An oven is a big investment. You will use it practically every day in order to get your food cooked. With this in mind, it is a good thing to know some things about maintaining an oven so that you can get the most out of this large piece of machinery. So, let’s talk about the 10 most essential tips for maintaining an oven.
1) Always Make Sure That the Oven is Getting Sufficient Air Flow
Airflow is vital to the normal and proper functioning of an oven. The best way to prevent the airflow from getting blocked is by always making sure it’s clean and doesn’t have any debris or dirt. You can do this by simply vacuuming the back of the oven from time to time. Easy as that.
2) Periodically Lubricate the Blower Motor
During cooking, the blower motor is responsible for keeping the inside of the oven filled with hot air. In order for the motor to keep running smoothly, lubricate the motor with oil at least twice a year so that the internal temperature stays constant. If you are unsure of what type of oil to use, you can look in the manual.
3) Never Remove the Oven’s Knobs
The oven’s knobs are directly connected to the control system of the oven. By removing them for whatever reason, you risk getting electrocuted. People are, usually, very keen on cleaning the knobs this way but it isn’t at all recommendable.
4) Always Update Your Gas Line
Whenever you get a new oven, always make sure to update the gas line as well. The risk of running an old gas line on a new oven is big, as it can lead to less efficiency and sometimes even damage to the oven. So, even if you have an old oven after some time has passed, it would be recommendable to check the gas line and see whether it can be upgraded if it appears to be worn out.
5) Don’t Forget to Unplug the Oven Before Cleaning
This doesn’t necessarily mean that the oven will shock you if it gets in contact with water, no. Instead, we are merely advising cautiousness. It isn’t made for dealing with a lot of cleaning material and contact with water. So, if you are deciding to clean it, always remember to unplug it before you decide to use any cleaning products or water on the appliance.
6) Periodically Check Your Burners
If you spot any spots that are glowing more than the others, any debris, or any deformities at all, you must replace them. If it shorts out, it could cause a small fire to start. This issue is small, but it can result in heavy damage being done to the oven. Then, you will need to look for appliance parts to replace them with. This will hurt the wallet, so, take the smarter route, and replace the burner once you spot any malfunctions.
7) Inspect the Door Racks
People, generally, focus on the bottom side of the oven. While this is important, we can’t leave out the other parts. You need to pay good attention to the racks in order to make sure that they remain in optimal shape.
8) Pro Tip for Oven Cleaning
Cleaning the oven is a daunting task, this is why most people avoid this duty when possible. Firstly, you should always clean the oven surface after cooking. Removing the grease build-up is vital for the longevity of the appliance. The built-up grease makes the oven harder to clean, only making the job harder in the future.
If you want to reach deeper areas of the oven, remove the knobs first. Also, if you want an easier way of removing the grease, you should put a bowl of water in a hot oven and leave it there for some 20 minutes so that the grease loosens up. As for deep cleaning, it would be recommendable to do this at least once a month in order to achieve the best efficiency.
9) Calibrate the Oven
One of the most important aspects of maintaining an oven is temperature calibration. You should always have the outside temperature match the temperature inside of the oven and use an internal oven thermometer in order to calibrate the temperature of the oven.
You can do this to check. Preview the thermometer every 10 to 15 minutes after you have preheated it. If you spot a huge temperature shift (around 50 degrees or so), then you should read over the owner’s manual so you can recalibrate the oven.
10) Regularly Inspect the Door Gasket
The door gasket is the rubbery part that runs along the oven door and is used to seal the heat inside the oven. As time passes, this rubber will begin to age and get worn out. When this happens, the heat will start getting through, and the oven will not be heating the inside as it should be. This is why you should make it a habit to inspect the door gasket from time to time so that the oven can continuously function as it should.
These were the most essential tips you should follow when trying to properly maintain an oven. Sometimes, even with excellent maintenance, things can simply break down. So, never let that warranty leave your sight! Till next time.
