an appetizing crust on the finished dish.
3. Choosing the right container for baking/stewing . You can use ceramic pots, a special sleeve, foil or silicone, glass, cast iron, ceramic molds. You can stew meat and vegetables in them or cook a delicious stew. For sweet and savory baked goods (for example, pizza), use a special baking tray (included with ovens) or a variety of baking dishes.

To bake certain dishes (for example, soufflé, sponge cake), it is important to set the desired temperature and place the mass ready for baking in the already heated space of the culinary cabinet. Baking dough rises well when warm and, after baking, turns into a fluffy, airy delicacy. Interested in how to determine the temperature of a gas oven? There are two simple ways:

1. According to a special scale on the unit. On the front of modern equipment there are division lines or numbers with a mark in degrees Celsius. You just need to take the instructions for the device and find the data on how many degrees the designations on the scale correspond to.
2. Using an oven thermometer that can detect degrees up to 300.

Another important point is how to properly light a gas oven. In appliances with automatic ignition, you need to turn the tap on the cooking cabinet panel, which is responsible for setting the temperature, all the way. Then press the auto-ignition button and hold for 15-20 seconds. After the gas in the oven is lit, all that remains is to adjust the temperature and place the container with the food inside. In simpler variations, you need to open the oven, find a small hole at the bottom, bring a pre-lit match to it and turn the tap on the stove panel.

It will be interesting to know: 5 interesting recipes for duck in the oven - from simple to “haute cuisine”.

About gas pressure

Are you planning a big move to a new building? You can forget about the gas stove. Unfortunately, gas supply is not possible in modern residential high-rises. What can we say, even in old 5-9 storey buildings you often encounter the fact that gas simply “does not reach” the apartment due to low pressure.

This is where the creativity of housewives comes into play. Some people light a fire with a branch from a broom, and some make a paper rope. If you are “lucky enough” to encounter a problem with low gas pressure, first release it.

After this, roll the paper into a tube, wet the end you hold in your hand with water, and set the other on fire. Use this “miracle design” to light the oven. Do this only as a last resort if necessary. If there is none, call a gas specialist. There is no point in taking on the “headache” of someone else’s responsibilities.

Bake the fish

This product, especially fillets, can easily dry out in the oven, so do not increase the temperature above 200°C. To check the doneness of whole fish, make a small cut on the carcass. If clear juice flows out of it, then the fish is ready; if there is blood or ichor, the dish must be kept in the oven for at least 10 minutes.

The principle of operation of a gas oven

Understanding exactly how a gas oven works, it is much easier to properly light a fire in it. If the hob burner directly heats the bottom of the pan and diffusely heats the limited space around it, then the oven builds up the desired temperature in the isolated space. Heating of the air that participates in heat treatment often occurs from below, after which the hot streams evenly rise upward, circulating inside the oven.

The oven has its own separate burner in which the gas-air mixture burns. Burners are most often diffusion: the mixing of gas and air in them occurs naturally, without additional oxygen intake.

After opening the tap, the gas passes through the nozzle, combines with air and is ignited by a spark. The latter is formed due to electricity or open fire from a match or lighter.

The additional convection function in the oven ensures more even heating of the ingredients in the dish and helps create an appetizing crust. It’s definitely worth paying extra for such functionality, because the taste of the dishes becomes even brighter

If your oven is equipped with convection, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the features of turning on, using and turning off this mode.