How to use an oven 🥝 or an oven in a stove, rules of use

Having bought a new gas or electric stove, first of all, I want to quickly figure out what the icons (signs) on the oven mean, because the capabilities of modern technology are so great that they can confuse even the most experienced user. In this article we will tell you what kind of ovens are and how to use certain modes correctly.

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Gas oven

Modern gas ovens are significantly different from the usual Soviet version of this kitchen equipment. They allow housewives to prove themselves at full strength, thanks to the many cooking functions. With its help, you can cook not only a delicious varied food, but also the most useful. But this will be easy to do only if you know what the icons (signs) on the oven mean and how to use it correctly.

Advantages of a gas oven:

• The cost of such kitchen appliances is much lower than the cost of electric ovens.
• Due to the possibility of gas ovens to work from a gas cylinder, a household appliance can be used in a country house or in the country.
• The presence of gas control in many models makes gas ovens safe.

Important! A similar function automatically ignites the fire if it is extinguished extinguishably during the operation of the oven.

• Gas ovens are more economical than electric when paying for utility bills.

Recommendations for the use of gas ovens:

• Before cooking in the oven, you should check for food debris and foreign objects, such as baking tins.
• You should install shelves in the rows that you need for cooking in an unheated chamber.
• Light the gas oven and heat to the desired temperature.
• Place the food form in the oven only after it is heated to the required temperature.

Important! Placing food in an unheated oven will result in uneven cooking.

• It is not worth opening the door too often and looking into the oven, since with each opening the temperature in the oven drops and the food, accordingly, will take longer to cook.
• After turning off the oven, leave baking in it for another 5-10 minutes.

Important! Before installing the oven, it is imperative that you study the installation and use instructions.

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Electric oven

For sophisticated housewives who require more from kitchen appliances, electric ovens are the best option. The functionality of such devices is simply amazing, but the complexity of the device is much higher. Therefore, in this case, the question of what the icons on the oven mean will be more relevant than when using a gas unit.

The advantages of electric ovens:

• Any dish in electric ovens is cooked more evenly, thanks to the placement of heating elements in different parts of the chamber.
• The choice of temperature for cooking is in a wide range: from +30 to +300 degrees.
• High level of control of the required temperature with an accuracy of 5 degrees.
• The ability to cook several dishes at the same time with the appropriate volume of the appliance chamber.

Important! Before proceeding with the selection of the cooking mode, critically examine the camera inside. You may need to use our tips first to get it in order andwash the oven from carbon deposits and old fat inside.

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How to use an electric oven?

The main problem of many housewives is the inability to understand the operation of various modes of the electric oven. There are so many of them that people get lost and use only the acquaintances and the simplest. This is the main mistake of the owners of such equipment, because having a kitchen equipment in the house with great capabilities, you should use it to the maximum.

Let's understand the functions of such cabinets before using an electric oven. You can also use information from a separate article on proper oven temperature setting.

Mode 1: lower + upper heating

Each electric oven has this mode of operation. It can be called in different ways: static, traditional, classic heating. But this does not change his principle of action. From the bottom and top of the camera, two heating elements turn on and work simultaneously. The heat generated creates the effect of natural convection.

disadvantages

The movement of air in the oven’s chamber does not occur as swiftly as we would like, and the oven warms up unevenly. One of the reasons for this is that the lower heater is always more powerful.

Usage Tips

To bake dishes with such baking will not be difficult, but in order for the dough to bake well from below, it is necessary to set the pan not in the center, but at a lower level.

Important! Beating the position of the pan, you can cook many delicious dishes in this mode of the oven.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Shortbread cakes.
• Baking and bread.
• Various cookies, biscuit and pastries.
• Stuffed vegetables.
• Pork ribs.
• Poultry meat.
• Roast.
• Lean beef.
• Fish casseroles and fish.

Mode 2: intense bottom heating + top heating

This mode of operation of the electric oven is a kind of classic mode. It differs by a more powerful heating element at the bottom of the chamber. Use this option to cook dishes that require quick frying from below.

Benefits

This mode is great for cooking in forms that do not conduct heat well, such as aluminum or glass dishes.

Usage Tips

To prevent food from burning, add water to them. Food will be cooked faster, since good heat comes from below, and the air is not cold from above. As a result, the dish languishes on all sides and cooks as evenly as possible.

Main dishes, which are prepared with such parameters

A variety of dishes in pots - Casserole.

Mode 3: bottom heating + top heating + fan

Work with similar parameters consists in the collaboration of two heating elements (lower and upper) and a fan mounted on the rear wall. With this interaction, streams of hot air rapidly spread throughout the oven chamber, ensuring a uniform temperature in its entire space. If you have chosen just such a model, you need to clearly know how to use an electric oven in order to evaluate all its advantages and the money was not wasted.

Important! Often you can find another name for the operation of the fan - convection. The fan creates forced convection of warm air in the oven. Ovens equipped with such a device are called multifunctional. In the absence of a fan, convection occurs naturally, since cold air is always heavier than warm. Such ovens are static models.

Benefits:

• Due to the constant movement of warmed air, heating of products occurs on all sides faster, which reduces the cooking time of the dish. This, in turn, makes the food juicy.
• Some models of electric ovens allow in this mode to cook simultaneously two dishes at different levels of the chamber.

Important! Cooking time in this mode is reduced by 30% compared to using traditional heating.

Usage Tips:

• Choose the middle rail to install the pan. In a similar way, all the benefits of hot air circulation will be exploited.
• Sometimes it’s necessary to lower the temperature used to cook a particular dish so that it does not dry out.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Fried roll.
• Cakes
• Pork legs.
• Casseroles.
• Roast.
• Puddings.

Mode 4: lower heat

With this operation of the oven, only the lower heating element is switched on. Such parameters are considered the most used, since the old ovens only had it. Out of habit, housewives trust the proven cooking method more and do not always specify what the icons on the oven mean or how to use this type of electric oven. But still it is necessary to do this, since modern models are significantly different from older units.

Disadvantages:

• Cooking time is longer than in the case of using the modes already described above.
• The cooking process is quite time-consuming, as the hostess will need to constantly monitor the dish, periodically turn it over, change the level of the baking sheet.

Usage Tips

This mode is convenient to use only for baking, which requires a long heat treatment.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Wet-stuffed cakes.
• Canning.

Mode 5: bottom heating + fan

The operation of the lower heater is connected to the fan. Due to this, the air temperature in the oven chamber is distributed more evenly.

Advantages:

• Thanks to the fan, cooking in this mode is much faster than with the option with only lower heating.
• Dishes prepared using these parameters of the device are juicy inside and with a beautiful golden brown on all sides.

Usage Tips

It is not recommended to use high forms for cooking, as they can disrupt the convection of warm air over the dish.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Open pies.
• Baking from yeast dough.

Mode 6: Top Heat

In this mode, only the heater located in the upper part of the oven chamber works. Air heating in the chamber does not occur intensively, since natural circulation is difficult. A similar option in the oven is activated to fry the top of an almost finished dish.

Usage Tips

Use this mode to fry the top of various dishes, as well as to give a ruddy cheese or mayonnaise cap to julienne, meat in French and other similar dishes.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Casserole.
• Cake.
• Vegetables on the grill.
• Polenta.
• Fig.
• Lasagna
• Pasta casseroles.
• Vegetables with bechamel.
• Pudding.
• Dumplings.

Mode 7: Top Heat + Fan

This mode helps the products find a light golden crust, while warming them evenly inside.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Casserole.
• Meat.
• Souffle from vegetables.
• Lasagna

Mode 8: ring heater + fan

The ring heater is located on the back wall of the oven chamber and is a spiral element, rolled up in the form of a ring.Its circular shape is specially selected, since together with the fan located in its center, the heater provides horizontal movement of hot air, which quickly fills the oven chamber and warms it to the required temperature. Often manufacturers call this mode convection.

Usage Tips:

• With these operating parameters, you can easily cook several dishes at the same time, placing them at different levels of the oven.
• Cooking one dish is best done on the lower tier of the oven.
• Two dishes are best prepared at the first and third levels of the oven.
• When using this mode, it is not recommended to cook on the top row of the oven.
• It is better to set the temperature slightly lower than usual for a particular dish, since the fan contributes to a more rapid heating of products.
• To cook most dishes in this mode, pre-heating the oven is not required.

Advantages:

• Inside the oven, the air becomes drier, which prevents the mixing of food aromas and changing its taste.
• The mode is quite economical in terms of energy consumption, as dishes are prepared quickly and not just one.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Puff pastry.
• Drying greens, fruits, mushrooms.
• Sterilization preservation.
• Well-baked dishes with a juicy and soft middle.

Mode 9: ring heater + bottom heating + fan

The combined operation of two heating elements and a fan is called differently by manufacturers. You can find the following names of this mode: pizza, pizza / baking, gourmet, convection heating + heating from below, superfast heating, intensive baking, defrosting and heating. A similar technology is based on using all the advantages of convection, but only if you know how to use the electric oven and what the icons on the oven mean.

Usage Tips:

• It is best to use the middle level of the oven for cooking in this mode.
• Preheating the oven for cooking is not necessary.
• This mode is often used to defrost and heat products.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Unfrozen convenience foods.
• French fries.
• Strudel.
• Baked potatoes.
• Cheese cake.
• Fruit pie.
• Cheesecakes and buns.

Mode 10: ring heater + bottom + top heating + fan

Manufacturers call this mode: intense, preheating, pro-hot air, 3D-cooking, multi-function cooking, fast cooking.

This mode is by no means possessed by all models of electric ovens.

Usage Tips:

• Such operating parameters are used to quickly warm the oven before applying the main mode.
• Cooking dishes that require deep baking takes place quickly with the formation of a delicious brownish crust.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Leg of lamb.
• Baked whole piglet.
• The whole turkey.

Mode 11: Grill

The grill icon on the oven is also not found on all electric oven models. He indicates that the oven has a tubular element mounted on the ceiling of the chamber. A similar detail differs from ordinary heating elements by infrared radiation, which directly warms the products, and not the air. The specificity of the grill is that it acts on products that are strictly under it.

Usage Tips:

• A similar mode can be used for cooking main dishes, as well as to give products a golden crust at the final stage of cooking.
• It should be borne in mind that the grill can only work in the maximum possible mode. Only some models offer the user the ability to adjust the power of the tubular element.
• Cooking is best on the first or second tier of the oven.

Important! The choice of level depends on the thickness of the pieces of meat.

• As a rule, cooking in this mode is done on the grill, so in order not to stain the bottom of the oven with drops of fat, place a pan on the lower level.
• To avoid smoke and smoke, a small amount of water can be poured into the lower sump.
• To ensure that the crust is on all sides of a large product, for example, chicken or goose, use a skewer. By periodically turning it over, you will achieve the desired effect.

The main dishes that are prepared with these operating parameters:

• Steak.
• Sausages.
• Sausages.
• Liver.
• Chops.
• Fish fillet.
• Toasts.
• Vegetables.

Mode 12: grill + top heat

Sometimes you can see the name of this function of the electric oven - a large grill.

Usage Tips:

• A similar mode is used when it is necessary to enhance the effect of temperature on products.
• For cooking, they can be placed all over the pan, not just under the grill.

Mode 13: grill + fan

In different models, the following names of this mode are found: gratin, ventilated grilling, blowing grill, convection grill, turbo grill, turbo-maxi grill, cross-frying and others. A similar option in the oven will allow to cook on a spit without third-party interference in the process. Thanks to the fan, infrared radiation will fry the product from all sides.

In this mode, you can cook all the dishes that are in the grill mode, except for toast and steak.

Important! Sometimes the difference between the modes is so inconspicuous that many even experienced housewives do not notice it. Technically, air heating is the same, so an excessive number of modes is a purely marketing move.

If you have installed a modern stove model, also take note of useful tips on the proper care of the hob andhow to clean ceramic tiles from carbon deposits.

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Stock footage

Knowing how to use an electric stove or gas-fired oven, you can cook a lot of tasty and healthy food. Food foil or a baking sleeve allows you to cook a variety of dishes in the oven at relatively low temperatures in the region of 230 degrees. Simultaneous cooking of vegetables and fish, potatoes and meat in them gives a special taste and aroma, as the products are soaked in each other's juices. If you cook often and with love, then multi-function ovens with all the described modes are your version of a kitchen assistant. If you are a fan of uniformity and cooking is not a very pleasant duty for you, then when buying, choose an oven easier, with only basic cooking modes. In any case, the oven will help create a celebration on your table. It does not matter which company the oven is in front of you: samsung, hephaestus, indesite, elektrolux, bosch, ariston - if you do not have instructions, then our article will help you figure it out.